What should I do after sex to get pregnant? If I get up or go wash right after intercourse, is pregnancy more or less likely to happen? These are definitely questions that many women who are trying to conceive have.

But how true are they? Is it really true that if a woman lies on her back immediately after sex, it increases her chances of getting pregnant? All of the above are directly related, as we will see below, to when conception actually occurs after intercourse.

Myth vs Reality

Myth: Don’t get out of bed after sex or don’t take a shower afterward if you want to conceive. This is perhaps the most common “tip” for those who want to get pregnant quickly. Stay lying on your back or even raise your legs for about 10–15 minutes. This way, the semen will stay in place since you won’t let gravity “pull it out.”

Reality: The simple truth is that sperm are excellent and fast swimmers, and no position will determine their direction. You’ve probably heard of cases of unplanned pregnancies where the woman did not stay lying down after intercourse.

This “technique” is not scientifically supported — in fact, it is believed to offer no help at all. Most sperm reach their destination almost immediately after ejaculation, so if a woman stays lying down after sex, it won’t help them find their way. It’s exactly the same as how immobility doesn’t help women after intrauterine insemination (IUI). This is directly related to how soon fertilization happens after intercourse.

Scientific Evidence

Research has shown that after insemination, sperm reach the ends of the fallopian tubes within 3 to 10 minutes. Within those few minutes, many sperm will not survive — and that’s one reason why millions of sperm are needed for just one to fertilize the egg.

Many clinics in the past used to have patients remain immobile for 10 minutes after insemination. The idea was that sperm might leak out of the cervix, reducing the success rate. If a patient stayed still, then perhaps more sperm would reach the ends of the fallopian tubes where they could meet the egg and ensure a successful pregnancy.

See also: The most useful and safe tips on how not to get pregnant

The question “to lie down or not to lie down” was addressed in a major study presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) in Helsinki in 2016. Professor Joukje van Rijswijk, MD, and her team presented their research. In this study, nearly 500 patients were followed over 2,000 cycles to determine whether immobilization affected pregnancy rates. These patients underwent intrauterine insemination due to unexplained or mild male-factor infertility.

Interestingly, the ongoing pregnancy rate per couple was 32.2% in the group that remained still and 40.3% in the group that was allowed to get up and leave immediately after insemination. This difference was not statistically significant, meaning that immobilization did not harm patients — but it clearly offered no benefit, according to Professor Joukje van Rijswijk, MD. If the study had similar results with even larger numbers, it might have shown that immobilization could actually decrease success rates.

Additionally, some theories suggest that immobilization can cause unnecessary stress in patients, which may affect success rates.

What applies to natural conception

If you’re trying to conceive naturally at home, this study doesn’t directly apply to your situation. There has not yet been a randomized study examining whether lying still or resting in bed after sex increases pregnancy rates, so there’s no definitive verdict on whether a woman should stay still or raise her legs after intercourse to help conception.

However, the above study does lead to the conclusion that immobilization is ultimately unnecessary and does not improve success. That’s why staying still after sex is now considered one of the fertility myths.

Therefore, you can choose to try lying still — or simply get up, get dressed, and continue your plans for becoming a beautiful mom-to-be!