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ShareLondon: Women who lie on their backs for 15 minutes after artificial insemination (AI) have a higher chance of getting pregnant, says a new study.
To reach the conclusion, lead researcher Dr Inge Custers of the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam observed 400 women, who had sperm directly inserted into their womb.
The researchers noted that those who lay down increased the possibility of conceiving by 50 per cent than to those who got up and started moving immediately.
The study published in the British Medical Journal revealed that the pregnancy rate was 27 per cent among those who "lay back and thought of babies" compared to 18 per cent among those who walked around.
"The mechanism of intrauterine insemination is of course quite different from normal sex. Since we have not investigated the latter, your question, which is of course an interesting one, cannot be answered by our study. Remaining in bed after sex, however, is unlikely to influence pregnancy in a negative way," The Independent quoted Custers as saying.
Also, Professor William Ledger, head of reproductive and developmental medicine at the University of Sheffield, said: "The findings agree with the intuitive idea that lying with a 'feet-up' tilt for a few minutes after insemination, either after intercourse or intrauterine insemination, allows the sperm to ascend into the uterine cavity, before standing up brings the negative influences of gravity into play."
The study adds: "Although immobilisation takes more time and occupies more space in busy rooms, the intervention will be economic in the long run as pregnant patients will not return in subsequent cycles."
Seemingly, the finding strengthens the old wives' tale that lying with your feet up after sex improves your chances of having a baby if you are woman.
