How to Get Pregnant Using Instead Cups

Co-authored by Susannah Kerwin, ANP-BC, HNP

Last Updated: March 27, 2023 References Approved

If you're trying to conceive and you've exhausted traditional advice, Instead Cups may or may not help you get pregnant. Instead cups are vaginal inserts that trap menstrual discharge, and are not intended to assist in the pregnancy process. However, some parents have achieved success using them. If you have exhausted a variety of traditional methods and wish to try something new, the Instead Cup method presents an alternative route to a possible pregnancy. Medical professionals recommend natural attempts for 12 months (6 months if you are over 35) before analysis and treatment for infertility usually begins.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Determining the Ideal Timeframe for Sex

1
Chart your cycle. In order to determine when sexual intercourse will most likely result in pregnancy, it is useful to know when you are most fertile. Fertility is highest during ovulation, and charting your cycle can help determine when ovulation usually occurs within your cycle.^{[1]
X
Trustworthy Source
National Health Service (UK)
Public healthcare system of the UK
Go to source}
- The first day of your period, mark the number "1" on the calendar for that day.
- The first day of your next period, mark a "1" on the calendar that day, and mark the number of days in your last cycle on the day prior.
- Ovulation (releasing an egg from the ovary) typically occurs during the midpoint of your cycle. For example, in a typical 28 day cycle, ovulation tends to occur on day 14. In a 30 day cycle, ovulation should be expected on day 15. You can begin attempts to get pregnant before the end of your first cycle of course. Obviously, you should quit birth control before you try to get pregnant.
- Have sex more frequently within a few days of this midpoint to increase chances of pregnancy.
2
Use OPK sticks. Ovulation predictor kits (OPK sticks) are a commonly-used device that can determine when a woman is ovulating to help time sex.
- Start using OPK sticks two days before the midpoint of your cycle, and continue using them until you either have a positive result or start your next cycle. Use them once per day.
- Cheap, generic sticks are usually adequate. They look like pregnancy tests and you can either pee on the wick at the end or immerse it in pee in a cup (read the actual instructions).
- Try to use the OPK sticks at the same time each day. Ovulation can vary widely between cycles and different women.
- Mark your OPK test results on the calendar for each day. It's important to know that they detect something called the LH surge (luteinizing hormone) from the pituitary gland in your brain that tells your ovaries it is time to ovulate. It doesn't happen immediately however, the LH surge precedes actual ovulation by 24 to 36 hours.
- Have sex after a positive OPK test. Because the OPK test will register as positive prior to actual ovulation, you can wait up to 12 hours before having sex. However, having sex early will not decrease your chances of pregnancy, as long as you continue having sex regularly during ovulation.
Advertisement
3
Examine cervical mucous. The cervix produces several kinds of mucous, which can be good indicators of fertility. To determine if ovulation is occurring, examine your cervical mucous by inserting clean hands into your vagina, and observing the qualities of the mucous.^{[2]
X
Trustworthy Source
National Health Service (UK)
Public healthcare system of the UK
Go to source}
- Sticky or scant findings indicate you are probably not ovulating yet.
- Creamy consistency indicates you may ovulate soon.
- Wet, watery, or stretchy mucous indicates ovulation is likely very close.
- Very wet mucous that can stretch between your fingers for an inch or more indicates ovulation is right around the corner or in progress. This is the ideal time for intercourse.
  - This type of mucous is like a superhighway for sperm to cruise up into the cervix and reproductive tract. At the cervix, sperm is chemically changed, or capacitized, to enable it to fertilize the egg. This process takes about 12 hours, so in order to co-ordinate actual ovulation with capacitized sperm, wait 12 hours after your positive OPK test before you have sex again. This will time your actual ovulation with the maximum number of live capacitized sperm in your system.
4
Measure body temperature. Basal body temperature is the lowest body temperature a healthy person has during the day. Increases in basal body temperature can indicate the beginning of ovulation.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- In order to measure your basal body temperature, you must take your temperature with a basal thermometer (a thermometer with a very fine scale) right after awakening in the morning.
- During ovulation, basal body temperature increases by 0.1 or 0.2 degrees, and is sustained at this level until the next cycle begins.
- By regularly charting your temperature, you will be able to predict when you are likely to next ovulate.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Using Instead Cups to Conceive

