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:

• The uterine lining might not be thick enough for implantation
• Even if fertilization happens, the body might not be able to sustain early pregnancy

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).

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:

• After ejaculation, sperm begin swimming almost immediately—some make it through the cervix within minutes.
• Your cervical mucus during ovulation creates channels that literally guide sperm toward the egg. Think of it like a slip-n-slide just for sperm: they know where to go, no yoga pose required.

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.