At this day and age when teenage pregnancy is such a common incident, we cannot take for granted that everyone is well-versed when it comes to sex education. You might be surprised that even adults have preconceived notions about conceiving and pregnancy – notions that may actually be myths.
On the other side of the spectrum, we have women who are yearning to conceive but, for some reason, are having a difficult time. Myths abound in this regard as well. If you fall under either of the two categories mentioned, you’ll benefit from reading about these common myths about conceptions and pregnancy.
Myth: It’s impossible to get pregnant if you have never had your period.
Fact: It may be hard to believe, but it IS possible to get pregnant even if you have not had your first monthly period. This is due to the fact that women ovulate prior to getting their menstrual period. As a result, a young woman may actually become pregnant if she has sexual intercourse even before she gets her first monthly period. This can happen if a woman has sexual intercourse a couple of weeks before her first period, and if she ovulates during that time. The same thing applies to the idea that a woman cannot get pregnant when she has sex the first time. If she is ovulating at the time a woman has sex, it will not matter if it’s the first time or the 50th time.
Myth: You will not get pregnant if you are breastfeeding.
Fact: The truth is that breastfeeding will not make a woman ‘immune’ to getting pregnant. Unfortunately, many women have found out about this myth the hard way – by conceiving while breastfeeding. Breastfeeding may, in fact, delay ovulation, and hence menstruation. Still, a woman may ovulate while breastfeeding, and if she has sexual intercourse during this time, she may get pregnant.
Myth: You will not get pregnant if you have intercourse while you have your period.
Fact: The chances of conceiving when you have sexual intercourse when you have your monthly period are lower, but it is not impossible to get pregnant. This is not because of the period per se, but because of the fact that you may have a short cycle within the month. If this happens, you might ovulate within a week of having intercourse; and since sperm can live for almost a week, you just might get pregnant.
Myth: Having sex in water will help you avoid getting pregnant.
Fact: I suppose this myth comes from the idea that the water will kill the sperm. However, as long as there is penetration and ejaculation, the sperm will have a chance to swim to where the eggs are. In other words: you can still get pregnant, no matter where you have sex.
Myth: If your partner pulls out before ejaculation, you will not get pregnant.
Fact: This is perhaps the most common myth of all. In many cases, pulling out works as a means of contraception. However, it is not a guarantee as sperm may come out even before the male partner pulls out. Do not rely on this myth as a form of contraception.
Myth: The more often you have sex, you have better chances of getting pregnant.
Fact: Logic dictates that the more you have intercourse, you’ll get pregnant faster. While this may seem to be true, what is more important is the timing. You can engage in sex as often as you want, but if you do not time it right – around 14 days prior to your period – then all your efforts will be in vain.
Myth: The best time to try making a baby is 14 days after your period.
Fact: It seems that the magic number is 14, isn’t it? There is nothing wrong with the number, but the incorrect idea is that ovulation occurs 14 days after the woman’s monthly period. The truth is very close to it, but the other way around. As has been mentioned repeatedly, a woman ovulates 14 days before her period.
Myth: You will get pregnant as soon as you stop using birth control.
Fact: This depends on the kind of birth control. For birth control pills and other kinds of hormonal birth control methods, it will take a while for the body to adjust. As such, it may not be possible for you to get pregnant right away. Still, it is not impossible.
Myth: If you have gotten pregnant once, you will not have problems getting pregnant again.
Fact: This is not always the case. There is such a thing as called secondary infertility, wherein a couple has problems conceiving after already having a child. This can be due to many factors, but the fact remains that it is possible to encounter problems with conception despite having been successful before.
Myth: If you don’t get pregnant within several months of having regular intercourse, you have fertility problems.
Fact: After several months of trying and not getting results, a couple would probably experience disappointment and frustration. While fertility problems might be behind the difficulty, this is not always the case. In most cases, couples will conceive within a year (or thereabouts) of trying.