Getting Pregnant Faster

As easy as it might be for some women to get pregnant, doctors say there are also some common "myths" about conception, which, for some couples, could make it harder to conceive.

One such notion is that using a lubricant makes it easier for sperm to slip slide and get inside. Not only is this not true, it could actually prevent you from getting pregnant.

"Most lubricants can change the pH or acid balance inside the vagina, and that in turn may affect sperm motility and ultimately prevent, or at least reduce the chances of a pregnancy occurring," says Goldstein.

If you find you must use a lubricant avoid petroleum jelly. It's just too sticky he says. Instead he advises trying a natural vegetable product, such as olive oil, which is less likely to cause sperm any serious problems.

Winer also cautions women to avoid douching, either prior to, or especially after intercourse, citing possible changes in the vaginal environment that could negatively impact sperm.

As to the boxers vs. briefs controversy -- the idea that wearing loose boxer shorts instead of tight briefs may help a man's fertility, mostly by keeping his sperm-making apparatus cool and comfortable. Randolf says this is simply an "old husband's" tale. The type of underwear your partner wears is of little consequence, he says.

Finally, many women are concerned that coming off the birth control pill might affect their ability to get pregnant, but doctors say that generally there is little to worry about.

"The only issue with birth control pills is making sure you have at least one normal menstrual period prior to trying to conceive, which is important for the dating of the pregnancy," says Winer.

As far as safety goes, Goldstein says the steroids used in the pill are out of your body within a week or less -- so they won't affect your baby or stop you from getting pregnant.

"You may need to be off the pill for a few months in order to regulate your menstrual cycle and begin ovulating, but otherwise, once you stop using the pill, it should have no residual effects on your ability to get pregnant, " says Goldstein.

If, in fact, you are between the ages of 18 and 30 and you and your partner are relatively healthy and having regular intercourse, particularly during your most fertile times, doctors say you should conceive within 12 months or less. If more than a year goes by and you are not pregnant, check with your gynecologist about whether or not you or your partner could benefit from fertility testing.

Colette Bouchez is the author of Getting Pregnant: What You Need To Know and the forthcoming book Your Perfectly Pampered Pregnancy.

Originally published Nov. 3, 2003.

Medically updated Jan. 27, 2005.

SOURCES: Steve Goldstein, MD, professor, obstetrics and gynecology, NYU School of Medicine, New York City. Sharon Winer, MD, MPH, obstetrician/gynecologist, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. John F. Randolf, Jr. MD, professor, obstetrics and gynecology; director, division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, University of Michigan Health System. New England Journal of Medicine, Dec. 6, 1997. Fertility and Sterility, April, 2000; vol 73. Fertility and Sterility, October 2001, vol 76.