10 Fertility myths busted

Myth one: Both of us are healthy. There’s no way we can have infertility problems

Sadly, feeling healthy doesn’t mean you are immunised against infertility. Although you both may feel in a great shape, this is no 100% indicator of your fertility. Many men and women have fertility problems without showing any outward signs. On the other hand, being unhealthy can be a risk factor for infertility.

Myth two: I have a regular period, so I should have no problem to conceive

Getting your period around the same day every month indicates that you’re ovulating regularly, but it doesn’t ensure that the eggs are good quality, explain doctors. Many factors determine your fertility, including the health of your reproductive system. “Your fallopian tubes (through which the egg travels to get fertilized) could be blocked, and you’ll still get regular monthly periods,” says Dr. Leondires. Again, that means not just eating right and exercising but keeping your sexual health in top form.

A visit to your gynae yearly for a Pap smear, STD screening, and cervical exam would not harm but just the opposite All of those will show potentially existing irregularities and infections so you can get treated for them before they affect your fertility.

Myth three: As long as I am younger than 35, I will have no fertility problems

At birth, a woman has seven million eggs, which slims down to 400 000 at the onset of puberty. During a woman’s lifetime, approximately 400 to 500 eggs will be released. As a woman ages, the ovarian reserve declines. A woman’s egg supply takes a rapid decline in the late 20s, again in the 30s and then most notably after age 35.

In others words, fertility changes throughout a woman’s life and doesn’t suddenly decline when she turns 35. Rather, many women reach their fertile peak in their early twenties, says Dr. Shari Brasner, author of ‘Advice From a Pregnant Obstetrician: An Inside Guide’. This is an age when most women aren’t even considering having children yet, says Dr. Brasner.

But just because you’re not thinking about children doesn’t mean your biological clock isn’t ticking. Knowing and understanding this from early adulthood can prevent a lot of heartbreak later on and give you realistic expectations about your chances of conceiving. Still! While it is true that a woman’s fertility dramatically decreases once she is older than age 35, women in their 20s can also have fertility problems.

Myth four: I will get pregnant if we have sex 14 days after the start of my period

This is one of the biggest misconceptions. Unless you have a perfect, consistent, 28-day cycle you’re not always most fertile on day 14. While the typical menstrual cycle is 28 days, not every woman is typical. In fact, many women have a cycle that lasts from 21 days up to as many as 35 days. To calculate your day of ovulation, count backwards 14 days from the last day of your cycle.

It very well could be day 14, or day 12, or day 20. While counting helps, tracking your fertility signs and patterns will help you determine better when your ovulation period is. Try tracking your basal body temperature, watching for changes in your cervical fluid, or testing your saliva or urine for the presence of chemicals indicating ovulation is near.

Myth five: I’ve already conceived once with a healthy baby, getting pregnant again will be easy

“This is one of the biggest misconceptions my patients have,” says Dr. Morris. “You’re older the second time, and your reproductive system changes over the years,” he says. Not only women but also men should consider the effect of ageing: researchers found out that a man’s sperm quality also declines with age.

A study of about 2 000 couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) found that pregnancy attempts were 70% more likely to fail if the man was 40 or older. So if you do plan on having more children, don’t wait forever. If you’re approaching age 35 – or you’re older – consider getting started on baby number two sooner rather than later and add Conceive Plus in your fun formula to get your good news quicker.

Myth six: I had a miscarriage before, this will make it harder to conceive

Miscarriage, which occurs in 20% of all pregnancies, doesn’t affect a woman’s ability to get pregnant, says Dr. Lerner, author of ‘Miscarriage: Why It Happens and How Best to Reduce Your Risks’.

In fact, experts say that in many cases, you can start trying to conceive again as soon as one month after the miscarriage. If you have three miscarriages in a row, however, it may be a sign of an underlying medical problem and your doctor should make thorough examinations to determine if something’s wrong.

Myth Seven: Lifting my legs in the air for 20 minutes after having sex will help me get pregnant

It certainly sounds like a good idea in theory – the logic being that this will tip your pelvis and help your partner’s little swimmers get a direct route to your eggs. In practice however it is not necessary to torture yourself. Sperm are chemically programmed to travel directly to your baby-maker following ejaculation, regardless of what position you’re in. (Yes, those mighty sperm defy gravity.)

Sceptical? Consider this: Each time your partner ejaculates, he lets out about two to three cubic centimeters of ejaculation, with about 20 to 80 million sperm in each cc – in other words, if a little leaks out after you’ve had sex, there’s plenty more where that came from.

Myth eight: Drinking alcohol will harm your fertility

This one is actually rooted in some truth. You definitely shouldn’t feel guilty about having a glass or two of wine or even an occasional couple of beers while trying to conceive. However binge drinking or drinking to excess could put your body through the ringer and affect your fertility.

Reason? Drinking too much and too often can lead to irregular cycles, cutting down your chances of conceiving each month even further, and making it nearly impossible to chart or temp accurately. Just keep any drinking on the light side and you should be fine.

Myth nine: Infertility is more often a female problem

For some reason, when a problem with fertility arises with a couple, the party responsible is often assumed to be the woman—yet this couldn’t be further from the truth. Real stats: 40% of infertility problems are attributed to men. Another 40% is attributed to women, and about 20% of infertility problems can be attributed to both parties.

Myth ten: I will get pregnant as soon as I stop birth control

You just stopped using your birth control and your period started immediately coming month after month. This, however, is not a guarantee that you will get pregnant right away. For the majority of couples, getting pregnant doesn’t happen the first month they try to conceive. Studies show that healthy couples only have a one in four chance of conceiving in any given cycle. Still, our little trick can make this happen.

About the Author: For more fertility myths, visit the Conceive Plus website or Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/conceiveplusSA.

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