Question

Will lying on my back with my legs in the air after intercourse help me get pregnant?

Answer
By Rebecca Matthews, PhD | Last updated: March 7, 2017

There’s no strong evidence to suggest that lying on your back or tilting your hips for 20 minutes after intercourse improves the chance of getting pregnant. On the other hand, it won’t hurt your chances either.

Lying down helps the sperm to pool near the cervix and may help more sperm on their journey. In general, though, healthy sperm will find their way into the fallopian tubes regardless of what you do.

Some women swear by the Softcup, a small plastic diaphragm commonly used for period protection. Couples trying to conceive have discovered a new use for the Softcup as a fertility aid. Instead of inserting the Softcup during the woman’s periods, couples trying to conceive are using the Softcup following lovemaking to help pool and hold sperm around the cervix. Alternately, semen can be directly deposited into the Softcup reservoir and inserted directly into the vagina and around the cervix.

Some research has shown that a woman’s orgasm may result in contractions that help the sperm to swim farther into the reproductive tract. The evidence is inconclusive, so don’t feel too pressured. If it happens, great; if it doesn’t, that’s okay too!

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Written by Rebecca Matthews, PhD | Embryologist

Rebecca Matthews, PhD

Dr. Rebecca Matthews has a PhD in embryo implantation and currently works as an embryologist. Rebecca is passionate about her work and about educating and empowering people to take control of their own healthcare decisions. With this in mind, she has written an IVF guidebook to help patients understand the processes and options involved in fertility treatments. Her book, IVF: A Patient's Guide, can be found on Amazon.

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