1
Understand the limitations. Instead Cups are intended for use as menstrual cups, worn to collect menstrual fluid. Because their primary design is not for aiding pregnancy, this method is not as reliable as more studied and traditional methods for achieving pregnancy.^{[4]
X
Research source}
2
Capture semen in the Instead Cup. Do not "scoop up" semen in the Instead Cup. Rather, ask your partner to pull out and deposit the semen directly into a ready Instead Cup. Have one within arms reach and open it at the appropriate time.
3
Coat the Cup with semen. Cover the inside of the lip with semen, taking care to cover the thermoplastic membrane.
4
Insert the Cup. Squeeze the sides of the Cup together and insert the Instead Cup as recommended by the manufacturer (all the way to the back of the vagina, covering the cervix near the back, with the front lip behind the pubic bone).
- Fertile cervical mucous will flow from your cervix into the Instead Cup covered in a film of semen. This will maximize the effectiveness of both your cervical mucous and your partners semen, which will liquify after about an hour when sperm will enter the cervical mucous and into your reproductive tract.
5
Leave the Cup in. Allow the Cup to sit inside your vagina for 6+ hours, but never for more than 12.
6
Remove the Cup. After 6 hours, carefully remove the cup from your vagina. Removing the instead cup can be tricky and even a little frightening, but keep your cool and remember that it will come out with a little coaxing.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- If hooking your finger under the bottom lip and pulling doesn't work for you, break the seal at the top by poking it with a finger and pull it down and out. Putting your legs up to your chest and bearing down may help also.
7
Examine the contents after removal. Is it full of clear liquid with some swirls of white? It should contain liquified semen and fertile cervical mucous.
8
Wait to test for pregnancy. Give yourself a longer window until testing for pregnancy, at least until after your next period would have normally come. It takes 7-10 days for a fertilized egg to reach the uterus and implant, so testing too early can be demoralizing and is not useful.^{[6]
X
Trustworthy Source
Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Medically-Proven Ways to Increase Fertility

When attempting to become pregnant, it is necessary and useful to have a solid understanding of how pregnancy normally occurs. Beyond the Instead Cup method, are some other more reliable, researched, and commonly-used methods to aid conception. If you have been struggling to conceive, first try some lifestyle and health adjustments, before turning to fertility treatments under the care of medical professionals.

1
Improve your diet. Eating healthy foods that support fertility can be a good way to increase chances of pregnancy. For example, opting for a diet that is lower in red meat, and higher in vegetable intake can increase fertility.^{[7]
X
Trustworthy Source
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
Go to source}
2
Exercise regularly. Regular moderate-intensity exercise can benefit women of all body types who are trying to conceive. In order to reap the benefits of exercise, light or moderate exercise should be engage in a few times per week. However, vigorous exercise more than five hours per week may reduce fertility, and should be avoided.^{[8]
X
Research source}
3
Take pre-natal vitamins. Even if your diet includes a healthy amount of vitamins and minerals, pre-natal vitamins supply more folic acid and iron than do standard adult vitamins, both of which aid fertility. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects and iron supports the baby's growth and development.^{[9]
X
Research source}
4
De-stress. Studies have shown that stress can contribute to infertility. Relieving stress may help with conception, although the exact links between stress and fertility are not yet fully understood. ^{[10]
X
Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}
5
Consider fertility medication. Fertility medication usually works by causing the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland to release hormones that will stimulate the ovaries to produce eggs. These medications can be a useful resource for women who have not been able to achieve pregnancy otherwise. ^{[11]
X
Research source}
6
Consider in-vitro fertilization (IVF). In-vitro fertilization can allow for pregnancy when other methods of conception have failed. IVF allows for an egg to fertilized by sperm outside the body, and then replaced into the mother's uterus in order to establish a successful pregnancy. ^{[12]
X
Research source}

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Folk Remedies to Increase Fertility

1
Take certain herbs. Some folk remedies point to a variety of herbs said to increase fertility. These include chasteberry leaves, red clover, evening primrose oil, stinging nettle, and red raspberry leaves. These herbs are often consumed as an infusion, made from steeping them in hot water. These herbal remedies are often referenced in traditional folk medicine, but are often not researched and do not have any proven effect on fertility. ^{[13]
X
Trustworthy Source
American Academy of Family Physicians
Organization devoted to improving the health of patients, families, and communities
Go to source}
2
Drink warm water. Warm water has been said to have a positive effect on reproductive organs, as well as on blood flow. Hydration also assists with the production of cervical mucous, necessary for conception. ^{[14]
X
Research source}

Warnings

Do not use sex lubricants not approved for fertility; they can kill sperm.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 41 Not Helpful 6
Be careful with the instead cups when inserting them. They can be slippery, and make sure not to get them upside down. If the semen is on the incorrect side there is little chance of sperm getting to the cervical mucous.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 28 Not Helpful 8
The Instead Cup is NOT FDA approved for use as a fertility aid, and should not be used as a primary method to conceive.

⧼thumbs_response⧽
Helpful 20 Not Helpful 24