Best Fertility Friendly Lubricant: Dos, Don’ts and the Best

When you’re trying to conceive, you want to make sure that all the odds are in your favor.

And certain seemingly unrelated things may hurt your chances of getting pregnant if you’re not careful. Personal lubricant is one of those details that needs your special attention.

How Certain Lubricants Can Stand in Your Way of Getting Pregnant

During a menstrual cycle, the pH in a woman’s vagina changes. It’s usually acidic, with a pH of between 3.5 and 4.5. An acidic environment helps protect this area from potential infections.

But during the fertile window around ovulation the pH becomes more alkaline (between 7 and 10), because the semen has a pH of 7.1 to 8. This change helps to support sperm survival.

Acidity

Standard lubricants have a pH of between 4 and 5.5, which is overly acidic for the sperm to survive and perform. On the other hand, lubes specifically designed for couples trying to conceive have an alkaline pH, which is sperm and fertility friendly.

Ion Concentration

Another factor that can hinder conception is the ion concentration level in the lube. A high concentration not only creates more obstacles for the sperm to swim through, but can also cause DNA damage and reduce sperm functions.

Fertility friendly lubes, on the other hand, are formulated with lower concentration levels to prevent this from happening.

Dos and Don’ts When Choosing a Personal Lubricant

So choosing a fertility friendly lubricant is very important when you’re trying to conceive. These are the dos and don’ts for your consideration:

Dos:

By all means, use a sexual lubricant to make your love making more comfortable and pleasurable.

FDA Approved 

Choose a lubricant that is FDA approved for trying to conceive couples. To get this FDA qualification, the lubricant must be clinically proven compatible with sperm, gamete, embryo and the process of fertilization.

PH between 7 and 1o

Use a lubricant that has the same PH as fertile cervical mucus (between 7 and 10).

Don’ts:

Not Designed for Conception

Avoid standard lubricant that’s not specifically designed for conceiving couples. Both water- and oil-based ones have been found to interfere with sperm movement. Some even kill or alter the DNA of sperm.

Contain Glycerin or Propylene Glycol

Avoid lubricants that contain glycerin or propylene glycol, which can be harmful to sperm motility (its ability to move fast enough to fertilize an egg).

Water

Don’t use water as lubricant, as water can kill sperm on contact.

Saliva

Don’t use saliva as lubricant, because it contains digestive enzymes that stop sperm from swimming, and the acidity is harmful to sperm.

Egg While

Avoid using egg white as lubricant due to the risk of allergic reaction or possible salmonella bacteria infection.

Mineral Oil

And avoid using mineral oil as lubricant, as it may limit the ability of sperm to penetrate the egg, or lead to vaginal infection or irritation.

The Best Fertility Friendly Lubricant

So which lubricant is the best for couples trying to conceive?

Several studies have looked at the effect various lubricants have on sperm in terms mobility, possible DNA damage, and survival rate. They find that Pre-Seed was the least harmful to sperm, compared to other brands of lubricants and various mineral oils.

Invented by a woman sperm physiologist, Pre-Seed is specially designed and FDA approved for couples trying to conceive. It’s free of glycerin or propylene glycol, has the same pH as fertile cervical mucus, and contains just about the same amount of salts.

Pre-seed also has striations (little channels) in it that facilitate the sperm’s upward swim to meet the egg. It also comes with an applicator that’ll help you place it near your cervix, where it works best.

So if you’re trying to conceive and want to choose a lubricant that creates the best environment for the sperm, consider Pre-Seed. Best of luck on your fertility journey.