Submitted by Kate Seldman Wed 06/15/2011
Couples sometimes like to use vaginal lubricant when they have sex, to make the experience more comfortable and enjoyable. If they’re trying to conceive a baby, the type of lubrication they use is very important. Studies indicate that both store-bought and home-brewed lubricants can damage sperm and prevent them from reaching an egg. Pre-Seed, however, is a brand of lubricant that’s specially designed to create a nurturing environment for sperm in the vagina. When a woman is about to ovulate, she produces clear, stretchy cervical mucus. This mucus provides an environment where sperm can survive longer than they would in a nonovulating woman’s vagina. This gives them a better chance of getting into the uterus and fertilizing the woman’s egg. “Egg-white” cervical mucus, as it’s often called, is alkaline, whereas the usual vaginal environment is acidic. Store-bought lubricants block sperm from reaching the nurturing alkaline cervical mucus, and so the sperm remain in too acidic an environment to survive. Even home remedies, like actual egg whites or mineral oil, can prevent sperm from reaching cervical mucus. If a woman has minimal fertile-quality cervical mucus, and if she doesn’t easily become lubricated during sex, Pre-Seed can help. It’s specially designed to be as close to fertile cervical mucus as possible. It has the same pH and thickness as this mucus, and also the same osmolality, or ion and salt concentration. It won’t irritate the vagina, as some store-bought lubricants might. It also contains arabinogalactan, which is a plant extract that contains antioxidants to nourish cells, including sperm. Studies on Pre-Seed have shown that it’s not damaging to embryos or sperm. Store-bought lubricants usually come in squeeze or pump bottles, and the product is distributed with the fingers. This can make it hard to get the lubricant up into the vagina. Pre-Seed comes with a vaginal applicator, so the lubricant can be deposited up near the cervix, where it can best mimic naturally produced cervical mucus. Has Pre-Seed helped couples conceive? The product’s website contains numerous success stories, and other online forums report high numbers of positive pregnancy tests after using this lubricant. The general consensus seems to be that it’s a relatively reliable product. Pre-Seed used to be the only “fertility-friendly” lubricant on the market: now there’s also Conceive Plus. It’s much the same as PreSeed – it tries to mimic fertile cervical mucus as closely as possible – but instead of arabinogalactan, Conceive Plus contains calcium and magnesium, which its website claims are “essential for cell viability and the process of fertilization.”
