Myth-bust getting pregnant and TTCing "old wives" tales with Clearblue: chance to win £250 NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We have all heard "old wives" tales about how to get pregnant and now the team at Clearblue would love to hear which ones you have heard of - and which you believe in and which are a load of tosh!

Inspired by threads like this, they'd also love you to share the myths/ pre conceived (gettit)! notions you had before you TTCed about DTD and trying to get pregnant - what was an absolute revelation to you once you entered the land of TTCing?

Clearblue say "At Clearblue we love hearing about the journey women go on when trying to get pregnant, and especially when our products have been able to help in some way, please do share your experiences on this thread!"

Everyone who posts will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky MNer will win a £250 Love2Shop voucher.

Please note your comments and photos may be included on Clearblue's website and social media channels, and possibly elsewhere, so please only post if you're comfortable with this.

Thanks and good luck,
MNHQ

I believed the legs in air one and tried the Mumsnet tip of using a Softcup which worked in my favour! As for the hot water bottle on the tummy the week before ovulation to improve follicles that didn't work (monitored cycle) neither did one friend's suggestion of eating 2 pomegranates a day every day!

I did te legs in the air for my first but not my second as realised it was a myth. Apparently if you orgasm before your partner that's supposed to help?!

I was told by someone in our village when we moved here that I'd better want another child as there was something in the water here that made everybody have babies! I just had to keep drinking the water

As it took us 20mths TTC I'm not convinced!

Another told me she 'knows' I'm having twins as she had a premonition! I hope she's wrong & I'd be very surprised as there is no history of multiple births anywhere in our family.

I knew about the legs in the air but didn't do it because I had been told I was very unlikely to get pregnant - got pregnant immediately after that so maybe the "relax and don't think about it" myth works! The shape of bumps - carrying all to the front for boys, rounder shape for girls (in the version I heard) was accurate for us.

For me it was that positive pregnancy test = baby 9 months later. I never realised how common miscarriage was until I had my first one. I've had two and now I see getting pregnant as just the very difficult (for us) first step.

I also thought that positive test = everything okay. I was still getting a positive test a month after I miscarried the first time.

The amount of people who have told me to book a special holiday and it's bound to happen. Well, no amount of luxury breaks is helping sperm meet egg here, no matter how high the hotel linen thread count or how fancy the wine glasses.
2.5 years on, and I'm resigned to us being a small but perfectly formed family of 3.

I wish I knew how unsexy ttc sex is, 'I'm ovulating' is the least erotic thing you can ever say.

I've always done legs in the air after ttc sex, it's such a small gesture that even if it is complete balony I'd rather do it than beat myself up

I come from a very medical family so all myths were quashed at once. I heard loads from my friends and I would always be the know it all and say, 'Well, actually...'

My favourite were always the 'you'll get a boy/girl' if you... eat fatty/non fat foods, you exercise a lot/not at all whilst TTC, you DTD in the evening/morning.

Quietninja, the version I heard of that myth was that you were to come....ahem.....after your partner, that way the contractions from your orgasm help push the sperm up.

Myth or not, it worked for me

"Just relax & it will happen". Easy for a parent of 3 to say!

Eating certain foods for multiple birth

When it did happen (just the one though) I confirmed it with a clearblue digi. Lovely to see the words; no room for reallyreallywantit human error

Doctors used to tell men to ..err... abstain for several days before producing a sperm sample - not sure whether they still do. That can lead to the idea that you should not have sex outside ovulation times in order to save it up. As I understand it (any more recent experts feel free to come and correct me) that's bollocks and fresher is better so more sex all month is probably the way to go.

It will be harder to conceive if your DH cycles as this affects the testicles - certainly not in my case.

The Billings method is an effective method of contraception, according to a woman my mum knew when I was a teenager, she had four children insanely close in age ...

I didn't really buy into any of the myths but I was lucky enough to conceive easily. I hadn't realised beforehand what a chore sex could become and how all consuming ttc would be.

If you conceive in the morning it's a girl and in the evening it's a boy. Nonsense! But we did have two boys from mostly evening sex.

I never realised how common miscarriage was or how quickly it would become unsexy.

The funniest myth I have heard is that cough syrup can help concieve by thinning CM. Apparently a women orgasming helps increase your chances!

The relax and don't try worked for me...I conceived on honeymoon. And yes the lots of sex did produce a boy!!

The 'go away on holiday' this has worked twice for my husband and I- both times we weren't trying!

We've booked to go back next year, but this time praying the same thing doesn't happen, as DC2 will only be six months!

I heard that eating a lot of bananas would guarantee you a baby boy...! it worked for me!

I think the cough syrup one is true isn't it? There certain types that have an ingredient that helps make cm better for sperm to swim in. At least I'm sure that's been advised on the ttc boards.

My mum told me when I was younger that after making love she lay back and kept her legs in the air to help her become pregnant! Another one from my mum - what ever you crave whilst pregnant your children will love it too, which has turned out true for all her 7 children. A few more.. The shape and size of your bump tells you the sex of your baby! morning sickness during pregnancy means you will have a healthy baby. The younger you are the easier the birth is!

Another one- if you have been taking the contraception pill it will take a while for you to become pregnant! I was lucky enough to fall pregnant within the first month of trying with both my little ones.

I was a young-ish first time mum and was genuinely surprised when I found out that most women don't get pregnant every time they have unprotected sex, having had the reverse message hammered into me all the way through school! TTC DC1 took around 6 months. DC2 arrived after 1 careless incident

How hard it is. How random it is. How unfair it is. After 20months I got my much longed for BFP. My amazing friend ... No such luck.

I got pregnant by mistake at 17 but was overjoyed when DD was born, baby number 2 wasn't planned either When we decided to have baby number 3 imagine our shock when it didn't just "happen" as it had twice before. After a year of trying we decided we had had enough of the monthly heartache, so we gave up and booked a long weekend away from the kids to get over the stress. Two weeks later I found out that I was expecting number three Taking the pressure off and relaxing is what worked for us in the end.

You know when you're finished (having children)
No I don't!! I really can't decide if I want a third.