updated June 13, 2025
If you’ve ever googled “how to get pregnant fast” or swapped stories with girlfriends or well-meaning aunties, chances are you’ve heard a lot of mixed messages. From standing on your head after sex to blaming women exclusively for fertility challenges, there’s no shortage of outdated, oversimplified, or just plain wrong advice out there.
The truth is — fertility is beautifully complex, and what actually supports conception doesn’t always match the headlines, old wives’ tales, or even what some doctors still say.
In this post, we’re breaking down some of the most common myths I hear in my practice (and probably in your group chats too). We’ll dive into what the science actually says, so you can feel more confident, informed, and empowered on your journey — whether you’re trying to conceive now or just want to understand your body better.
If you missed it, check out The Worst Fertility Myths: Diet Edition.
While it’s true that ovulation — the release of an egg from your ovary — only happens once per cycle, your actual fertile window spans about six days. This includes the five days leading up to ovulation, plus the day of ovulation itself.
Why?
Sperm can live inside the female reproductive tract for up to 5 days in fertile cervical mucus (yes, they’re real survivors!).
and
The egg, once released, survives for 12 to 24 hours.
Put these together, and you’ve got a fertile window where intercourse could lead to pregnancy even if it’s not exactly on ovulation day.
If your cervical mucus is healthy and fertile (think stretchy, clear, egg-white consistency), sperm can swim, stay alive, and hang out near the fallopian tubes waiting for the egg to arrive. Some studies also suggest that cervical mucus can create channels that help “select” healthy sperm and even store them temporarily.
That means you can get pregnant from sex that happens:
So while there’s only one ovulation day, your fertile window spans about six days—and tracking this window is key if you’re trying to conceive (or avoid pregnancy!).
Read more about cervical fluid here: How To Increase Cervical Fluid To Get Pregnant.
Well… yes and no. Let’s break it down.
You might’ve heard that it’s possible to ovulate more than once in a cycle — and that’s partially true. Research shows that in about 10% of cycles, a woman may release two eggs, but this happens within the same 24-hour window, not on completely different days or weeks of the cycle.
This is what can lead to fraternal twins: both ovaries release an egg at the same time (or one ovary releases two), and both eggs get fertilized. It’s called multiple ovulation, and when it happens, it’s nearly simultaneous.
But ovulating in separate weeks of the same cycle? That’s not how our hormones work.
After ovulation, your body produces progesterone, thanks to the corpus luteum formed from the follicle that released the egg. Progesterone:
So while your body can prepare multiple follicles and sometimes release more than one egg, it can’t do that days apart in the same cycle.
This one gets repeated way too often—especially by well-meaning providers. But it’s just not true.
Having a regular cycle — say, every 28 days with 4–5 days of bleeding — can be a sign that things are working smoothly on the surface. But regular periods don’t always equal optimal fertility.
Why? Because there’s a lot happening under the hood that your period alone can’t reveal.
Let’s talk about luteal phase defect (LPD) — a sneaky and very common reason behind unexplained fertility struggles. This happens when the luteal phase (the time between ovulation and your next period) is shorter than 12 days, often due to inadequate progesterone production.
Low progesterone means:
And here’s the kicker — you can still have regular cycles and not realize this is happening. LPD often shows up without any major symptoms, so it’s easy to miss without tracking ovulation (using basal body temp, LH testing, or progesterone labs).
Nope. Not even close. Let’s break this myth wide open.
This is one of those lingering cultural beliefs that puts way too much pressure on women. The truth? Fertility issues are shared — and the data backs that up.
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine:
That means male factor infertility is just as common as female factor infertility — and it deserves just as much attention, support, and care.
So what does that mean in real life?
When trying to conceive, it’s not enough to focus only on ovulation, cycles, or hormones. Sperm health matters just as much—because sperm provides half of the genetic blueprint that creates your future baby.
Poor sperm health can be due to things like:
And just like egg quality, sperm health can often be improved with targeted lifestyle, nutrition, and supplement strategies.
Read more about male fertility here: How to Increase Male Fertility.
A classic myth that needs to retire—stat.
We’ve all heard the advice: “Just lie back and throw your legs in the air—gravity will help the sperm get to the egg!” While the image is kind of funny (and your legs will fall asleep), the science says this move doesn’t make a difference.
Here’s what’s actually happening inside your body:
And let’s not forget—each ejaculation contains anywhere from 40 to 240 million sperm.
So yes, a little leakage is normal, and no, it doesn’t mean you’ve lost your chance at pregnancy.
Nope. Orgasms are amazing, but they’re not required to get pregnant.
This myth dates back to the early 1900s, when some doctors believed that a woman’s orgasm triggered vaginal contractions that helped “suck” semen up through the cervix and fast-track it to the egg.
Sounds kind of mechanical, right?
And while this kind of reproductive reflex does happen in some animals (pigs, we’re looking at you), studies in humans don’t back it up.
A 2010 study published in Fertility and Sterility showed no significant difference in sperm transport whether or not the woman orgasmed. The human uterus and cervical mucus are already optimized for sperm transport — orgasm or not.
What does matter for conception?
Timing intercourse with your fertile window (i.e. the 5 days leading up to ovulation + ovulation day).
Healthy cervical mucus to help sperm swim and survive.
Balanced hormones to support ovulation, implantation, and progesterone production.
That said — orgasms do support hormone balance, blood flow, stress relief, and even better sleep, which are all helpful for overall fertility health. So while you don’t need one to conceive, I’m still very pro-orgasm over here.
Read more about why you should be having regular orgasms here: 5 Health Benefits of Orgasms for Women.
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Sarah Jane Sandy is a certified nutrition therapist, and a fertility and women’s health expert. She has helped hundreds of women increase their fertility naturally and go on to have healthy full-term pregnancies. She has been working with women and couples trying to get pregnant for over 16 years and over 90% of the women who work with her get pregnant and have healthy babies.
She also works with women trying to fix their hormone imbalances, as well as supporting women through pregnancy and the postpartum period. Learn more about her own fertility and hormone journey here. To send Sarah a message, complete her Contact Form.
Curious about your fertility health? Take this simple quiz to find out what factors may be harming your fertility, and learn what you can do about it!
