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Posts Tagged ‘Sex’

Common Infertility Misconceptions

Saturday, December 26th, 2009

There are tons of myths surrounding when and how often couples who are trying to get pregnant should have sex. 

For instance, some of these misconceptions include:

  • A woman should have sex on day 14 of her menstrual cycle.
  • A woman should have sex within three days of ovulation.
  • When a woman’s BBT temperature is highest, it’s time to have intercourse.
  • Couples should have sex as many times around a woman’s period of ovulation as possible.

So what’s wrong with these commonly-held beliefs?  A few things:

  1. Most women don’t have a standard cycle, which can be a huge problem if they’re trying to have sex at the “right” time.  It’s better for them to have intercourse once every three days (about two days less than the average length of time that sperm can live in a woman’s body).
  2. Tracking BBT can definitely be a good way to try to get pregnant, but it’s not an exact science.  Again, if you’re having sexual intercourse regularly, you’ll naturally increase the chances for conception around the time of the highest BBT reading.
  3. Though there’s nothing wrong with having a great deal of sex, it doesn’t necessarily translate to having a child.  Sperm counts may be low, ovulation may not have taken place, etc. 

The bottom line?  Don’t buy in to all the “information” you’ve heard regarding infertility.  Though much of it has a basis in science, it isn’t as accurate (or applicable) as you might be led to believe.

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  • When Sex Just Isn’t Fun Anymore

    Tuesday, July 28th, 2009

    424-raphael-collin-music-q75-334x500Reading this article brought home a really important point — when you’re dealing with infertility issues, sex can often become more drudgery than anything else.

    Big surprise, right?  But it’s worth mentioning. 

    We’ve already established that couples who have difficulty conceiving can easily become stressed out.  And high stress levels can lead to problems in the bedroom.  Erectile dysfunction.  Lubrication issues.  Ejaculation problems.  Those perfectly-understandable physiological responses to anxiety only exacerbate the underlying concern.

    If you and your partner are to the point where sex is a chore, it’s time to seek out the help of a counselor.  A therapist who is trained in the area of reproductive health issues can get you back on track.  After all, there’s no reason that intercourse should cease to be pleasurable.  You deserve to enjoy your time together.

    (If any couples or individuals have any suggestions on de-stressing and keeping sex exciting during infertility, feel free to comment.  We’d love to hear your thoughts.)