"Just Relax and It Will Happen" – And Other Lies I’ve Been Told
If I had a dollar for every time someone told me "just relax and you’ll get pregnant", I’d be writing this from my beachside villa instead of my laptop with a toddler climbing on me.
When I first started trying to conceive, I assumed it was simple: Have sex → Get pregnant → Done. That’s what they teach us in high school, right? Well, fast forward a few years (and a deep dive into the wild world of fertility forums), and I realized that most of what we hear about getting pregnant is total nonsense.
So let’s break it down. Here are the most common myths about getting pregnant—debunked.
Myth #1: "If You Have Sex Right After Your Period, You Can’t Get Pregnant"
🔍 The truth: Yes, you can. Sperm can live inside you for up to 5 days, which means if you ovulate early, that little swimmer could still be hanging around, waiting to fertilize an egg.
🙋♀️ Reality Check: If your cycle is on the shorter side (like 24-26 days), ovulating earlier is totally possible. So, unless you’re tracking ovulation like a detective, you can’t be 100% sure when you’re actually fertile.
Myth #2: "Lifting Your Legs After Sex Helps Sperm Travel"
🔍 The truth: Sperm don’t need gravity—they need a strong swimmer’s mindset.
🙋♀️ Reality Check: The good ones get where they need to go within minutes, whether you’re standing, sitting, or doing a headstand (which, by the way, does nothing except make you dizzy).
Myth #3: "You Can Get Pregnant Any Time of the Month"
🔍 The truth: Nope. You can only get pregnant during your fertile window, which is a few days before and during ovulation. The rest of the month? Nada.
🙋♀️ Reality Check: If pregnancy was possible anytime, there wouldn’t be so many people struggling to conceive. Timing is everything—which is why tracking ovulation matters.
Myth #4: "If You’re Healthy, You’ll Get Pregnant Easily"
🔍 The truth: Being healthy helps, but it’s not a guarantee.
🙋♀️ Reality Check: You can be in the best shape of your life, eat all the right foods, do yoga, meditate, and take all the supplements—and still struggle. Fertility is influenced by so many factors (age, hormones, egg quality, sperm health, and sometimes just dumb luck).
Myth #5: "IVF Guarantees a Baby"
🔍 The truth: IVF increases your chances, but it’s not a magic wand.
🙋♀️ Reality Check: I went through IVF, and let me tell you—it’s a rollercoaster. There are no guarantees, but it does give a chance where there wasn’t one before. It’s expensive, emotional, and physically draining—but also, for many, so worth it.
Myth #6: "Stress Is Why You’re Not Getting Pregnant"
🔍 The truth: Stress isn’t great for fertility, but it’s not the main reason people struggle to conceive.
🙋♀️ Reality Check: Yes, chronic stress can affect hormone levels, but I know plenty of people who conceived under extreme stress (hello, surprise pandemic babies). So no, you don’t need to be zen as f** to get pregnant.*
Myth #7: "Fertility Problems Are Always the Woman’s Fault"
🔍 The truth: Male factor infertility is responsible for about 40-50% of cases.
🙋♀️ Reality Check: Fertility is a two-person job. If things aren’t working, both partners should get tested, because sperm health matters just as much as egg health.
Myth #8: "If You Already Had One Baby, You’ll Have No Trouble Conceiving Again"
🔍 The truth: Secondary infertility is very real.
🙋♀️ Reality Check: Just because you got pregnant before doesn’t mean it will be easy the second time around. Bodies change, hormones shift, and sometimes fertility issues show up later. If it’s taking longer than expected, you’re not alone.
Final Thoughts
Trying to conceive is already confusing enough without all the bad advice floating around. The truth? Every fertility journey is different.
So if you’re in the trenches, hearing all sorts of unhelpful myths ("Just stop trying, and it’ll happen!")—just know that you’re doing your best, and you are NOT alone.
💬 What’s the worst TTC myth you’ve heard? Drop it in the comments!