Which Sex Position Can Help You Get Pregnant?

So you want to conceive a baby. Maybe you've been trying for a while or you're new to the game, but either way, some questions have been popping up in your mind. You can't help but wonder--"what's the most efficient way to get pregnant? Is there a sex position that can help you make a baby?"

The bottom line is that position doesn't matter when you're trying to get pregnant, and "there's never been any scientific evidence to show it makes a difference," says Lauren Streicher, M.D., an ob-gyn and medical director of the Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and author of Sex Rx: Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever. 

There's no proof that missionary, doggy style, or any other sex position is more effective than the others. However, there was a single study done by the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy that analyzed the variations of doggy style, but it didn't address pregnancy chances at all.

Should you elevate your feet?

Streicher explains in the past, doctors used to recommend elevating your feet after intrauterine insemination and not moving for at least ten minutes. The goal of this practice was to increase the number of sperm that reached the fallopian tubes, thus increasing the chances of fertilization. Unfortunately, that doesn't accomplish anything. Streicher says putting your feet up won't increase rates of fertility just like standing up after sex won't decrease your chances of becoming pregnant.

But what is the best way to make a baby?

The bottom line is, the best way to conceive is to have fun. Have the type of sex you want because the position really doesn't matter. 

Streicher says the number one factor affecting fertility is age. "Biologically, women were meant to get pregnant in their twenties," she explains. Of course, no one is automatically doomed if they don't, just that their odds of becoming pregnant decrease with age. 

If you're serious about increasing your chances of achieving pregnancy, Streicher suggests using an ovulation kit for three months to track when you're ovulating. If you still aren't having luck after that, try seeing a fertility specialist just in case you need additional testing to find out what's taking so long. If the kit indicates you aren't ovulating at all, then you should definitely consult a specialist to see what's going on. If you are ovulating, then great! Use the kit to time intercourse right and do it often.