History Main / MissConception

The character actually is pregnant or got a girl pregnant but is surprised or shocked because they believe they couldn't have because of some Old Wives' Tale (well, more like a Young Maiden's tale; the Old Wives [[CloserToEarth tend to be more knowledgeable]] in these matters) such as "You're OK if you do it standing up" or "You won't get pregnant your first time" or "Do some jumping jacks and take some aspirin". Sometimes played for comedy, sometimes played for drama, sometimes played for angst, sometimes the Old Wives themselves might show up in the script casting [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer looks of disapproval]] about her lack of knowledge about one of the most basic points of womanhood. This Old Wife / Miss Conception dynamic could be part of a larger {{Closer to Earth}}[=/=]{{Innocence Virgin on Stupidity}} comparison. Aside from this angle, guys in this mess don't get much in the way of a DoubleStandard but more focus may be made on the fact that they "got a girl in trouble".

* ''[[ThatSeventiesShow That 70's Show]] had Jackie discovering she was pregnant, but she thought you couldn't get pregnant for 8 days after your period. Though, as Donna points out, it's eight days after the first day of the period, not the last day. [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]]] in that it turns out she's not actually pregnant anyway.
** A similar scenario appears in a later season when Kelso gets Brooke pregnant, that uses the "If you do it standing up myth." However, rather than you can't get pregnant, it's that the baby won't be a girl, according to [[TheDitz Kelso]]

* ''AmericanDad'' The episode "Deacon Stan, Jesus Man" actually contains both types, though more so of Type II. Steve gives Roger CPR and wakes up the next morning [[MisterSeahorse pregnant]]. Roger, being an alien, as well as one of AmbiguousGender, reveals that his species reproduces through mouth to mouth contact, and he accidentally [[FaceFullOfAlienWingWong put his spawn into Steve]]. Later, Steve kisses his crush, Betsy, the daughter of Stan's rival, Chuck White. The next morning he wakes up no longer pregnant. It turns out he transferred the spawn to her, and she's now pregnant. Earlier in the episode Betsy's parents had caught her holding hands with Steve which they told her "leads to kissing which can get you pregnant."

* ''TheNanny'' Youngest child Grace (something under 10 at the time) thought she was pregnant due to the euphemisms used by Fran discussing a friend who was pregnant: they "slept together" (Grace and her male friend both took a nap in the same room), Grace was "late" (they had missed a playdate, because of the nap).

* ''{{Glee}}'' Finn believes his girlfriend when she claims he got her pregnant when he ejaculated in a hot tub while they were both clothed (and genitalia not touching).

Type I

Type II

* ''AmericanDad'' The episode "Deacon Stan, Jesus Man" actually contains both. Steve gives Roger CPR. Steve wakes up the next morning [[MisterSeahorse pregnant]]. Roger, being an alien, as well as one of AmbiguousGender, reveals that his species reproduces through mouth to mouth contact, and he accidentally [[FaceFullOfAlienWingWong put his spawn into Steve]]. Later, Steve kisses his crush, Betsy, the daughter of Stan's rival, Chuck White. The next morning he wakes up no longer pregnant. It turns out he transferred the spawn to her, and she's now pregnant. Earlier in the episode Betsy's parents had caught her holding hands with Steve which they told her "leads to kissing which can get you pregnant]]."

A young woman/girl worries she may have been impregnated by a poorly chosen sexual encounter. The only problem is that she [[YouFailBiologyForever failed her biology class]] (or never took one, [[TeenPregnancy or at least haven't gotten to that unit yet]]) and [[TheIngenue did not know]] that what she did could not result in anything more than a [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean salty after-taste]]. Maybe she was raised very puritanically and thinks you can get babies from kissing, or maybe she just believes that anything with what sounds like "sex" (like "saxophone") in the title is equally likely to get you pregnant. For comic effect it could be a little girl whose parents chose their metaphors poorly during TheTalk and thinks you can get pregnant from bee stings or flower pollen.

