Let’s talk conception and lube! Share your experiences and thoughts with Balance Activ and you could win a Cambridge Satchel full of Balance Activ products (worth £250) NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

Balance Activ want to hear Mumsnetters' thoughts and experiences about using lube when TTCing.

Here's what Balance Activ have to say, "We conducted a survey of 2,000 women across the UK and we discovered....

~ 46% of women trying to conceive experience pain during or after intercourse due to vaginal dryness
~ Normal off-the-shelf lubricants are spermicidal yet 25% of those trying to conceive are using lubricants that are as toxic to sperm as contraceptive jellies"

Balance Activ are promoting their new sperm-friendly lubricant developed specifically for couples trying to conceive - giving a boost to sperm motility, helping create the right environment for sperm to survive as well as providing lubrication which is sometimes needed.

They say "The vagina can be a harsh environment for sperm to survive because its pH level is 4.5, in contrast to semen which is between 7-8. Balance Activ Conceive Fertility Gel and Spray has a pH level of 7, creating the ideal environment for sperm to survive. Both products also benefit from a key ingredient – Hyaluronic Acid (HA) which is naturally present in the vagina and cervical fluid, which allows the sperm to move more easily towards the egg. It is safe, natural, odourless and non-sticky, designed to help couples trying to conceive."

They'd love to hear your thoughts, opinions and experiences of using a lubricant during conception and how it can help. As well as any experiences of using regular lubes when TTCing. Where do you get advice on this topic from? And have you heard or read about any issues with jellies or lube when TTCing?

Every MNer who adds a comment to this thread will be entered into the prize draw to win a Cambridge satchel full of Balance Activ product (worth £250)!

They also have 30 free samples of Balance Activ Fertility Spray to give away. Winners will be chosen at random from all comments placed before 16/12/13.

Thanks MNHQ

[FluffyDucky]

We use lube alot, for pleasure and also medical reasons. I had a look into conception friendly stuff and was so shocked at how much it cost! It definitely put me off buying it, I decided instead to try to use less of our Durex stuff and how for the best lol!
If it were affordable we would buy it, but anything over £5 max, it would have to be bloody amazing

[butterfly86]

We used it and I fell pregnant that first month, it's not thick or sticky it feels very much like normal cm I would definately recommend it for anyone ttc it was £12 but was the only one on a whole shelf of lubricants in boots. that was sperm friendly.

[akachan]

We use lube quite a bit and I didn't even know it was spermacidal until quite recently. I would buy a conception friendly one certainly.

I am a little surprised that a vagina is a harsh environment for sperm though - seems a strange adaptation!

[BrittleStick]

I've been using Balance Activ on and off while TTC on Clomid. I don't normally use lube, but I think Clomid's drying me up... No luck with conception yet, though.

My only comment about the product is that the spray bottle is a bit weird and I find it a bit fiddly and awkward in the heat of the moment. A simple tube or something would be much nicer.

[CheeseAndFriedMushrooms]

We've used KY jelly and a Durex one when not trying to conceive, and Pre-seed lube when we were trying to conceive. Pre-seed worked everytime.

[allchatnicknamesgone]

This is my first month of trying the gel (not the spray). It's ok if you want it inside, but I prefer a lube that I can use on both of us. I didn't understand the spray and the thought of spray my bits sounding a bit wrong - like I had a disease. Weird that this product got though market research.

Also, way too much money and the website does not give enough info if you want to read up on it (especially the spray)

Obviously, I will take this all back if I get my bfp!

[ChicaMomma]

We used Conceive Plus and got pregnant first attempt. I'm not sure if it helped, but i really think it did! Would definitely use something similar next time around.

[quackojuliet]

didn't use anything as fell preg soon after starting to ttc, but would use if we were having issues and dryness became an issue.

