If you\u2019re anything like me, you will try anything to help your odds of successful fertilisation, including believing a range of fertility and IVF myths. So when I read that cough syrup could make your cervical mucus more \u201csperm-friendly\u201d, or eating Brazil nuts helps your egg quality, or eating pineapple core after an IVF embryo transfer, can help with implantation \u2013 you\u2019d find me in the nearest supermarket with a basket in hand, loaded with my magic, hope-filled goodies.<\/p>\n
However, I\u2019ve never actually heard a doctor tell me these things. I was chatting recently to a consultant at one of our partner clinics<\/a> about this and he was explaining all the myths surrounding trying to conceive and IVF. I thought I would share them, and others, here with you. I couldn\u2019t believe how many there were!<\/p>\n You may have heard you have to use the missionary position if you\u2019ve tried to conceive naturally at any point. Healthy sperm are excellent swimmers and are focusing on their goal. As long as sperm enter the vagina, they\u2019ll be headed on their way to their destination, no matter what the position. It\u2019s best then to just go with the flow, enjoy it and not engineer anything.<\/p>\n The myth that bed rest can help with implantation has been around for a long time. It was believed that the activity could cause the embryo to detach from the uterine. However, there is no evidence that this helps. Bed rest was a common prescription for all sorts of ailments in the past but, logically, we would have died out as a species ages ago if our reproductive organs were that fragile. So it\u2019s ok to continue with your normal daily activities.<\/p>\n This myth about cough medicine helping you get pregnant comes from a belief that the ingredient that thins the mucus causing the cough can help to increase your fertility by thinning the cervical mucus. This then makes it easier for the sperm to get to the egg. There\u2019s (obviously) no scientific proof for this so we can breathe a sigh of relief that we don\u2019t need to go guzzling disgusting, expensive cough syrup.<\/p>\n IVF is the first, and in some cases, the only thing people think of if they hear someone is struggling to conceive. In reality, though there are so many options, from fertility drugs, ovulation induction, intrauterine insemination (IUI<\/a>), IVF and IVF with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) through to surgery. The treatment will be specific to each individual but this highlights the need for greater fertility education.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll see from this list that lots of fertility\/IVF myths are food-related. Mothermag.com<\/a> describes the reason here: \u201ca recent myth that has gained quite a bit of traction in fertility blogs over the years is that eating pineapple can help embryo implantation. Pineapple, particularly the core, contains an enzyme called bromelain. There have been some studies that indicate that bromelain may have anti-inflammatory properties and the theory is that these properties could help with implantation. While pineapple is delicious, there\u2019s no clinical evidence that support any of these claims. But if you enjoy eating pineapples, then keep on eating them! They are actually a great source of vitamin C.\u201d<\/p>\n Achieving that coveted 8-millimetre-plus lining is the holy grail of IVF. Many women swear by drinking it for the first 13 days of their cycle to get their uterine lining primed for implantation, but again there is no clinical evidence of this. However, if you like pomegranate juice, feel free to keep drinking it. It\u2019s good for you but it\u2019s not proven to help the uterine lining, mothermag.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Brazil nuts aren\u2019t just tasty snacks \u2014 they\u2019re packed with selenium too.\u00a0One study<\/a>\u00a0published in the journal\u00a0Metallomics<\/em>\u00a0found that selenium helps promote healthy egg follicles in female cows, and that same study also found that levels of GPX-1 (a protein found in selenium) were much higher in women who got pregnant after a single embryo transfer.<\/p>\n So it\u2019s not hard to see why Brazil nuts have got a rep among IVF circles as a go-to food, but you should eat them \u201cin moderation.\u201d Too much selenium can be toxic, so it\u2019s wise to stay within a healthy range. The recommended daily allowance for women ages 19 to 50 is 55 micrograms, with the highest maximum amount being 400 micrograms daily. Translation? One or two Brazil nuts \u2014 which typically contain 68 to 90 micrograms apiece \u2014 a day should more than do the trick, mothermag.