Then there's the just as common inverse scenario where a woman believes she couldn't be pregnant because of some Old Wives' Tale (well, more like a Young Maiden's tale; the Old Wives [[CloserToEarth tend to be more knowledgeable]] in these matters) such as "You're OK if you do it standing up" or "You won't get pregnant your first time" or "Do some jumping jacks and take some aspirin". Sometimes played for drama, sometimes played for angst, sometimes the Old Wives themselves might show up in the script casting [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer looks of disapproval]] about her lack of knowledge about one of the most basic points of womanhood. This Old Wife / Miss Conception dynamic could be part of a larger {{Closer to Earth}}[=/=]{{Innocence Virgin on Stupidity}} comparison. Aside from this angle, guys in this mess don't get much in the way of a DoubleStandard but more focus may be made on the fact that they "got a girl in trouble".

!!Type I

* Happens in that movie with Cher, ''{{Mermaids}}'', where the older daughter thought she could get pregnant just by kissing a guy.

* Background gag in {{Apocalypto}}, just before everything goes to hell. Jaguar Paw's brother is complaining that he still hasn't managed to impregnate his wife, even though they have sex constantly. Fed up with the complaints, his father gives him a "fertility herb" to rub on his privates just before the act. Thirty seconds later, the brother runs out of his tent in pain and dunks his burning genitals in water. His wife follows... and starts drinking water to quench her burning ''mouth''.

* Daphne in ''The Duke and I'' wants kids, but her new husband doesn't. He's pulling out before ejaculation, but as far as she knows (because her mother neglected to give her TheTalk) they're trying to make a baby.

* In ''{{Catch-22}}'', the doctor shows up with a black eye and explains it came from explaining something to a patient who demanded to know why his wife wasn't pregnant yet, claiming they'd been having sex every night. After some conversation he got the man to show him with a pair of dolls just what, exactly, they were doing every night. And had to explain as tactfully as possible why that might not be getting her pregnant.
* In ''Carnal Crimes of Cremorne'' (a ribald Edwardian novel), Caroline's maid is terrified she might be pregnant after performig oral sex on a man. After a brief AuthorFilibuster on the need to provide decent sex education to the lower classes, Caroline informs the girl as to the truth of the matter. The girl is so grateful that she engages in [[GirlOnGirlIsHot lesbian sex with her mistress]].
* ''TheJoyLuckClub'' has one of the mothers revealing through backstory that her first husband in China was unable to get her pregnant. While his mother, her mother-in-law, eager for a lot of grandchildren, accuses her of "spilling his seed", it's revealed that it's because they haven't actually had sex. This is because the husband is very young, bare minimum to be having children, and isn't emotionally ready for it yet.

* In ''{{Friends}}'', Monica and Chandler are going to adopt from a woman who is still pregnant with the child. They inquire about the father who she reveals is one of two choices: one golden boy and one jail hound who murdered his own father with a shovel. They (especially Chandler) worry about the father-murderer choice until Monica discovers that the act she committed with him was ''not'' something that could get you pregnant. We never find out what it actually is she did but from Chandler's reaction we guess it could be another explanation for the nickname "Shovelly Joe".

* In ''TheNanny'', youngest daughter Grace (something under 10 at the time) thought she was pregnant due to the euphemisms used by Fran discussing a friend who was pregnant: they "slept together" (Grace and her male friend both took a nap in the same room), Grace was "late" (they had missed a playdate, because of the nap).
* Finn on ''{{Glee}}'' believes his girlfriend when she claims he got her pregnant when he ejaculated in a hot tub while they were both clothed (and genitalia not touching).
* On ''GoodTimes'', a girl in Penny's 6th grade class is pregnant. When Penny asks Wilona what is wrong with her friend (said friend is hugely showing), Wilona tells her that her friend has stomach mumps and that Penny should not play with her anymore because it was contagious. Florida is upset by this and implores Wilona to have TheTalk with Penny so that she won't be misinformed about sex and possibly become pregnant like her friend.

