15 Wild Things Women Do To Get Pregnant

When a woman is ready to become pregnant, she will do almost anything, no matter how wacky, to get the job done. This can mean following through a list of old wives tales, eating different or a monotony of foods to increase nutrition or to influence the gender of the baby, and even digging up old superstitions to magically increase her chances of getting pregnant. She will assume different positions during and after the act, she will follow the phases of the moon, and she might even sneak some sperm increasing foods into her man's diet. Whatever it takes, be willing to bet that she will probably test out as many baby making theories as she can until she finally gets what she wants.

Yes, we women are crazy. There is nothing else like the pull of the biological clock and the desire to get pregnant. And to answer the call to motherhood, we really will take away our man's cell phone and ban him from his laptop if it means an increase in healthy sperm production. We will call our mother, our grandmothers, and the crazy aunts, all for the age old advice of how to get knocked up.

15 The Handstand Method

My mother swears by this method and, according to her, this was how my older sister was conceived. What you do is after having sex, you go into a handstand. Use the wall behind you, if you must. It is believed that gravity will get the glop where it needs to go and gives the spermies a quicker head start getting there. Experts say that handstands do nothing to increase fertility, but it does make for a few good bedroom giggles.

14 Cough Syrup

If you have some cough syrup in the bathroom cabinet, you are halfway there to getting pregnant, according to this old wives tale. Some women will take a spoonful of cough syrup every morning during the week before they go into ovulation. They say that it helps to thin out the cervical mucus and it gives the sperm easier access to the egg. The cough medicine would need to contain guaifenesin (an ingredient that helps break up congestion), which may or may not thin out the cervical mucus.

13 Feng Shui It

Feng shui can bring you good luck, increase your prosperity, and even up your chances at getting pregnant, according to people who practice this ancient form of beliefs based on art and science. Avoid floral patterns in your bedroom because it will compete with your man's energy. You can also decorate your bedroom with two red lanterns and two elephant statues on either side of the bed. Add a dragon statue to your man's side of the bed to increase his virility and turn down the lights.

12 Take Up Yoga

Trying to get pregnant can be stressful, but stress can also prevent you from getting pregnant. So can excessive exercise. The happy medium? Yoga. Practicing yoga can help you reduce stress, get in better shape, and it is a nonaggressive exercise you can switch to while you are trying to get pregnant. Yoga is the perfect fertility trifecta, so do some stretches, practice your breathing exercise, and get your body ready to carry a baby.

11 Feet in the Air

When it comes to getting pregnant, there are numerous position suggestions for the best chances of conceiving. These range from putting a pillow under your bottom during sex, sticking with the missionary position, and, of course, keeping your feet in the air. There is no scientific proof that any of these methods will increase your chances of getting pregnant, although positions where you are sitting up or standing will cause the sperm to exit your body faster than if you were lying down.

10 Full Moon Fertility

In ancient times, it was believed that women's bodies were more in tune with the cycles of the moon. Our entire menstrual cycle continues to be tied in with the moon, even in modern times, although we have moved towards a technology based society, as opposed to the agricultural based society of our distant ancestors. Still, many women believe that their fertility increases with the full moon and that they are more likely to get pregnant during this time.

9 Coffee, Cocoa, and Maple Syrup

While a spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down, this concoction certainly does little to help your morning cup of coffee go down. According to this bit of urban lore, mixing certain ingredients together (magic potions?) will increase your chances of getting pregnant. For the coffee concoction, you are supposed to mix a spoonful of pure maple syrup and a spoonful of organic cocoa powder in with your morning coffee. Drink this potion for about 2 months before becoming pregnant.

8 Secretly Feed Him Raw Eggs

I'm sorry, but raw eggs are gross and force feeding them to your man can be seen as a form of cruel and unusual punishment. However, if you want to get pregnant, raw eggs might be one option you are willing to explore, even if he's not. Raw eggs are very good for your health and they can help boost your energy levels. They are also a good source of selenium and B-12. In other words, they can help improve your man's sperm quality. For the men who aren't willing to eat raw eggs on their own, women are finding protein shake recipes that are not only super healthy for him, but they also contain raw eggs.

7 Lubricate

I've heard this one plenty of times in the past: Use lubricant when trying to get pregnant because the lubricant helps the sperm move faster to where it needs to go. In truth, the opposite may be happening. Depending on the lubrication, you may be slowing down the sperm and decreasing its mobility. Lubrication can also change your pH balance and decrease your odds of getting pregnant. So, ditch the lube and, if absolutely necessary, only use something that is natural, such as olive oil.

6 Plant a Rosemary Bush

This one comes straight out of superstition and old wives tales: If you want to get pregnant, plant a rosemary bush outside your front door. In the realm of myth and magic, the rosemary bush is an herb of the goddess of love, Venus or Aphrodite. Its Latin name, rosmarinus, means “dew of the sea” and in Christianity it is associated with Mary. It does not take a lot of imagination to figure out why people used to believe (and still believe) that rosemary bushes would increase a woman's fertility.

5 Fertility Saints or Deities

When you are desperate, you will try just about anything to get pregnant. This can include calling upon saints and fertility gods and goddesses. Saint Gerard is the patron saint of motherhood and there are prayers you can say to him to bestow you with the gift of a child. Greek goddess, Aphrodite, was a fertility goddess during her time and Kokopelli was a Native American fertility god. People seeking some good fertility mojo will place statues of fertility deities in their bedroom or wear jewelry depicting the deities.

4 Eat Yams

Yams, anyone? While I must admit that I am not a big fan of yams, it has been rumored that they may help increase a woman's fertility. Herbalists recommend that we eat wild yams during the first two weeks of our menstrual cycle to possibly improve our ovulation. It is also believed that wild yams will increase our chances of having twins because a tribe in Nigeria that eats a lot of yams has a high rate of twin births. Whether or not wild yams actually increase our fertility, they are very healthy for us and it certainly wouldn't hurt to test them out.

3 Stay Away From Mints

I honestly do not get this old wives tale at all. If you are trying to get pregnant, you must avoid eating any type of mint. Your man is also supposed to stop eating mints, because, as the superstition goes, mint can also reduce his sperm count. None of this is based in fact. If it were, more people would be chewing on mint gum and drinking mint tea to avoid pregnancy.

2 Crystal Magic

Want to get pregnant? For some women that may mean dusting off their collection of crystals and placing them on their chakras. The crystals used for fertility are rose quartz, moonstone, garnet, and carnelian. Any one of these stones are placed on the sacral chakra located anywhere from the center of your pubic bone to your belly button. By placing one of the crystals there and letting it rest for a few minutes while visualizing a dark orange color in that area is believed to increase one's sexuality and fertility.

1 Sit in the Dark

As tantalizing as it is to do it with the lights on, research shows that our bodies produce melatonin in the darkness. The melatonin helps us relax and relaxation is key to increasing our fertility and protecting our eggs. We should be giving ourselves eight hours of darkness when we go to sleep. That means no night lights, no gleam from the television, and keep your alarm clock light turned away from your body.