Do oysters really boost fertility? Does the position matter? Find out whats what now and put all those fertility myths to rest!

1. Legs in the air!

False.  Although this ‘acrobatic’ post-sex routine is performed by many women keen to fall pregnant; there’s no evidence to suggest that putting your legs up in the air after sex will make the sperm reach your egg any more effectively.  But hey, it doesn’t do any harm either!

2. Daily Sex

True.  There’s a common misconception that it helps to ‘save up’ sperm until the right moment to make sure there’s plenty of baby making swimmers available.  However, in reality, men produce millions of sperm every day, so there’s no need to ‘store up’.  In fact too much ‘older’ stored sperm may actually get in the way of the fresh new sperm as they race towards the egg.

3. Lubricants can help sperm slip and slide their way to the egg

False.  In fact, the opposite can be true.  Be careful when it comes to using lubricants when trying to conceive.  Many commercial lubrication preparations contain spermicide, which will kill sperm before they get a chance to start their journey!  If you do choose to use lubricants make sure you look carefully to ensure it doesn’t contain spermicide.

4. It’s all about position

False.  Although trying different positions may be a fun way to spice up the baby making process, it won’t have much influence over whether you conceive or not.

5. Conception happens immediately

False.  Unlike your egg, which can only survive 24 hours once released from your ovary.  Sperm can survive for 3 – 5 days within the female reproductive system, therefore conception can occur anytime during this period.  Your most fertile days fall 3 – 5 days prior to and on the day of ovulation.

6. You can fall pregnant as soon as you stop the Pill

True.  There’s common misconception that the Pill needs time to flush out of your system before you can conceive.  In actual fact, the Pill is out of your system the very day after you stop taking it, hence the reason you need to take it around the same time everyday for it to be effective.   So yes you can fall pregnant immediately after you stop taking the Pill.

7. You have a 50/50 chance of conceiving each month

False.  From the time we hit puberty we’re flooded with information about contraception and warned about how easy it is to fall pregnant.  So when the time comes to conceive it should be pretty easy right?  For a healthy couple under 35 years of age, the chances are less than 50/50, in fact each month there’s only a 20 – 25% of falling pregnant.

8. It gets easier

False.  You’ve fallen pregnant once it should be easier next time around, right?  Unfortunately that’s not the case.  For most women, just because you’ve fallen pregnant before, doesn’t mean you’ll easily fall pregnant again.

9. Stock up on oysters!

True.  Oysters have long been known as a fertility boosting food and for good reason.  Oysters are high in zinc, which is important for women to support ovulation and for men to support testosterone and sperm health.  Although if you’re not an oyster fan, boosting your zinc intake through other zinc-rich foods such as scallops, lamb, beef, mushrooms, spinach, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds or zinc supplementation can be just as useful.

10. You don’t need to take folate until you’re pregnant

False. Folate is vital for the creation of DNA, which is needed to support the growth of a new life.  Therefore lack of folate can also reduce your chances of not only falling pregnant but helping to prevent miscarriage and birth defects.  Without sufficient folate in your system you are at increased risk of neural tube defects.  The neural tube develops and closes during the first 4 – 5 weeks of pregnancy, which is before you may even realize you are pregnant.  For this reason, you should boost your folate intake as soon as you begin trying for a baby.  When supplementing, it’s ideal to look for a supplement providing folate in the ‘active’ form of calcium folinate, as some people have difficulty metabolizing folic acid.