Sexual Positions For Conception – What’s The Best Position?

Sorry to disappoint you, but unfortunately, there is no study or strong evidence of any sexual position being best for conception. However some experts suggest couples try the below positions in order to best facilitate conception.

The missionary position, or man on top, has been said to be the ideal position for conception because it allows for the deepest penetration and deposits the sperm closest to the cervix. Other positions which allow deep penetration are doggy style (rear-entry) and lying side-by-side.

Are there any positions to avoid?

Going with the gravity theory, some experts recommend avoiding having sex sitting, standing or with the woman on top, making it harder for the sperm to swim upstream.

What about the female orgasm, does it help?

While the female orgasm is not essential for conception, some believe that uterine contractions from orgasm may actually help the sperm move toward the fallopian tubes, in order to fertilise your egg. Again, this theory lacks evidence, but luckily, orgasm is not an essential part of the conception process – and if you can enjoy intercourse with an orgasm, well, that’s a bonus in itself!

What about positions to help us conceive a boy or girl?

Yet something else which doesn’t have research to back it! We’re not doing too well here are we?! However, as the wives tales go, apparently having sex with the woman on top will produce a girl, or with the man on top will result in a boy. It’s also a wives tale that having an orgasm increases your chance of having a boy.

Should I stay lying down afterwards?

After intercourse, some experts suggest putting a pillow under your bottom and elevating your hips, in order to help the sperm work with gravity. They recommend staying there for at least 20-30 minutes. Be careful if you are prone to bladder infections though, in which case you should go to the toilet instead.

There should be enough sperm from ejaculation to conceive without doing this, but like all the other mentioned things, it doesn’t hurt to try!

How often should we have sex?

When you are trying to get pregnant, who could blame you for thinking that you need to have more sex – but be careful not to over-do it. Not only will you sooner lose the enjoyment and spontaneity of lovemaking, but it’s actually better to have sex every other day as opposed to every day, in order for his sperm count to recover and recharge.

Timing is a better bet than positions

Timing is one of the crucial factors to conception and is worth more attention than the positions you have sex in. To increase your chances of conception, ideally have sex one or two days before you expect ovulation to occur, and then again on the day of ovulation. If you don’t know how to tell if you are ovulating, then check out the below two articles on BellyBelly which can help you learn an amazing amount about your fertility and cycle. You can find out when you can expect to ovulate, and you can increase the accuracy by purchasing ovulation prediction kits, which work in a similar way to home pregnancy tests. The tests detect hormone in your urine to indicate if you will ovulate soon.

• Cervical Mucus, Ovulation & Your Fertile Period

• Charting Your Cycle

It is completely normal to conceive within the first 12 months of trying. If you’ve been actively trying to conceive for 12 months or more (or 3-6 months if you’re 35 or older), or your periods are irregular, speak to your doctor or gynaecologist to make sure there are no health problems preventing conception.

Kelly Zantey is a birth attendant (aka doula) the creator of BellyBelly, mum to two beautiful children and has just opened the BellyBelly Pregnancy Centre in Canterbury, VIC.