Five common misconceptions about pregnancy_Blog_Wuhan Dr.lees TCM Clinic

Five common misconceptions about pregnancy

There are many things couples can do to boost their chances of pregnancy. However, there are also many preconceived notions passed around about fertility, which is wrong actually.

1. A man's fertility does not decline with age.

Despite of the fact that men continue to produce sperm their entire lives, that doesn't mean a man's age has no influence on his fertility. As a man ages, both the quality and quantity of

his sperm decreases. Researches have shown that men in their 40s take about four times longer to impregnate a fertile woman than men in their 20s. In addition, as men age, they have a greater chance of producing children with genetic abnormalities.

2. If a man has had a child in the past, he can't be infertile.

Some couples think that if they are having trouble getting pregnant, it can't be the problem with the man who has had a child in the past. However, this is not necessarily true. The fact that you had fathered a pregnancy in the past doesn't mean that you have a guarantee for the future. Many things could have changed in the years since the man first fathered a child. For example, the man could have gained weight or developed thyroid disease, both of which can affect fertility.

3. To get pregnant, you must have sex the day of ovulation

Sperm can survive for five days in your cervical fluid, and an egg is fertile for approximately 12 to 24 hours after ovulation. Therefore, you can get pregnant theoretically if you have sex during the five days leading up to and including ovulation.

4. It takes a long time to get pregnant after stopping birth control pills.

Many women think that, after they stop taking birth control pills, it will take them six to 12 months to get back to regular menstrual cycles, and that during this time, their chances of pregnancy are reduced. However, this is not the case, according to Mayo Clinic. In a study of 200 women who took birth control pills for at least a year, 40 percent had a period or became pregnant just one month after they stopped taking the pill. And by three months post-pill, nearly 99 percent of them had a period or became pregnant.

5. In Vitro Fertilization works for most women in their 40s

With donor eggs, a woman's chances of conception through IVF are around 50 percent regardless of her age. Using her own eggs, however, a woman's chances of conception through IVF drop from around 30 percent in her late 30s to about two percent in her late 40s. If a woman freezes her own eggs at a younger age her chances of conception are much greater as she ages.