It is not just children who are confused about where babies come from, as British couples also hold on to a number of old wives' tales when it comes to getting pregnant, a new survey has revealed
Popular myths that people generally believe in include drinking grapefruit juice or cough syrup and planting a rosemary bush.
Even in this day and age some women trying for a baby say they think they have a better chance of conceiving if they avoid mints and will have twins if they eat yams.
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Others fear that eating strawberries or seeing mice during pregnancy could give their babies birthmarks.
Another superstition is that a woman who gives gifts of silver will get pregnant, said family planning experts FPA as they launched specially created Fertility Awareness Kits.
While much of the advice dates back centuries, some are more modern and scientific - such as advising men to wear boxer shorts to keep sperms at a more ideal temperature.
Surprisingly, the survey found that half of all couples do not know many of the basic facts about the best ways to conceive, such as when a woman is at her most fertile for instance.
According to the FPA, who surveyed 1,000 couples, when couples get it wrong many start to believe their lack of success is down to a medical problem.
“Many people trying to conceive have never been taught the basic facts about their own reproductive cycle,” the Daily Mail quoted Natika H Halil, FPA director of information, as saying.
“As a result couples may mistakenly believe themselves to be infertile, causing them to seek expensive fertility treatments and suffer a great deal of stress, when there is really no need.
“Equally, couples with a genuine problem may be waiting for nature to take its course, when in fact there is a fertility issue and they need professional help without delay” Halil added.
The top 10 myths about the best ways to get pregnant are:
Yams help give you twins
Boxer shorts make men more fertile
Drink grapefruit juice to get pregnant
Plant a rosemary bush to get pregnant
Women, give a gift of silver to get pregnant
Avoid strawberries as they give babies birthmarks
Don’t look at mice they give babies birthmarks
Drink cough syrup to get pregnant
Men should take their socks off in bed
Avoid mint u00a0
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