* An ''{{A Bit of Fry and Laurie}}'' sketch has Fry as the headmaster of a school and Laurie as Mr. Smear, an ultra-strait-laced parent outraged that his young son had been taught "gutter language" and "lies" about human reproduction in biology class -- specifically, that "sexual intercourse can bring about pregnancy in the adult female," which he claims is "nothing more than a disgusting rumor put about by trendy young people in TheSixties." The baffled headmaster gently points out that Mr. Smear must have had sex with Mrs. Smear at some point to produce little Michael; Mr. Smear is mortally offended and says that Michael is his son "''in the normal way''," which, when pressed, he describes as getting married, buying a house and some furniture, and just waiting for a bit, making sure to eat three hot meals a day.
-->'''Fry:''' Mmm. And Michael just sort of... popped up, did he?\\
'''Laurie:''' Yes, well of course it's a few years ago now, but I think one day he was... just there.\\
'''Fry:''' And at no stage did you and Mrs. Smear engage in any act of sexual intimacy?\\
'''Laurie:''' Yes, it's very hard for you to believe, isn't it? It's very hard for you to believe that there are still some of us who can bring a child into this world without recourse to cannabis and government handouts!
** Another Fry and Laurie example has Stephen Fry asking his son (Hugh Laurie) if he was aware of the facts of life before his impending marriage.
--->'''Laurie:''' Well I always assumed that you simply put your penis inside mother's vagina and inseminated her ovaries.\\
'''Fry:''' I believe that's what we told you.
:::The sketch then goes on to turn into a bit of spoof {{product placement}} for Tideyman's carpet which is somehow involved in the sexual process.
** One of Laurie's vox-pop characters was a man complaining that he and his wife had their first child on the NHS and had to wait nine months.
* A similar gag (although not taken to the same level of surreality) appears in ''Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV'', where a {{Mockumentary}} set at a hospital interviews a couple who were asking a doctor about having a child.

* An episode of ''HappyDays'' features a girl who thought she was pregnant after necking with her boyfriend while wearing a bikini.

* In ''L'École des femmes'' (''The School for Wives'') by the 17th century playwright Molière, [[WifeHusbandry the old Arnolphe plans to marry his ward Agnès]], whom he brought up to be be too innocent to make him a cuckold. As a result, the seventeen year old future bride is

* An early story arc in ''{{Achewood}}'' involves Phillipe getting "married" to a flower after Lie Bot tricks him into thinking he made it pregnant by touching it (and everyone else apparently goes along with it {{For the Lulz}}). Possibly a ShoutOut to the ''{{King of the Hill}}'' episode mentioned below.
* In ''SomethingPositive,'' Mike is shocked when Tamara gets pregnant, since "I always pull out before I come!" Cue the rest of the cast yelling at him for his stupidity.

* ''AmericanDad'' The episode "Deacon Stan, Jesus Man" plays with this in a couple of ways. Steve gives Roger CPR. Steve wakes up the next morning [[MisterSeahorse pregnant]]. Roger, being an alien, as well as one of AmbiguousGender, reveals that his species reproduces through mouth to mouth contact, and he accidentally [[FaceFullOfAlienWingWong put his spawn into Steve]]. Later, Steve kisses his crush, Betsy, the daughter of Stan's rival, Chuck White. The next morning he wakes up no longer pregnant. It turns out he transferred the spawn to her, and she's now pregnant. Earlier in the episode Betsy's parents had caught her holding hands with Steve which they told her "[[InsaneTrollLogic leads to kissing which can get you pregnant]]."
* In ''DrawnTogether'', conniving bitch Toot convinces Princess Clara she's fallen pregnant because the next thing after TrueLovesKiss is children. Clara submits to a tumble or three down the stairs of the "M.C. Escher room" before Foxxy Love explains to her how human biology works.

* In an episode of ''TheSimpsons'', Bart thinks he has gotten a girl pregnant by kissing and holding her hand at the same time, a case of PingPongNaivete.
* In one episode of ''{{King of the Hill}}'', Bobby and Luanne have an EscalatingWar of pranks that culminates in Bobby replacing Luann's birth control pills with candy, and Luanne then tricking him into believing that this alone made her pregnant and that [[ShotgunWedding he must now marry her]]. Hank and Peggy apparently go along with this to teach Bobby a lesson.
** ...and [[spoiler:then trick ''Luanne'' into thinking the marriage is actually legally valid, to teach ''her'' a lesson too]]. They can be [[TheChessmaster quite sneaky]] sometimes.

* In RealLife, Henry VIII based his divorce from his fourth wife partly on the grounds of non-consummation. She was confused by this because he did give her a kiss goodnight and she thought that was how it worked.

* In ''TheSandman'' story arc "A Game of You", Hazel got pregnant after having sex standing up, though she thought she wouldn't.

