Fertility Myths Dispelled

There are many myths that are associated with fertility and the ability of all or even most couples to conceive. If you are trying to conceive you will find all kinds of well intended though often painfully thoughtless advice, suggestions, and comments coming your way. In many ways as soon as people discover that you are trying to conceive they forget the rules of common politeness and manners fly out the window for the sake of offering their expert opinions and words of wisdom.

The best advice that can be offered is to take every bit of advice with a grain of salt and seriously discuss any ideas with your doctor before trying out any of the suggestions that are aimed in your direction. Most hurtful though are the thoughtless things that people say and the myths that are perpetuated without any basis in fact. Hopefully some of the information below will help dispel many such myths.

1. Infertility is always the fault of the woman. This is absolutely untrue and if all efforts are focused on the fertility of the female without testing the male is well all the effort is likely to be for naught. The divide in fertility problems between men and women is almost exactly 50/50.
2. If you want it bad enough it will happen. This is a statement that is meant to comfort but is born of ignorance in most cases. The facts are that not everyone who wants children will have them even with the best efforts and care that medical science has to offer today. It has nothing at all to do with want. If wanting could make things happen there would be many more millionaires around the world.
3. If you've had a baby before you can't be infertile. Things happen, our bodies' change, and we get older, and sometimes switch partners. For this reason there is no reason to assume that just because you've had one child that you will automatically be able to have another.
4. If you have a period you can get pregnant. As nice as this sounds and as much as many people would like to believe it, a period is not an automatic indication of fertility just as the absence of one is not a guarantee of pregnancy.
5. Getting pregnant is easy. This is perhaps that most thoughtless and hurtful statements that couples trying so desperately to conceive can hear. The truth is that nearly one out of every ten couples around the world has difficulties when it comes to conceiving. Obviously, while some people may have little trouble conceiving that isn't the case for everyone. Another thing to consider is that fertility wouldn't have nearly the amount of money for research and treatment if the cases were few and far between.

There are many more myths regarding pregnancy. I wish I could say that you won't hear or overhear any of the many thoughtless comments that are often uttered in the form of helpful advice. The best advice though is to keep thinking positively about your fertility treatment efforts. The miracle you seek will make all the trials along the way seem small by comparison.