Seeds of Hope

Lubrication for Conception

By Lyn Mettler

It's a familiar scenario to most couples trying to conceive: Your cervical mucus is just right, your ovulation monitor is sounding the alarm, you're experiencing ovulation pain and/or your temperature just dropped. No matter the sign, it's time to have sex.

For many couples, the whole idea of having to have sex sends all the fun right out the window, leaving you and your partner trying to get in the mood the best way you can.

If you're up on your trying-to-conceive literature, you know that lubricants and saliva should not be used when trying to make a baby. And the fact is, according to Dr. Joanna Ellington, CEO of Bio~OriGyn and associate professor of pharmacology at Washington State University, that 75 percent of couples trying to conceive experience vaginal dryness.

"Couples who are attempting to conceive may try to have intercourse more often," says Dr. Randy Morris, a reproductive endocrinologist in Chicago, Ill. "They frequently report a decrease in spontaneity. Males cite difficulty 'performing on demand.' All of these factors may contribute to a generalized decrease in the enjoyment of intercourse with a consequent need for an increase in vaginal lubrication."

Beth Stewart, 33, of Montesano, Wash., has been trying to conceive her third child (she and her husband lost their second to miscarriage) for six months and has experienced it firsthand. "I am someone who needs lube, and it just wasn't working well without it," she says. "It sometimes took us an hour before penetration."

So what's a couple to do? Well, a new product on the market may just be the answer you've been dreaming of: a natural-feeling lubricant that is safe for sperm.

Pre~Seed is a new product developed by Dr. Ellington, who has been government-funded to study sperm-related infertility since 1990. As she was conducting research among couples trying to conceive, she found many complained of vaginal dryness. "When I started looking at other [personal lubricants] out there, they all damaged sperm, which was consistent with reported studies others had published," she says, and that led her to create a product that would allow couples to have enjoyable sex without worrying about harming sperm.

According to Dr. Ellington, in order for a lubricant not to damage sperm, it needs to have a similar pH and osmolarity, which refers to the amount of ions or salt in a solution. Popular lubricants such as KY Jelly and Astroglide both have pH values much too low and osmolarities that are much too high, which pulls moisture out of the sperm, causing it to die within minutes after contact, she says.

Want to see more?

• The Embarrassing Truth: Conception Facts You Need to Know But Are Too Afraid to Ask
• Keeping the Love Alive When You're Trying to Conceive
• Creating Memories: How to Capture the Essence of Your Last Child-free Year
• Talk about it!