Best positions to get pregnant

There are loads of old wives’ tales about how to get pregnant, from positions to times of day to have sex to what to eat. But is there any truth in the position theory? Luckily, you won’t need to be a contortionist to make use of the best benefits to conception that Mother Nature has to offer.

What’s the best position to get pregnant?

Realistically, no one position is way ahead of the rest when it comes to getting pregnant. Having said that, some experts believe that the deeper penetration you get with the missionary position (with the man on top of the woman, face to face) can be best, giving the sperm a shorter swim to the cervix.

Are there any positions to avoid during sex?

Sperm are designed to swim into the woman’s womb and fallopian tubes to reach the egg and that’s just what they do. Though some say you should avoid positions where the woman is upright to increase chances of the sperm being retained in the body.

Is there a good position after sex?

Some women prefer to lie down after sex or even place a pillow under the hips to try to keep as much semen in the body as possible. This may have benefits if the sperm is of poor quality but again, this has not been positively proven. With each ejaculation, around 50 – 500 million sperm are released and it only needs around 400 to reach the egg to allow for a good chance of pregnancy.

Can we choose to have a girl…?

Again, nothing proven but some say that having sex in a shallower position (side-by–side or spoons) places the sperm lower in the vagina, which may give the X sperm a better change of reaching their target.

…Or a boy?

As above, no proof here either but some say deep penetration such as man on top of woman or from behind deposits the sperm further into the vagina, nearer the cervix, so the Y sperm have an advantage.

Does an orgasm help conception?

The very purpose of an orgasm is said to be to draw the semen into the uterus but as those plucky little sperm will keep on swimming anyway, they will get to their target if they are allowed.

And so in conclusion…

Whilst the idea that certain positions, times of day, phases of the moon and post-sex practices increase your chances of getting pregnant may be a nice idea, in truth there is no actual scientific proof behind any of these. But there’s no harm in trying…