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What Can You Do During Sex To Get Pregnant?

by Elizabeth Helen Spencer

Ever since you first became sexually active, your goal has been not to get pregnant. You know a lot about how to avoid that outcome — from birth control to when your period should arrive — but "It only takes one time," high school sex ed teachers caution. While they are technically right, when you actually get around to wanting a baby, you may find that getting pregnant is not as easy as you thought it would be. In fact, it can be confounding how difficult it is. So what can you do during sex to get pregnant? There are a lot of myths out there, so to separate fact from fiction, Romper spoke with Dr. Adrienne D. Zertuche, OB-GYN at Taylor, Suarez, Cook, Carroll, and Khan (Atlanta Women's Healthcare Specialists).

When asked if certain positions or other behavior during or after sex can increase a woman's chances of getting pregnant, Zertuche says, "There is no evidence to suggest that sexual position, whether or not the woman orgasms, or the position that the woman assumes after ejaculation (e.g. lying flat, putting your feet up on a wall) affect the likelihood of conception."

However, a couple's choice of lubricant can make a difference. According to Zertuche, "Some popular over-the-counter lubricants, in addition to olive oil and saliva, have been shown to inhibit sperm motility. This may not necessarily translate into a decreased likelihood of conception, but you may want to switch to mineral oil, canola oil, or a lubricant called Pre-Seed."

Zertuche also recommends that couples focus on the frequency of sexual activity rather than what happens during sex because "the highest pregnancy rates occur in couples that have unprotected sex every one to two days during the fertile period of the woman's cycle."

Not sure when your fertile period is? There are a few major signs and methods for tracking your fertility. Zertuche also explains that "while it can vary according to a number of factors, the majority of women ovulate on the 14th or 15th day after their period begins, and the fertile period is the five days leading up to ovulation, plus the day of ovulation."

If you've been trying, though, when is it time to seek medical help? "If you have been having frequent sex during the fertile period of your cycle for 12 months without a positive pregnancy test (or six to nine months if you are above the age of 35), you should speak with your gynecologist about starting an evaluation for low fertility or infertility," advises Zertuche.

So luckily, you don't have to try any acrobatics during sex in order to get pregnant, but you do need to have enough of it. Just focus on hitting your fertile period and see where that leads you. As your sex ed teacher said, "It only takes one time."