* Happens with Maisie Robinson in Ken Follett's ''A Dangerous Fortune''. "It was just one f* ck!"
* In ''Murdering Ministers'' by Alan Beechy, a thirteen-year-old girl whose highly religious parents never taught her about reproduction falls pregnant when she lets a close friend have sex with her, since he seemed so keen on it. Having a vague notion that "babies are a gift from God to a man and a woman", she concludes that her pregnancy is God's way of telling her she should be with her youth minister whom she adores. A number of misunderstandings ensue when she tells him this.
* Sunny tells Fawn this in ''TheSharingKnife''. She doesn't know if he was lying to get in her pants or if he actually believed it, but either way it's a costly mistake.

* In ''The Bonesetter's Daughter'', eleven-year-old Ruth is unclear on many things relating to sex, including the specific bodily fluid necessary for conception. So when she sits down on a toilet seat immediately after her male neighbor used it and didn't aim well, she fears she's pregnant.

* The "cannot get pregnant if you have sex standing up" myth appears in ''ThatSeventiesShow.''
** Actually, it was that the baby won't be a girl if you do it standing up, according to [[TheDitz Kelso]].
** Or a variant: Jackie thought you couldn't get pregnant X number of days after your period. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in that she's not actually pregnant anyway.
* There was an episode of ''{{Clueless}}'' where the one episode character, a tutor for the regulars, gets pregnant in such a situation. It's even brought up that while this girl was smart about school-things, she didn't have a clue about real life.
* In a VerySpecialEpisode of ''{{All in the Family}}''/''Archie Bunker's Place'' where one of Stephanie's friends got pregnant. She thought that she couldn't get pregnant because it was her first time.
* On ''DegrassiJuniorHigh'', Spike thought she couldn't get pregnant her first time. She was wrong.

* In ''{{Carnivale}}'' Libby tells Sophie that she can't get pregnant after her first time. She doesn't, but she certainly could have.

* A story from ''WeeklyWorldNews'' that escaped into the wild as an UrbanLegend: A woman sues the maker of spermicidal jelly after she gets pregnant. Then it turns out that she had used the product by ''putting it on crackers and eating it''.

* In ''SpringAwakening'', 14 year old Wendla's mother tells her that, in order to have a child, she must simply love her husband with her whole heart. She is later shocked to find herself pregnant as a result of being raped by her friend, Melchior. After all, Melchior is not her husband!

* From ''{{The Order of the Stick}}'', a... [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0501.html divine example:]]

--> Chrissy: I know that, beetle brain. But, it's common knowledge, if you tongue kiss a boy, he automatically thinks you'll do the deed with him. It's the male curse.

* ''AmericanDad'' The episode "Deacon Stan, Jesus Man" plays with this in a couple of ways. Steve gives Roger CPR. Steve wakes up the next morning [[MisterSeahorse pregnant]]. Roger, being an alien, as well as one of AmbiguousGender, reveals that his species reproduces through mouth to mouth contact, and he accidentally [[FaceFullOfAlienWingWong put his spawn into Steve]]. Later, Steve kisses his crush, Betsy, the daughter of Stan's rival, Chuck White. The next morning he wakes up no longer pregnant. It turns out he transferred the spawn to her, and she's now pregnant. Earlier in the episode Betsy's parents had caught her holding hands with Steve which they told her "[[InsaneTollLogic leads to kissing which can get you pregnant]]."

* In ''AmericanDad'' where Roger, an alien, accidentally [[FaceFullOfAlienWingWong puts spawn into Steve]], making him appear pregnant, who then later kisses a girl. This transfers the spawn to her and they can't think of how to explain it. It turns out that the girl was raised to believe a kiss could get you pregnant and has convinced her parents the Steve knocked her up ('cause, you know, the parents most likely freaked out before getting the full story).

* In one episode of ''{{King of the Hill}}'', Bobby and Luanne have an EscalatingWar of pranks that culminates in Bobby replacing Luann's birth control pills with candy, and Luanne then tricking him into believing that this alone made her pregnant and that he must now marry her. Hank and Peggy apparently go along with this to teach Bobby a lesson.

* On ''DegrassiJuniorHigh'', Spike thought she couldn't get pregnant her first time. She was wrong.

* In ''L'École des femmes'' (''The School for Wives'') by the 17th century playwright Molière, The old Arnolphe plans to marry his ward Agnès, whom he brought up to be be too innocent to make him a cuckold. As a result, the seventeen year old future bride is

* In one episode of ''{{King of the Hill}}'', Bobby and Luann have an EscalatingWar of pranks that culmninates in Bobby replacing Luann's birth control pills with candy, and Luann then tricking him into believing that this has made her pregnant and that he must now marry her. Hank and Peggy apparently go along with this to teach Bobby a lesson.