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n The actual effect of stress during IVF treatment has yet to be studied and has no scientific backing. It is true that stress causes more people to drop out or discontinue IVF treatment, but there is no indication that a more stressful life leads to a decreased success rate throughout treatment. The success of IVF treatment is all based on an embryo being accepted by the uterus, and stress has little to no effect on this process studies currently show.<\/p>\n Families with a history of genetic disorders can do IVF with pre-implantation genetic testing to screen their embryos for single gene disorders and to prevent the genetic condition from being passed onto their children. Also, IVF is used by single parents<\/a> by choice and for\u00a0LGBTQ\u00a0couples to build their families.<\/p>\n Despite women being the general target of pregnancy topics, infertility affects men and women equally.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve all heard of these older celebrity men fathering children later in life so there is a misconception that men have it easy and that their fertility is not affected with age. Women are born with all the eggs they\u2019ll ever have, so their egg reserve depletes as the years go by. Sperm, however, are \u2018made to order\u2019 so men are able to produce sperm, but the quality and quantity does decrease with age.<\/p>\n We receive many calls, and have patients at Access Fertility<\/a> who have managed to have their first child through natural conception, but have then struggled with their second, or even third. This seems strange and many people think they will be fine if they have managed to get pregnant naturally once but that is not always the case.<\/p>\n We also have patients who have a child with an ex-partner but who are unable to conceive naturally with their current partner. This can also work the other way around where they have struggled with an ex-partner and fell pregnant naturally with their current partner. There are no hard and fast rules and infertility does not discriminate.<\/p>\n A widely held principle in Chinese medicine is that a \u201ccold\u201d uterus \u2014 or one with poor blood flow and circulation \u2014 can be a cause of infertility. While many undergo acupuncture and ingest herbs to remedy this issue, some women also take the precaution of wearing warm socks throughout an IVF cycle so as not to let heat escape the body.<\/p>\n So do warm feet equal a warm uterus? Not really, says Quintero. \u201cYour core temperature stays pretty much stable, and that\u2019s where your embryo is [inside the body]. Even if you feel cold, your core is probably still a normal temperature.\u201d That said, wearing socks certainly can\u2019t hurt \u2014 especially if they\u2019re a cute pair of\u00a0IVF good luck socks, mothermag.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Although these myths may have no basis in science, if they are low cost and it causes no harm, who are we to discourage you from trying it? Go for it. Many people have lucky IVF pants, mascots or socks so why not indulge in some pineapple, Brazil nuts and pomegranate juice if you\u2019re so inclined?<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Thanks to:<\/p>\n Parents.com<\/a><\/p>\nFertility myths 1: You have to use the missionary position<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Fertility myths 2:\u00a0<\/strong>Bed rest can increase your chance of success<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Fertility myths 3:\u00a0<\/strong>Cough medicine can help you get pregnant<\/strong><\/h4>\n
IVF myth 1: IVF is the only solution for fertility issues<\/strong><\/h4>\n
IVF myths 2:\u00a0<\/strong>Pineapple can improve embryo implantation<\/strong><\/h4>\n
IVF myths 3:\u00a0<\/strong>Drinking pomegranate juice <\/strong><\/h4>\n
IVF myths 4:\u00a0<\/strong>Eating Brazil nuts during the two-week wait <\/strong><\/h4>\n
IVF myths 5:\u00a0<\/strong>Stress lowers the success rate of IVF<\/h4>\n
IVF myths 6:\u00a0<\/strong>IVF is only used for individuals\/couples struggling with infertility<\/strong><\/h4>\n
IVF myths 7:\u00a0<\/strong>Fertility is a woman\u2019s issue<\/strong><\/h4>\n
IVF myths 8:\u00a0<\/strong>Age affects women\u2019s fertility, but not men\u2019s<\/strong><\/h4>\n
IVF myths 9:\u00a0<\/strong>If you already have a child, you don\u2019t have to worry about infertility<\/strong><\/h4>\n
IVF myths 10:\u00a0<\/strong>Wear warm socks throughout the two-week wait<\/h4>\n
Summary<\/h4>\n