Infertility Myths: What's Real and What's Fake News?

When it comes to infertility, there are lots — and we mean lots — of old wive’s tales out there. The good news? You’ve got us to debunk myths and give it to you straight. Here’s a roundup of some of the most commonly asked questions around what might cause infertility. 

Lifestyle factors

• Too much caffeine: According to a 2017 Clinical Epidemiology study, drinking too much caffeine does seem to correlate with an increase in miscarriage rates once you are pregnant, but you’d have to have A LOT to see that effect; like more-than-5-cups-a-day, a lot. So unless you’re downing doppios like it’s your job, you can cross this concern off your list. 
• Not drinking enough water: Water’s definitely good for you. But not drinking it isn’t going to keep you from conceiving.
• Green tea: Again, caffeine only starts to pose a potential issue after a large amount is consumed on a daily basis (and we’re talking about closer to when you’re actually pregnant). A cup or two per day should be fine, especially if it’s how you unwind!
• Cat hair: We’re not sure where it came from that cat fur was an issue, but the only potential risk your feline friend poses to your fertility is the slight chance that his poop could give you toxoplasmosis (a nasty infection caused by a parasite which can also come into your body through undercooked meat). That’s why it’s usually recommended that pregnant women don’t clean litter boxes (but again, it’s very rare for a person to get toxoplasmosis from cat poop, especially if the cat has been tested – and there’s no risk if yours is a strictly indoor cat).

Getting it on

• Rough sex or too much sex: The expert consensus here seems to be, “whatever does it for you.”  Seriously, as long as all parties are in agreement (and you keep all toys clean, eliminating the risk of infection), have all the wild (or vanilla) sex you want.
• Masturbation: Along with causing teenage blindness and killing kittens, masturbation is unjustly framed for all sorts of social ills. Rest assured, self-pleasure is not a cause of infertility, in either males or females. Rest assured that your “me time” poses no threat to future family time.

Your lady parts

• PMS: In a normal cycle, you have PMS a solid 2 weeks before you ovulate. As long as everything is operating normally, the phases of your cycle work in concert (not conflict) with each other. If you have severe cramps, you probably want to make sure that you don’t have endometriosis, but otherwise, don’t stress your PMS.
• Tampons: This one’s been making heavy rounds on more “new-agey” sites, but Dr. Knopman says not to buy it. “There’s no data to show that [it affects fertility.]”
• Laser hair removal: While it’s not recommended once you’re pregnant (just because no one’s tested it), there’s no indication that it impedes you from getting pregnant. 

We know — some of these might sound crazy. But with so much misinformation floating around, we want you to feel 100% confident that you (or your egg donor) can be as healthy as possible heading into any fertility treatment cycle. Good luck!