[mssleepyhead]

There certainly is a lot of pressure when ttc and although this is only my second month of trying I've certainly wondered whether lube would help with those not-feeling-it-have-to-feel-it moments! The reason I haven't bought any yet is because I don't want dtd when I'm TTC to feel medicalised or forced, and I think for us using lube would. Somehow I need it to feel more sexy and less like a treatment to keep the sperm alive.

[QuickQuickSloe]

I would try this if we were getting a bfp after some time of trying. The spray bit would put me off too, I don't like the idea of spraying anything on my bits!

[makedoandmend1]

I found out about many lubricants being spermicidal when I was TTC #1. We tried using a Kiwi product - PreSeed - which I really liked. Other online friends recommended egg whites, but I didn't really feel comfortable putting food inside my vagina.
The cost was a limiting factor in how often we used the sperm-friendly lubricant, as well as the sachets it came in (so messy!). When we TTC again, I will be looking for a product with applicators or something less messy than tear-open sachets.

[Fairylea]

Does it really boost sperm mobility?! That's a huge claim to make and one that I hope will be medically tested and approved as otherwise it will give a lot of false hope to a lot of people.

Dh and I both have fertility issues. We were on the waiting list for ivf when a year later we found ourselves naturally pregnant on the same day as the ivf appointment letter dropped through. Amazingly it just eventually happened. No special tricks, no lube. And the specialists and tests had all said we would never conceive naturally.

Ds is now 18 months and currently trying to eat the Christmas tree.

[petalsandstars]

If you're on a regular schedule to maximise the chance of catching the window around ovulation it can feel a bit mechanical so using lubricant can add something different to the normal feel. But if they're mostly helping prevent bfp then maybe that was a poor idea

[Steffanoid]

we dont really have much experience, my BFP came the first month of TTC hadnt really considered about lube that was sperm friendly it is something we will need to consider in the future as I dont think we'll be that lucky again

[LittleTownOfBOOTHSlehem]

I've used pre-seed before Balance Activ was available (I think). After a long history of infertility and using traditional 'unfriendly' lubes I switched to 'sperm friendly' and I really think it helped. It did the job, it is certainly not inferior to any other lubes, pleasant to use and I would recommend.
I used it as a regularly lube afterDC1 and got caught with DC2, no fertility treatment! The lube may well have helped

[Quodlibet]

I got pregnant the second month of using Conceive Plus, after 8 or 9 months of unsuccessful TTC, and again the second month following a MC, so personally I'd recommend sperm-friendly lube. My theory is that DP's sperm needed a drink and a snack for sustenance on the long journey.
I'd say that the applicators that allow you to squirt the lube inside your vagina are better (in my opinion) than the pump dispenser. If you are using expensive lube you want it to get right to the place it's most needed! I don't like the sound of spraying my bits either.

[FrillyMilly]

I had no idea that most lubes where spermicidal. It didn't even enter my head as something to check. We just used normal lube when TTC and didn't seem to hinder too much.

[unadulterateddad]

Just used baby oil, seemed to work......

[KnitActually]

omg! I had no idea that it was spermicidal. That said, we use fairly minimal lube when not using a condom. So it probably wasn't a big issue for us when we were TTC

[MakeTeaNotWar]

No experience of using lube, fell pregnant with both DCs in the first two months of trying, very fortunate I appreciate but really, vagina is a harsh environment for sperm? Doesn't make much evolutionary sense

[blizy]

I have no experience in young lube whilst ttc, although my husband and I are discussing the use of something. We have been ttc for almost 3 years now and we find I'm needing a little helping hand with moistness now. I knew of pre-seed but hadn't heard of balance activ.

[endoflevelbaddy]

Managed to conceive both times using durex lube, took 5 months both times for bfp - seems to be how long it takes for my hormones to kick in after stopping the pill rather than anything to do with the type of lube.

[sharond101]

Tried lube before (the flavoured stuff) and found it so messy never ventured there again.

[JasmineLondon]

Would def have tried this sort of thing if had known about it. Had no idea most products contain spermicide ...