Menstuff® has compiled the following information on myths
around pregnancy and conception.
8 Myths About Trying to Conceive
Pregnancy Tales: Hit or Myth?
8 Myths About Trying to Conceive
If you're trying to get pregnant, chances are you've been overwhelmed with tips and advice. Books, magazines, Web sites, and well-meaning friends and relatives are full of suggestions. But how do you separate the myths from the facts? Here are some common misconceptions about conception.
1. You'll have a better chance of conceiving if you relax and stop worrying about it. Even assuming this were possible, there's no clinical evidence that it makes a difference. While extreme stress can affect your ability to ovulate in very rare cases, "worrying about it" -- especially if that worry takes the form of monitoring ovulation and timing intercourse to coincide with your most fertile time -- can only help.
2. Drinking Robitussin before you ovulate will make you more fertile. The theory is that guaifenesin, the expectorant ingredient in Robitussin, will help thin your cervical mucus in the same way it thins the mucus in your lungs, making it easier for the sperm to swim through your cervix and reach the egg. While guaifenesin may, indeed, result in thinner mucus, it's not clear that thin mucus alone will make you more fertile. The quantity of mucus is as important as its consistency, and Robitussin will not affect this.
3. You'll conceive more quickly if you make love during the day, with the lights on. While studies have shown that sperm levels are somewhat higher in the morning, there's no clinical basis for keeping the lights on. (If you enjoy it, of course, that's another matter.)
4. Having sex every day increases your odds of getting pregnant. You can have sex 10 times a day and it won't result in pregnancy unless it's timed to coincide with ovulation. And even if you've timed things correctly, the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) reports that a major study found no difference in pregnancy rates between couples who had sex daily and those who had sex every other day.
5. If you have sex early in your fertile period, the baby will be a boy; later, a girl. There's an old wives' tale that "boy sperm" (those with Y-chromosomes) swim faster than their female counterparts, but the NEJM study found no difference.
6. Bike riding will reduce your husband's sperm count. If your partner is an Olympic-level, long-distance cyclist, it is theoretically possible (although not clinically proven) that the extra heat, jostling, and grinding on the testicular region will affect fertility.
7. Eating nonorganic bananas can make men sterile. This claim is based on a report that chemicals used in growing bananas had a negative effect on the sperm of farm workers. There is no clinical proof that men who eat the bananas could be similarly affected.
8. Cooling your husband's "jets" with an ice pack can increase his fertility. Like many conception myths, this one has a basis in fact: Sperm counts tend to rise in cooler temperatures. For this reason, men who are trying to conceive are advised to wear loose underwear (boxers instead of briefs), and avoid long, hot baths, saunas, and hot tubs. However, since it takes at least two months for a man's sperm count to be positively affected by cooler temperatures, using an ice pack on his genital area is hardly a practical solution.
Sources: By Deborah Gaines, New England Journal of
Medicine; American Society of Reproductive Medicine, www.asrm.org,
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Parents who wouldn't dream of skipping a prenatal appointment often find themselves wondering whether Great Aunt Sally's predictions about Junior's gender could be on the money. Why would parents choose to follow pregnancy advice from friends and family that is not grounded in medical science?
In many cases, hearing predictions about the baby's sex or how much hair the baby will have is fun and harmless. If the sales clerk at an infant clothing store tells you that you are carrying a girl because your cheeks are round and rosy and women who carry girls possess rounder cheeks, there's no harm in hearing how often she has made accurate predictions.
In some cases, however, it may be harmful to do what a pregnancy myth or tale suggests. Here's when you should beware:
Common Pregnancy Myths
Pregnancy myths may vary from generation to generation and from region to region. Myths your grandmother in Texas claims are true might be different from what your uncle in Alaska believes. Here are a few of the most common pregnancy myths:
Myth: Standing on your head after sex can increase your
chances of becoming pregnant.
Truth: Although some experts say that lying down after sex for
20 to 30 minutes can increase your chances of conception because it
keeps the sperm inside you, standing on your head has not been proven
to aid in conception (and you might hurt your neck while trying to do
it!).
Myth: The shape and height of your belly can indicate your
baby's sex.
Truth: The popular belief that women carrying boys carry low
and women carrying girls carry high just isn't true. The shape and
height of your belly is determined by your muscle tone, uterine tone,
and the position the baby is in. That's why someone may think you're
having a boy because you're carrying low, when actually the baby just
dropped lower into the pelvis because you are closer to delivery. The
most accurate way to determine your baby's sex? Talk to your doctor
about an ultrasound.
Myth: Fetal heart rate can indicate your baby's sex.
Truth: A normal fetal heart rate is between 110 and 180 beats
per minute (bpm), although some people think if it's faster (usually
above the 140 bpm range) it's a girl and if it's slower it's a boy.
But there have been no studies that conclusively show that heart rate
is a predictor for sex. Your baby's heart rate will probably differ
from prenatal visit to prenatal visit anyway - depending on the age
of the fetus and activity level at the time of the visit.
Myth: The shape and fullness of your face during pregnancy
can indicate your baby's sex.
Truth: Every woman gains weight differently during pregnancy,
and every woman experiences different skin changes. If people tell
you that because your face is round and rosy you are having a girl,
they might be right - but it's just as likely that they are
wrong!
Myth: If you experience heartburn during pregnancy, your
baby will be born with lots of hair.
Truth: Heartburn throughout pregnancy is extremely common, so
heartburn isn't an accurate predictor of whether your baby will be
born with lots of hair. And don't forget that your baby's hair will
fall out shortly after birth anyway!
Seeking the Truth
As you go through your pregnancy, it can be fun to collect these tales, and many baby books have sections for you to record predictions. However, for medical advice pertaining to pregnancy, you should consult your doctor first. For example, before you rely too heavily on your mother's idea that the baby is a boy, talk to your doctor about getting an ultrasound if you want to know for sure.
Keep in mind that every woman's pregnancy is different: your
doctor will know that and provide information tailored for your
medical situation. That's information friends, family, and strangers
at the mall won't have when they tell you their pregnancy tales. So
enjoy the stories - but talk to your doctor before you do anything
that could affect the health or well being of your baby.
Source: George Macones, MD, kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/pregnancy/myths_tales.html
Pregnant women, during the time they are with child, must tell the chlid they're carrying everything they see when they're walking through the woods. - Rigoberta Menchu
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