A young woman/girl worries she may have been impregnated by a poorly chosen sexual encounter. The only problem is that she [[YouFailBiologyForever failed her biology class]] (or never took one) and [[TheIngenue did not know]] that what she did could not result in anything more than a [[IfYouKnowWhatIMean salty after-taste]]. Maybe she was raised very puritanically and thinks you can get babies from kissing, or maybe she just believes that anything with what sounds like "sex" (like "saxophone") in the title is equally likely to get you pregnant. For comic effect it could be a little girl whose parents chose their metaphors poorly during TheTalk and thinks you can get pregnant from bee stings or flower pollen.

'''Laurie:''' Yes, it very hard for you to believe, isn't it? It's very hard for you to believe that there are still some of us who can bring a child into this world without recourse to cannabis and government handouts!

* In ''SomethingPositive,'' Mike is shocked when Tamara gets pregnant, since "I always pull out before I come." Cue the rest of the cast yelling at him for his stupidity.

* An urban legend that varies from region to region describes a couple who went to their doctor because they were having trouble conceiving. Reasons for the misunderstanding range from religious (they have not yet had sex and didn't make the connection) to having the wrong kind of sex (anal -- though conception from such is not impossible, just highly unlikely).

* In ''SpringAwakening'', 14 year old Wendla's mother tells her that, in order to have a child, she must simply love her husband with her whole heart. She is later shocked to find herself pregnant as a result of being raped by her friend, Melchior.

** Since pulling out isn't a reliable method of contraception, there's a bit of crossover with the second type of this as well.

!!Type One

* An urban legend that varies from region to region describes a couple who went to their doctor because they were having trouble conceiving. Reasons for the misunderstanding range from religious (they have not yet had sex and didn't make the connection) to having the wrong kind of sex (anal-- though conception from such is not impossible, just highly unlikely).

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* An early story arc in ''{{Achewood}}'' involves Phillipe getting "married" to a flower after Lie Bot tricks him into thinking he made it pregnant by touching it (and everyone else apparently goes along with it {{For the Lulz}}). Possibly a ShoutOut to the ''{{King of the Hill}}'' episode mentioned below.
[[/folder]]

* In ''L'Ecole des femmes'' (''The School For Wives'') by the 17th century playwright Moliere, The old Arnolphe plans to marry his ward Agnès, whom he brought up to be be too innocent to make him a cuckold. As a result, the seventeen year old future bride is
-->...so innocent and so sincere
--> She asks if women have babies by the ear

!!Type Two

* In ''DrawnTogether'', conniving bitch Toot convinces Princess Clara she's fallen pregnant because the next thing after TrueLovesKiss is children. Clara submits to a tumble or three down the stairs of the "M.C. Escher room" before another character explains to her how human biology works.

[[folder:Folklore]]
* {{Truth in Television}}: [[http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090905/tuk-bizarre-british-contraception-myths-dba1618.html (seriously, chicken skin instead of condoms?)]]
[[/folder]]

* An urban legend that varies from region to region describes a couple who went to their doctor because they were having trouble conceiving. Reasons for the misunderstanding range from religious (they have not yet had sex and didn't make the connection) to having the wrong kind of sex (anal).

** Gives a [[BrokenAesop pretty messed up message]] when you think about it. Although technically, as Aesops go, there are much more Broken ones than "don't have vaginal sex with violent killers".
** It's a BrokenAesop for a more pertinent reason: it is quite possible to get pregnant from anal sex (all it takes is one lucky swimmer to find its way -- and they do; not to get too graphic, but these orifices [[CaptainObvious aren't exactly hermetically sealed]]).
** Unless you meant that the lesson "To love your adopted baby despite its biological fathers conduct" was Broken (it was BTW), the trope you are looking for is FamilyUnfriendlyAesop, with a mix of SpoofAesop mixed in.
** Or that they were worried that the apple wouldn't fall far from the tree and the kid would wind up murdering Chandler.

* There is a made-up urban legend about a German couple who went to their doctor because they were having trouble conceiving. It turns out they were Christian and were unaware that you actually have to have sex to make a baby.
** Except that it really happened in Japan.
** I heard that it happened in China....