The Truth About Trying to Conceive

Eating bananas will help you get pregnant faster.
True
False
Eating bananas will help you get pregnant faster.
Maybe you heard that bananas boost fertility or yams make you more likely to have twins. But there isn't enough science that shows that any particular food helps their sperm meet your egg faster. Instead, aim to eat more fruits and veggies, whole grains, healthy fats, and different kinds of protein to keep your body healthy.

Age affects fertility in:
women
men
both women and men
Age affects fertility in:
It's true that some men can become new fathers in their 60s or later. But research shows their biological clocks tick, too. Women become less fertile after age 35. The reason: As they get older, they have fewer eggs, and the eggs become less healthy. Fertility changes in men don't happen as suddenly, but age can still affect a man's ability to have sex and the health of their sperm.

Cough syrup is proven to help you conceive.
True
False
Cough syrup is proven to help you conceive.
You might have heard these rumors. Some websites claim that an ingredient called guaifenesin in these medicines improves your cervical mucus, so it's easier for sperm to reach an egg. But there's no scientific evidence to back up that idea.

A fertile 30-year-old woman has a ___ chance of getting pregnant each month.
20%
40%
50%
A fertile 30-year-old woman has a ___ chance of getting pregnant each month.
That means for every 100 healthy 30-year-old women who try to make a baby this month, 20 will conceive. The other 80 can try again. Women are the most fertile in their 20s. More women are having babies later in life, compared with past decades, but the odds do drop after age 30. A pregnancy could still happen right up until you go into menopause, but with age, you might be more likely to need fertility treatment.

You took birth control pills for years, so it will take a little longer for you to get pregnant.
True
False
You took birth control pills for years, so it will take a little longer for you to get pregnant.
Most women ovulate again about 2 weeks after they stop the pill. As soon as your body releases an egg, you can get pregnant. One study looked at a large group of women who got off the pill to try to get pregnant. About 20% conceived in their first fertile month. That's about the same odds as women who didn't take the pill.
Also, if you're worried you have a higher chance of miscarriage, don't be -- that's another myth.

What’s the ideal weight to get pregnant?
A bit underweight, so you can gain more during pregnancy
Slightly overweight, to nourish the baby
Neither
What’s the ideal weight to get pregnant?
If you weigh too little, your menstrual cycle may become irregular. Or your body just may stop ovulating.
Being overweight can have the same effect. Obesity is also linked to other issues that affect pregnancy, such as thyroid disease and diabetes.
Not sure what you should weigh? Your doctor can help you figure that out at a preconception checkup.

Which of these can help you conceive?
More workouts
Not smoking
Orgasms
Which of these can help you conceive?
Go ahead and exercise, but not too much or too hard. If you do intense workouts more than 5 hours a week, you may ovulate less often. And as nice as it would be to orgasm every time you have sex, it won't help you get pregnant. What we know for sure: Smoking makes fertility problems more likely, makes you lose eggs faster, and can make sperm unhealthy. Quit today to better your chances of conceiving.

If you have sex closer to when you ovulate, your chance of having a boy are ___ your chance of having a girl.
higher than
lower than
the same as
If you have sex closer to when you ovulate, your chance of having a boy are ___ your chance of having a girl.
You have a 50/50 chance of having a boy or a girl, no matter when in your cycle you have sex. The dad's sperm decides the gender. About half of their sperm will make a boy, and the other half will make a girl. The gender of your baby depends on which sperm reaches your egg first.

You should quit all caffeine to help you get pregnant.
True
False
You should quit all caffeine to help you get pregnant.
You can keep your chai latte or cappuccino. It's OK to have less than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day. That's equal to about one to two cups of coffee a day. (One cup is 8 ounces.) What you should stop drinking is alcohol. Having one or more drinks a day may make it harder to get pregnant.

You should see a fertility specialist after trying to get pregnant for:
one month
three months
one year
You should see a fertility specialist after trying to get pregnant for:
That's what the experts recommend if you're younger than 35 and you and your partner are healthy. Give baby-making your best effort for 12 months before seeing a doctor. Healthy women older than 35 should talk with their doctor after trying for 6 months. Infertility affects both men and women, and treatment can help.

Which of the following is true about infertility?
Same odds for women and men
Stress can cause it
Adopting improves your odds
Which of the following is true about infertility?
In infertile couples, the odds that infertility has something to do with the woman are the same as for the man. It's a physical condition, and stress doesn't cause it. Adoption doesn't solve it. Couples who adopt aren't more likely to get pregnant later on than those who don't.

You have one baby, so you can definitely have another.
True
False
You have one baby, so you can definitely have another.
Hopefully, you'll be able to have a successful pregnancy again, if you choose. But infertility can happen after your first or second child. Doctors call it secondary infertility -- it may be surprising, but it's also common. Age could be a cause, and so could damaged fallopian tubes, problems with ovulation or the making of sperm, or other issues.