Your Guide For A Child t July 2022 14 10 Outrageous Fertility Myths Young women underestimate their ability to get pregnant, while women in their 30s and 40s overestimate, and continue to wait. Whichever side of the fertility divide you fall on, there way too many myths floating around that have nothing to do with age. Here are ten of the more inscrutable ones ... MYTH 1: DAILY SEX UPS YOUR CHANCES Having sex every day, or every other day, will not increase your chances of conception, despite what your man would have you believe. (“Let’s make a baby” is my husband’s new, favor- ite come-on.) To up your chances, you should actually aim to have sex during the time in which you’re ovu- lating -- generally the 11th to 17th day of your menstrual cycle. How do you know when you’re ovulating? If your cycle is fairly regular, you can download a menstrual calendar app to your smart- phone, you can order a (pricey) ovulation kit, or for free, you can keep an eye out for the physical signs of ovulation. MYTH 2: GOING INTO HEADSTAND WILL HELP SPERM FIND THEIR WAY I hate to admit this, but I’ve become so desperate to get pregnant, I actually go into shoulderstand after sex in the hopes that more of my man’s tiny swimmers will reach the finish line. Intellectually, I know this is ridiculous. After all, sperm cells are chemically programmed to travel in the right direc- tion, no matter where your pelvis is pointing. And even if some sperm leak out post-sex, there are plenty more still in the game. Still, after two years of trying, I feel that every little bit helps. It doesn’t.