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10 Myths About Conceiving

Falsehoods that Could Hold You Up

By Jessica Williams

There was a time when I used to think I could get pregnant anytime I didn't use birth control. I remember my high school sex-ed class:

"You can get pregnant the very first time you have sex."

"You can never be too careful – the first time you decide not to use

contraception could be the time you get pregnant."

After a lot of "anti-pregnancy conditioning," I slowly started to see my body as an extremely fertile entity that had to be monitored and kept in check. Sometimes, I felt as if breathing wrong would get me pregnant. Of course, all of this was before I actually tried to conceive.

Trying for a baby after believing that your body is bursting with fertility can be frustrating. In fact, many of us tend to believe certain "rules" that may not have even been taught to us; we just assumed they were true. Here are some myths that can often cause panic and confusion for couples who are trying to conceive.

I will get pregnant as soon as we stop using birth control. It can be awfully confusing to stop using birth control and find your periods coming month after month. But, for the majority of couples, conception does not take place the first month they try to conceive. In fact, healthy couples only have a one in four chance of conceiving in any given cycle.

I never used a hormonal birth control method, so we should get pregnant as soon as we start trying. Just because your hormones weren't under influence from contraceptives doesn't necessarily put you at an advantage. While your body may be better able to regulate itself, this doesn't mean you can get pregnant easier. Your fertility can be influenced by factors other than contraceptives, and can also be problematic for no apparent reason at all.

We are both very healthy; there is no way we could have infertility problems.

Want to see more?

• Mulling Over Motherhood: Do You Really Want to Be a Mom?
• Preconception Visits: Working With Your Doctor
• The Right Way to Get Pregnant
• Talk about it!