These sex positions could increase your chances getting pregnant (and maybe determine if you have a boy or girl!)
Here are the sex positions that some people believe could increase your chances of hitting the baby jackpot and even determine whether you conceive a boy or girl – either way, you’ll have fun trying!
When you’re trying to get pregnant sex takes on a whole new meaning, and suddenly it’s not just about having fun, but working out when and what kind of sex might result in a baby.
It’s important to know though that you can get pregnant by having sex in any position and there’s no strong scientific argument to say that you’ll be more likely to conceive by having sex in one position rather than another.
However, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence and theories that suggest some sex positions could be more effective than others – so where’s the harm in trying?
One of the most important things when you start trying for a baby is that you enjoy the sex. Not only does the female orgasm help to draw sperm up into the uterus, but the sense of wellbeing and relaxation that a satisfying sex life brings can also improve your chances of conceiving.
Plus, studies show that with a high level of male sexual arousal the sperm quality gets better1, and it stands to reason that if you’re enjoying sex, you’ll probably have more of it, increasing your chances of conceiving.
If you’re trying the same positions day-in-day-out with the sole purpose of getting pregnant, you could be putting unnecessary pressure on yourselves and, well, killing the passion while you’re at it – and stress and anxiety are known barriers to conception.
It also makes sense that the less distance sperm have to travel, the greater the chances of more of them getting where they're supposed to be intact. For that reason, positions which allow for full penetration and that get sperm closest to the opening of the cervix are thought to be better for increasing your chances of conceiving.
So, why not shake things up in the bedroom (or wherever you want, frankly!) by trying some of these positions, which are believed to be the most effective for getting pregnant, and spice up your sex life while you’re at it:
Missionary position
It might not seem very imaginative, but straightforward man-on-top does generally offer good penetration and allows the sperm to work with gravity. You can give this a helping hand by propping a pillow under the base of your spine.
Legs by your head
If you're quite supple, then try this twist on the missionary position. The man is on top, as per missionary, and supporting himself on his arms, but the woman pulls her legs up and backwards, so her feet are near her shoulders. In this position the man should be able to vary his movements more easily.
Spooning
If you haven't tried the spoon position before it's definitely worth a go. The man and woman both lie on their sides, facing in the same direction with the man entering the woman from behind. This ensures good penetration but at the same time is a very gentle position, great for if you're both tired and more interested in intimacy than making the room shake.
Cradling
Like spoons but this time facing each other, the woman will need to pull one knee up and wrap it around the man's upper body to allow for good penetration.
Side entry
The woman lies on her side with one leg raised to allow the man to kneel with one knee on either side of her lower leg and enter her completely, moving with arcing strokes. Once the man is in position the woman can turn her upper body so that she's lying more or less flat, facing her partner. For deeper entry the man can lift her upper leg slightly up and towards her chest.
From behind
There are plenty of variations on this full-penetration position to try:
Lying: With the woman on her front and the man crouching above her, with his legs positioned outside hers he can enter her fully and then deepen penetration by rocking forward, higher up her back. You do need to take this gently until you work out what your limits are though, as this can be uncomfortable if the man actually hits the cervix, which is quite possible in this position.
Sitting: You sit on your partner's knee facing away from him, so you can easily control the depth of penetration and speed.
All fours (aka doggy style): The woman crouches on all fours and the man kneels behind her. You may find it more comfortable and pleasurable for the woman to rock forward onto her elbows, supported with a pillow.
Standing
This is one for the more adventurous, and, while they make it look sexy in the movies, it can be quite hard work!
For successfully deep penetration the man will probably need to support some of the woman's weight, lifting her slightly up and onto his penis. Most couples will also need to use a wall or similar for support. Free-standing sex is only for the very strong and athletic!
Sex positions that aren't good for conceiving
So, are there any positions that aren’t as good for conceiving? Woman-on-top is often cited as a less effective baby-making position, as the sperm need to move against gravity to reach the cervix, but if this is a position that usually gives you an orgasm then gravity may not be so important.
Another theory you may have heard is that lying with your legs up against a wall (pelvis tilted up) for 15 – 20 minutes could help direct the sperm to the cervix, but again, there’s no scientific backing for this and the potential health risks (such as contracting UTIs) from not going to the loo after sex might outweigh the possible benefits. We’ll leave that one to you though.
The million-dollar question is: Can the position you conceive in actually give you a choice in the sex of the baby?
Given that gender is simply down to whether the sperm that fertilises the egg contains an X (female) or Y (male) chromosome, scientifically the chances are 50/50.
However, in the 1960s a Dr Shettles discovered that sperm with X chromosome and sperm with the Y chromosome (let’s call them X sperm and Y sperm) behaved differently.
He found that the Y sperm were smaller and faster but had a shorter lifespan than the X sperm so he suggested that a sex position involving deeper penetration, and ejaculation closer to the cervix opening would more likely result in success for the Y sperm (therefore lead to having a baby boy).
Conversely, a position involving shallower penetration, such as missionary, would mean the X sperm would be more likely to fertilise the egg, conceiving a baby girl.
He came up with The Shettles Method2, which also took into account things like the stage of the woman’s cycle during conception and the pH balance in the vagina – he found that X sperm prefer acidic conditions and Y sperm favour an alkaline environment – and he even published a book on how to choose the sex of your baby.
Having said that, there are no recent scientific studies to support Dr Shettles’ theories so the current standpoint is that sexual position at the time of conception cannot guarantee the gender of the baby.
References:
1. Yamamoto Y, Sofikitis N, Mio Y, Miyagawa I. Influence of sexual stimulation on sperm parameters in semen samples collected via masturbation from normozoospermic men or cryptozoospermic men participating in an assisted reproduction programme. Andrologia. 2000 May;32(3):131-8. doi: 10.1046/j.1439-0272.2000.00353.x. PMID: 10863967.
2. Blight, Alysse, "The Shettles Method of Sex Selection". Embryo Project Encyclopedia (2019-04-03). ISSN: 1940-5030 https://hdl.handle.net/10776/13096