If you’re trying to conceive, you’re probably wondering about the best sex positions for conception. Believe it or not, experts still don’t have convincing evidence to answer this question.
“It’s difficult to study specific sexual positions that can increase fertility,” says Cheryl A. Kingsberg, M.D., director of behavioral medicine at University Hospitals Medical Center Cleveland. That’s in part because there are so many other important factors that affect fertility, like age and the timing of intercourse (for example, having sex around ovulation increases fertility).
But despite the lack of evidence, certain sex positions may bemore favorable for conception . Read on to find out which sex positions are best for conception and what to do during and after sex to increase your chances of getting pregnant.
Best Sex Positions for Pregnancy
These sex positions can increase your chances of conceiving a baby, but remember that the most important thing is to maintain a consistent routine to ensure that you have sex during your fertile days.
1. Mission
It’s common knowledge that the missionary position offers a slight anatomical advantage. The theory: It allows the cervix more access to the vaginal semen pool, allowing sperm to reach the protective cervical mucus.
“But there’s no scientific data on that yet,” explains Dr. Kelly Pagidas, a fertility specialist at the Women’s and Infant Fertility Center in Providence and an associate professor at the Brown Alpert Medical School.
Plus, not everyone has the same anatomy: “For women who have an anteverted uterus, meaning their uterus is tilted forward, sleeping on their back makes sense, which applies to about two-thirds of the population,” Dr. Kingsberg points out. “But for one-third of women who have a retroverted uterus, meaning their uterus is tilted backwards, traditional positions don’t provide them any advantage.”
2. Dog Pose
Some people don’t like the missionary position because it can be tiring: “Missionary requires more strength from the partner on top because they have to use their muscles to not put their entire body weight on you, which creates more pressure,” says Mindy R. Shiffman, PhD, a clinical psychologist and sex therapist with the New York University Fertility Center and a private practice in New York City.
In this case, couples can try a different position, such as doggy style. In this popular sex position, you get on all fours and your partner penetrates you from behind. It allows for deeper penetration and makes it easier for semen to reach your cervix.
3. Reverse cowgirl
In this sex position, you lie on top, facing away from your partner’s face and towards his feet. This angle ensures that your cervix is as close as possible to the tip of the penis during ejaculation, allowing you to control the depth of penetration for optimal results.
4. Parallel resistance
In this position, couples lie on their sides facing each other, and it’s not only romantic (it can help ease the tension that comes with baby-making sex), but it also allows for deeper penetration.
5. Back Door
Similar to doggy style, in this position your partner penetrates you from behind. The difference is that you lie face down and your partner lowers himself on top of you. Penetrating from behind ensures deeper penetration.
6. Wheelbarrow
Who says having sex to have a baby isn’t risky in the slightest? In this athletic position, you support yourself with your arms while your partner stands behind you, grabs your legs, and pulls them into his thighs to penetrate you from behind. Again, this position allows for deeper penetration and closer access to the cervix.
7. CAT (Coital Alignment Technique)
The Coital Alignment Technique (CAT) is a variation of the missionary position in which your partner is in a slightly higher position, helping the person on the bottom reach orgasm and getting the sperm to swim in the right direction.
8. Place your feet on your shoulders
The legs-over-shoulder position is another missionary position that allows for deeper penetration. Hook your legs over your partner’s shoulders. This allows gravity to help the sperm reach your cervix.
9. Preferred location
The best sex positions for conception are likely to actually be the ones you enjoy the most. It doesn’t matter if you’re contorted like a Bavarian pretzel or as still as a statue, as long as it gets your partner’s semen where it needs to be (inside your vagina, near your cervix).
And if it’s a toe-curling orgasm, even better! “There’s research showing that female orgasm helps propel semen into the uterus,” says Dr. Kingsberg. But don’t stress out if you don’t regularly orgasm during penis-to-vagina sex: “I wouldn’t want to pressure women to orgasm, because honestly there’s very little scientific evidence to back it up.”
Does frequency matter?
“Studies looking at sexual frequency have shown that pregnancy rates are no statistically different for people who have sex every other day before ovulation compared to people who have sex every day,” says Jani Jensen, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist and associate professor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “And trying to have sex every day can be a lot of work.”
How to Increase Fertility
Even if you have unprotected sex during your fertile years, it doesn’t mean you’ll get pregnant right away. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), healthy couples in their 20s and early 30s have a 25 to 30 percent chance of conceiving each menstrual cycle. By age 40, that chance drops to less than 10 percent per cycle.
But there are still ways you can increase your chances of getting pregnant and having a baby during sex, read on to find out more.
lubricating
The role of lubricants in conception success is still debated. Traditional lubricants have been shown to negatively affect sperm survival and reduce motility, but newer formulations are much safer. Look for products advertised as “fertility-friendly” or “sperm-friendly.” Such products are made without certain ingredients that may harm sperm. Although most lubricant companies no longer use spermicides, continue to look for words like glycerin, parabens, silicone, nonoxynol-9 (or N-9), propylene glycol, and petroleum on ingredient lists.
Post-sex habits
The best post-coital routine is another debated aspect of sex for conception purposes. Most experts are skeptical of the advice that you should lie on your back for 30 minutes after sex, but some people believe it.
A study published by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology confirmed that there is no statistical benefit to lying still after intercourse. In fact, the study found the opposite. Researchers followed 479 couples and found that 32.2% became pregnant after lying still for 15 minutes immediately after intercourse, while 40.3% remained moving immediately after intercourse.
“We know from other studies that sperm can reach the fallopian tubes within five minutes of vaginal insemination and can survive in the uterus for several days,” Dr. Jukje van Rijswijk, lead author of the peer-reviewed study, said in a press release. “Why would bed rest have such an effect? There is no biological explanation for this positive effect.”
Our take: If you have time to relax, why not enjoy the feeling you get after waking up? But propping your feet up with a pillow or leaning them up against a wall hasn’t been proven to help. “Once semen enters your body, it stays lodged in the cervical mucus, which helps keep it there for fertilization,” says Dr. Shiffman.
