TTC: Does Position Make a Difference?

by Kimmama | More from this Blogger

03 Jul 2009 10:22 AM

"Lay on your back, prop up your behind and lay still for at least 10 minutes." That was the advice I received when I was researching ways to improve my odds of getting pregnant right away. I'm talking about what you do after the baby dance. Oh you thought I was talking about a different kind of position?

The big question is: does it matter what you do after intercourse? Will you kill your chances if you use the bathroom right away? Should you lay on your back or on your stomach? Should you use an Instead cup? Headstands anyone?

Before I delve into my research I will share what common sense tells me. If it really made that much of a difference, then birth control wouldn't have any use. All a woman would have to do is get up and do the hokey pokey to prevent pregnancy. That's just my two cents.

On to the research: there is no scientific research to back up the idea that you need to "help" sperm reach the egg, even though there a lot of women who swear by it! The truth is, the sperm are exerting much more effort to get to that egg than gravity. That is a fact. That means you don't have to worry about walking around afterward, or using the bathroom for that matter. On average there are about 300 million sperm in 5 milliliters of ejaculate and it only takes about 20 minutes for the fastest sperm to reach the egg. Those sperm can live up to 2-5 days inside the woman's body, just waiting for that egg to come along. Common sense says that if sperm can live in a woman's body for 2-5 days, they are strong enough to not fall out of the woman's body for 2-5 days. Fertile cervical fluid is designed to trap the sperm and aid in its travel to the egg.

There are tons of myths out there about methods to either help or prevent conception, but when it comes down to it, unprotected sex was intended to result in pregnancy. If timing is right, everything is already created and geared towards conception. If laying on your back and propping up those legs eases your mind about getting pregnant, by all means, go for it. But if you need to get up, don't let worries about not conceiving stop you. If you are worried about conception, your best bet is to make changes before you even get started.

Learn more about Kimmama

Kim is a freelance writer and stay at home mom to her newborn, Micah. She has been married to her husband, Eric, since 2006.

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