- What if I can’t get pregnant?
- What if it takes too long?
- What if it happens too quickly?
- What if I have twins?
The list goes on and on. Many of the concerns are brought up by well-meaning friends or family members who heard something from someone they once talked to about trying to get pregnant, and it only accentuates the concern.
Luckily, many of the things people tell you are myths. But unfortunately, too many people believe the rumors, resulting in unwanted worry and frustration.
According to Alta View Hospital OB/GYN Kathryn Walker, MD, here are five of the most common myths that can cause anxiety for parents-to-be.
1. A woman’s weight doesn’t affect fertility.
FALSE.
Actually, your body mass index affects ovulation. Being overweight or underweight can cause problems. One in eight infertility patients are underweight compared to one in four who are overweight.
2. Raising your legs or standing on your head after intimacy gives you a better chance of getting pregnant.
FALSE.
As strange as this seems, it happens, but sperm is already meeting its destiny by the time you’re finished with intimacy. So just relax and enjoy the moment.
3. Fatty foods are fine for fertility.
FALSE.
Bad fats can actually negatively impact conception and may affect semen. So to stay on the safe side, eat more fish and stick to the healthy fats.
4. You need to be intimate every day to get pregnant
FALSE.
Not that you can’t be intimate every day, but if pregnancy is the goal, it’s important to remember that sperm can live in the reproductive tract for about 72 hours. Men also need time to rest in order to build up their semen count.
5. Smoking, alcohol, and drugs won’t affect your fertility.
TOTALLY FALSE.
Smoking is poison to your eggs and is also known to speed up menopause. Heavy pot smoking can impact a woman’s period. Alcohol stresses your liver, which can impact your hormones, and recreational drugs affect men’s sperm.
So the next time you’re at a family gathering and the awkward question from your mother-in-law comes up as to when you’re going to give her grandkids and the myths start to fly, be sure to set the record straight and put these myths to rest.