Emily Miller and her partner of four years Cam Holmes are expecting (Picture: Emilyfayemiller Instagram)
Too Hot To Handle star Emily Miller has announced she is unexpectedly pregnant after using the spray and pray method.
Otherwise known as pulling out, the spray and pray method certainly isn’t an effective form of contraception, which means she and her partner Cam Holmes are now 16 weeks pregnant.
Emily said on Instagram: ‘We were not actively trying, although I wasn’t on contraception. I haven’t been on contraception since I was 16. We just used the spray and pray technique.’
Perhaps the clue is in the name that it’s not a sure-fire way to keep from conceiving – if you have to pray something works, in this case, there’s probably a more effective option.
Condoms, contraceptive pills, vasectomies, femidoms – there are other alternatives which are much more reliable.
Pulling out, coitus interruptus, withdrawal or to spray and pray all mean a man pulls out of the vagina before ejaculating, finishing outside of his partner instead, in an attempt to make pregnancy less likely.
According to the NHS it’s not entirely effective because fluid with sperm in it (pre-cum) leaks from the penis before ejaculation.
With perfect use, 4% of women will have an unintended pregnancy at one year. With typical use, this increases up to 22%.
What Emily says she also didn’t realise, is that you can indeed get pregnant on your period. Just because it’s your time of the month it doesn’t mean you’re protected.
Emily adds: ‘Also fun fact, I was on my period when we conceived. I’ve also used that technique my whole life thinking you can’t get pregnant on your period – miracles do happen.’
A public health announcement: getting pregnant on your period isn’t a miracle, it’s actually very possible.
Spray and pray popularity:
The CDC’s National Centre for Health Statistics has found that loads of American teens are relying on the pull-out method to avoid pregnancy – 60% of American teens, in fact, rely on it as their primary form of contraception.
According to the NHS, If you have sex without using contraception at any time during your menstrual cycle, including during or just after your period, there’s a chance you could get pregnant.
You can also get pregnant if you have never had a period before, during your first period, or after the first time you have sex.
There’s no “safe” time of the month when you can have sex without contraception and not risk becoming pregnant.
It’s important to remember that sperm can sometimes survive in the body for up to seven days after you have sex. If you ovulate within seven days of having sex, there’s a chance you could get pregnant.
This means it may be possible to get pregnant soon after your period finishes if you ovulate early, especially if you have a naturally short menstrual cycle.
Emily explains on her Instagram story that she knew instantly she was pregnant. She says: ‘Because I’ve been pregnant before I knew the symptoms straight away. I think I knew at about two weeks.
‘My boobs were sore and big for me… and when I come on a normal period they never get that swollen and hard.
‘I wanted to wait until I was due on my period because two weeks is so early, I thought the pregnancy test probably wouldn’t even pick up that I’m pregnant if I was.
‘And the fact I was on my period when we last did the deed, I thought there was no way. I waited until I was supposed to be on my period until doing the test. Straight away it came up that I’m preggo.’
She told her partner Cam, whom she has been with for four years, when they were in Marbella for his birthday and out for dinner -she is now 16 weeks along and happily awaiting her surprise new arrival.
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She didn’t expect to be expecting.