11 Questions About Conceiving You'd Probably Never Ask

Is it okay to diet while trying to get pregnant? Is it safe to cut out carbs?
Some dieting is okay. "A well-balanced and healthy diet accompanied by light exercise is ideal," says Dr. Bohrer. But he adds, “Extreme diets like South Beach and Atkins induce a starvation-type response; not good if you’re trying to conceive." Make sure you're getting enough calcium, folic acid, and iron by taking a prenatal vitamin.

Are there any sexual practices we should avoid while trying to conceive? For example, is saliva harmful? Sex toys? Flavored lubricants?
Lubricants can certainly help make intercourse more comfortable and pleasurable, but if you’re trying to conceive, lay off the lubes for now. Mark Leondires, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist with Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut, in Norwalk, says, “Oil-based lubricants or any product containing scents or inorganic materials are likely to kill sperm.” Lubricants can also affect sperm motility, slowing down the swimmers. A new product called Pre-Seed is marketed as a sperm-friendly lubricant for those trying to conceive.

Jay Schinfeld, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist with Abington Reproductive Medicine in Abington, Pennsylvania, says, “The safest two lubricants are olive oil or egg whites. Take a medium to large egg, separate the white, and let it come to room temperature.” Since raw eggs have been associated with salmonella, it’s best to avoid oral sex when egg whites are being used.

And speaking of oral sex...saliva is not harmful to sperm. And sex toys are not a problem, as long as you wash them carefully and avoid any contamination from the rectum.

My periods are usually very regular, but the last one was late. Could that mean I was pregnant and miscarried?
It’s possible. “Early pregnancy losses are extremely common, and not a cause for concern,” reassures Peter McGovern, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. But you wouldn’t be able to identify these late periods as miscarriages, since you wouldn’t experience more cramping or have other symptoms. The only way you’d know that you were pregnant and miscarried would be to confirm it with a blood test. In fact, having a late period one or two times a year is perfectly normal and more often due to stress, travel, or illness than miscarriage.

Do we have to have sex every day while I’m trying to get pregnant?
“Couples who have sex every one to two days conceive more quickly than those who have sex every three to four days,” says Dr. McGovern. The standard advice from fertility clinics is to have sex every other day during your fertile period (from five to six days before ovulation to one day after).  

A version of this article originally appeared in the Spring 2006 issue of Conceive Magazine.

Related Topics: Fertility Hormones; Sex and Conception