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MNHQ

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

103 replies

AnnMumsnet · 02/12/2013 10:41

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

OP posts:
daisydaisy11 · 05/12/2013 17:37

Had no idea regular lubricants were hostile to sperm -you live and learn!

Wonderwomanssister · 05/12/2013 18:33

IIRC I found out that otc lubes are spermicidal through reading one of Zita West's books. Would never have occurred to me before that, so not surprised it's not commonly known. Have only ever used lube post partum with condoms though, so wanted the sperm blocking kind then Grin

tipp2chicago · 05/12/2013 19:23

We used pre-seed when trying to conceive. It worked too, we now have a beautiful DD who is currently trying to re-arrange the sitting room! I was amazed how many lubes were spermicidal/not recommended when TTC.

smaths · 05/12/2013 19:47

I had no idea lube was spermicidal, but I'm a tightwad so only buy ky jelly which does not have spermicide. Au naturel is better of course but i found that when I was breastfeeding it took a looooooong time to get warmed up and ky was the quick option.

DevonCiderPunk · 05/12/2013 20:44

OMG that thread title makes my teeth itch.

MissRee · 05/12/2013 20:47

Have heard of lubes like preseed but never tried any to be honest as I've never needed to.

I do hope you don't go down the marketing route that everyone NEEDS a lube to conceive though.

Parsley2506 · 05/12/2013 21:05

Lube is a fairly regular participant in our efforts to conceive. I had literally no clue normal lubes were spermicidal till we'd been trying for about 4 months and I started thinking about what might be going wrong. Tried preseed which as a product was fine but found the applicator process so deeply unsexy that I gave that up fairly quickly and just used it on an 'as needed basis'. Went to no lube at all for a while but then tried conceive plus when we wanted to up our efforts again. Got a BFP a couple of months later but tbh we had been ttc for 18 months by that point so I'm not sure id want to credit the lube with everything. Sadly that pregnancy ended in MC at 11 weeks and we're now ready to ttc again. Had never heard of balance activ till today, spray sounds a bit weird if you ask me, seems very medical?
I appreciate these products all have taken extra years of development but the price point for all conception friendly lubes is, frankly, ridiculous. We will continue using our conceive plus but once it runs out, assuming we've not conceived again by that point, not sure I'd be desperate to shell out another £15.

Hopemummi · 05/12/2013 21:51

It never really occurred to me that lube could be bad but after ttc for a year I started reading up on the subject and invested in all sorts of paraphernalia in the hope it would help. Purchased an opk clear blue kit and activ gel but only use it on my ovulation days as it's so expensive!

Letitsnow9 · 06/12/2013 01:10

Until this post I didn't know there was such thing as conception friendly lube!

livingzuid · 07/12/2013 08:22

We tried conceive plus which was just a normal tube and presseed which came with inserters says how much to use. I didn't like it to be honest as using the inserters meant too much going in! It worked out much more expensive as well because we used too much.

In the end we conceived with no assistance but I liked the conceive plus over the pressed.

plinkyplonks · 07/12/2013 14:39

No experience of using lube for this purpose or that this kind of product was on the market. Will take a look!

mrscog · 07/12/2013 15:03

We nearly always use some sort of lube and after 2 months of TTC with no success we switched to pre-seed because I'd seen it discussed on here. Pregnant 2 weeks later. When it comes to TTC #2 I would use again, and would consider a different brand - the applicators did make everything feel a bit 'clinical'!

ThoraNomiki · 07/12/2013 17:07

I found out through discussions on Mumsnet that normal lubricants had a spermicidal effect. We don't use lube on a regular basis but sometimes use it to change things up a bit so I bought some pre-seed. I don't bother with the applicators (way to kill the mood) we just use it as normal lube but sound in the knowledge that it won't hinder TTC rather than as an aid. This is the first time I've heard of Balance Activ.

seasavage · 07/12/2013 21:46

We often use lube for fun. I've read about lube not beingideal for TTC. So I guess I'd be interested. TTC for my 3rd/ husbands 1st starts in Jan (happy in free samples as a potential feedback person :-)

Julietee · 07/12/2013 22:11

We didn't use anything. I didn't know that lube could be spermicidal.

IncaAztec · 07/12/2013 22:54

Didn't use anything, fell pregnant first month both times. Had heard of pre-seed being very successful for friends though. However, would consider Balance Activ in the future if we needed to as there doesn't seem to be many competitors in the ttc lube market.

Tyranasaurus · 08/12/2013 08:18

Not keen on the wording 'vagina is a harsh environment'. I wouldn't want to use lube for conception (since I don't normally use it) I wouldn't want to think that my child was the product of crap sex Hmm

MrsClauswearsspanx · 08/12/2013 15:32

Lube.

I had never heard of any issues regarding lube when trying to concieve!

Maybe there should be more information out there regarding such things! I had heard of Preseed and was about to invest after TTC for a few months with no bueno results.

But I got my BFP right before I purchased. I would consider trying Balance Activ next time around, however!

Any brand who drops vowels out of their name is a brand you can trust, I say! Grin

p.s. will my satchel say "Balance Activ" on it? Because that's a bit embarrassing...

OrangeBlossom2 · 08/12/2013 15:52

We used conceive plus once and got pregnant straight away first time trying. Probably a coincidence but I would use again. I wouldn't use it normally as I didn't like the very runny texture but will use again next time I am ttc.

murielspark · 08/12/2013 17:07

I've used either Preseed or Conceive Plus every cycle since I started TTC. We're 10 months in now and nothing. I've spent hundreds on these lubes. It's so depressing.

honeyharris · 08/12/2013 19:43

We used Conceive Plus I think, we sometimes use lube anyway if we're doing it a couple of times in succession. My husband found it made him feel more sensitive than standard lube

ladybunnikins · 08/12/2013 20:27

I've used preseed and conceive plus, I just apply a small amount directly rather than using applicators. It hasn't helped me conceive (2 years ttc) but it has made the process much more comfortable! I haven't heard of Balance Activ before and I'm intrigued by the spray. The bit I don't like about using lube is how cold it is when you first apply it and I wonder if the spray is also very cold?

sealight123 · 08/12/2013 20:46

Me and my partner aren't currently trying to conceive, as we already have our hands full with our live wire 2 year old daughter :) but we frequently use flavoured and 'sensational' lubes, just for a different feel and...well for a bit of fun. Downside is that it can be a bit messylo
Truthfully, I think I am being very naive, but I didn't know that using different types of lube/not using it would affect conception but that may be because I was very lucky to have conceived my daughter quite quickly.

bakingqueen · 08/12/2013 22:46

We are currently trying to concieve and have decided to try this as my friend got a bfp the first month she used this after years of trying. Got to be worth giving it a go

MinesAPintOfTea · 08/12/2013 22:46

Didn't even think about using it.