Sometimes the pregnancy is an accident, sometimes you decide to want to have a baby. There is not much you can do about the former, but the latter involves meticulous preparation. Once you decide to have a baby, there are many factors to consider, but perhaps the most important one is how to get pregnant.Â
There is so much information and misinformation regarding pregnancy that makes it very hard to wade through the waters of fertility. Whereas it is best that you first get a checkup on your health from your gynecologist, is it also vital to separate truths from myths.Â
Debunking the myths, distinguishing the truthsÂ
1: You need to have sex right at the time of ovulation
Myth: Most women can ballpark their ovulation date, either using the calendars if their cycle is regular or checking other factors like basal temperature, etc.Â
However, if you just limit intercourse to the very end of your alleged fertile window, you may decrease your odds of fertilization. Sperm can survive for up to 5 days in your body, and therefore, to improve your odds, you should have sex before you ovulate.Â
Moreover, an egg can only remain available for fertilization for around 12 to 24 hours, which is a very small window to get a hold on. Thus, to increase your odds, increase the days you have sex before the golden time.Â
2: You can’t get pregnant during periodsÂ
Myth: You can get pregnant if you have intercourse during your periods. Essentially, for those with a short cycle, they may ovulate in the time zone of their period, and the egg might still be there when they have sex. The body will not push out the sperm with the egg.Â
3: Having sex every day will increase your odds
Myth: You might think it is a matter of probability and math doesn’t lie, but you might be wrong in that case. When you have sex every day, regardless of your fertile window, you are not improving your odds.Â
On the contrary, it might lead to burnout. It may also contribute towards bleak thoughts about why you are not able to get pregnant. At times, it may also put a damper on sex life, which is not good for your relationship.Â
4: Only fertility affects your chances of getting pregnant
Myth: There are many factors at play when it comes to determining if you are going to get pregnant or not. Ovulating every month with no problems with the release of eggs is not always the solution to fertility problems.Â
Your weight is one such factor that will influence your chances of getting pregnant; overweight women have it tougher, and not just in terms of getting pregnant, but also due to complications during pregnancy.Â
Similarly, hormonal issues may also cause problems as well.Â
5: Fertility is the domain of women
Myth: While men do not have to carry the baby, they do have to participate in making one. There are many things that can go wrong at the male end as well, including sperm motility, low sperm count, the shape of the sperm, etc.Â
Therefore, if you are having trouble getting pregnant, you and your partner, both, should visit an expert and get yourself the requisite tests.Â
6: It can take longer to get pregnant
Truth: Pregnancy can take time, especially when you are getting off birth control pills. Alongside being a game of luck, with birth controls, the matter is slightly more complicated. It may take longer for the cycle to become regular.Â
On average, it may take around 6 months for a woman to get pregnant. For young couples, it’s okay for pregnancy to take up to a year. However, if women are older than 35 years, if they are not able to conceive after 6 months, they should see the Best Gynecologist in Karachi.Â