When trying to conceive, does it matter what sexual position to use for increasing the chances?  Is missionary style the best or woman on top the way to go?  Many myths abound regarding getting pregnant but what doctors and researchers will tell you, it really doesn’t make any difference.

Does sex position matter?

Currently, there is no evidence that any particular sexual position is more likely to culminate in conception than another.  It is possible to get pregnant having intercourse in almost any position but using gravity as leverage helps.  Therefore, it would make sense that the missionary position, or man on top, would be the position most favorable for getting the job done since sperm is fired off closest to the cervix, but there are no scientific studies to back this up.  What is known is that sperm are very clever and can swim upstream plus they can survive in a woman’s reproductive tract for many days so a woman could be standing on her head with the possibility of becoming pregnant. 

When a man ejaculates, he may release from 40 to 150 million sperm. The sperm swim upstream toward the fallopian tubes on their mission to fertilize an egg.  Fast-swimming sperm can reach the egg in a half hour while others take days.  They can live up to 48 to 72 hours in a woman’s body. 

Does frequency of sex matter?

Many couples may wonder how frequent they should be having sex to conceive a baby.  The good news here is the highest pregnancy rates occur in couples who have sex every day or every other day.  This certainly sounds logical and like a lot of fun.  If having sex every day is not possible – or enjoyable – have sex every two to three days per week starting soon after the end of the woman’s menstrual cycle.  This will increase the odds of having sex when she is most fertile. 

One thing that may help increase the odds of conception is for the woman to lie on her back after sexual intercourse for about 10 to 15 minutes before getting up and using the bathroom.  While lying on her back, a woman may also consider placing a pillow under her hips giving the sperm an even better advantage in their race to be the first to fertilize the egg.  One thing not to do when working to get pregnant is to douche after having sex.  Douching alters the pH balance of the vagina.  Sperm need the alkaline-acid levels to be more or less balanced in order to live.  In addition, douching flushes out the cervical fluid which makes it easier for sperm to swim to the fallopian tubes. 

Timing of ovulation

Speaking of a woman’s ovulation, proper timing is crucial.  In general, most women’s fertile window is the day of ovulation (usually 12 to 16 days before her menstrual period begins) and the five days preceding it. For the average woman that occurs somewhere between days 10 and 17 but the problem is that few women are average.

One last tidbit – A woman having an orgasm does not increase her chances of getting pregnant.  There is no evidence to support this but if she does, it just makes the work of “trying” to start a family more fun and not quite so business like.