Sex and Fertility – Conceiving is Not the Only Thing Sex is Good For

Hewitt Fertility Centre

Posted by Hewitt Fertility Centre

12 February 2018

 

Is there a best sex position for getting pregnant?

You may laugh, but it’s a question we get asked very regularly here at The Hewitt Fertility Centre. While it may seem a minefield of old wives’ tales and hearsay, there is some logic and scientific understanding that can be applied to the discussion and, when you’re trying to conceive, understanding what is based on science and what isn’t, is important.

Firstly, sperm isn’t impeded by standing up, sitting down, lying down or even being upside down. It will travel through the cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes regardless.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that no consideration should be paid into what goes on in the bedroom while trying to conceive. Numerous pieces of research have shown that one of the most common causes of low fertility can be stress. Hormone levels, the efficiency of your immune system and timing and duration of your period can all be affected by stress, meaning that conceiving will become more and more difficult if you are feeling anxious.

A sure-fire way to deal with stress? Sex

According to a recent small study of 46 men and women, sex can undoubtedly relieve stress, as well as improving your general wellbeing.

Participants kept a diary of sexual activity, recording penetrative sex, non-penetrative sex and masturbation. In stress tests, including public speaking and doing mental arithmetic out loud, the people who had no sex at all had the highest stress levels.

People who only had penetrative sex had the smallest rise in blood pressure. This shows that they coped better with stress.

 

Sexercise

Another reason to consider regular romance is fitness. As many as 200 calories can be burned whilst having sex. Some studies even show that having sex for 30 minutes is as effective an exercise as going for a 15-minute run. For both men and women, health and wellbeing is very important when thinking about fertility. Numerous studies have proven that a reduction in BMI makes sperm more numerous and mobile in men as well as making a woman more capable of producing high quality eggs and possessing the ability to carry a child throughout a healthy pregnancy.

Additionally, if you are considering NHS funded IVF/ICSI treatment, recent changes to guidelines have meant that women can only receive the treatment via NHS funding it they have a BMI of 35 or lower.

 

Regular sex can heighten your chances of conceiving

However, there’s a little more to it than that…

If you’ve found that you are struggling to conceive after trying for 12 months or more, you may have already visited your GP to discuss your fertility. Subsequently, you may have discovered that you or your partner have low fertility. Don’t worry, there’s plenty that can be done and chances are, with perseverance, you may only be a short step away from conceiving.

If you’re trying to conceive, or even if you’re not, there’s no such thing as too much sex. As mentioned above, sex can improve your wellbeing, lower stress and anxiety levels and even help you to lose weight, that’s in addition to its already well documented benefits. Just because you are concentrating on the serious business of trying to conceive does not mean that the bedroom becomes a workplace. Keeping the fun in the bedroom as well as regular visits to it will all aid your chances of becoming pregnant.

Studies have shown that having sex multiple times a week, even daily, can help with conceiving. Whilst a woman can only become pregnant while ovulating, there is another, little known, reason for creasing the sheets for the rest of the month.

A woman’s immune system is her defence against invaders. Viruses, bacteria and even toxins, if detected within the body are all tackled by the immune system. Unfortunately, sometimes the immune system struggles to tell the difference between what’s ok and what isn’t, meaning that your partner’s sperm could be treated in the same way and not be allowed to make its journey to the egg.Having sex regularly familiarises the body to the sperm cells, meaning that when you are ovulating, your body is far more likely to roll out the red carpet and let the sperm do their job. So, get to it!

 

 

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