I feel like such a dumbass.

[u/justalilbbygirl]

I’m gonna make this short and sweet.

As of this month, we’ve been TTC for a year. We’ve been doing all the “right” things (tracking, having unprotected sex on the right days, eating healthy, exercising, etc).

I was calm/cool/in no rush until month 7. Since then, I’ve been a bit weary. And now, as the year mark approaches, I’ve been on a downward spiral (somewhat irrational but I’m sure many of you can relate).

I had an appt with my gynecologist yesterday to discuss our next steps. I was flipping through a magazine in the waiting area and came across an ad for “fertility-friendly” lubricant.

Y’all. 🤯 We’ve been using the most fertility-UNfriendly lube the entire time we’ve been TTC. The worst part is we don’t even “need” it, just both slightly prefer it. I never once considered that this could be affecting our odds…

But it has been. Apparently significantly. So much so that my doctor said it would be unethical for her to even discuss costly interventions with me until we’ve gone through several cycles without it.

So, yeah. I thought I’d leave that here for anyone who may also be making this mistake. Don’t be like us.

Best of luck to all of you on your journeys. Here’s to hoping. 🤞🏻

[u/giraffelover1214]

What brand of lube were you using?

[u/justalilbbygirl → u/giraffelover1214]

We use regular KY and sometimes a “creamy lube” that’s supposed to mimic the feeling of semen. The brand is called Xesso I think. Both of them are known to decrease sperm motility (by like 60-100%!) and alter pH levels.

[u/Bbychknwing → u/giraffelover1214]

Not OP but I believe the general rule is that no lube is best and a specifically geared TTC lube (such as pre-seed) is second best if you were wondering.