Common misconceptions about conception
There are many myths of fertility conception, verging from the hilarious to the ridiculous. Often these have no biological relevance, but some do.
Little study has gone into this however, so here are a few to make you think.
Ancient Egyptians are the origin of a few entertaining theories:
- To test for fertility a clove of garlic was placed inside the vagina and if garlic could be detected on the breath, the woman was definitely fertile.
- As a pregnancy test and to find out the sex of the child the woman would urinate on a combination of emmer wheat and barley grains. If the woman was pregnant the seeds would germinate; the wheat germinating first indicated a girl, the barley a boy.
Old wives tales provide the other misconceptions involving geographical locations and levels of enjoyment:
- For successful conception the woman's head should be pointing north.
- To conceive a girl the missionary position is considered more successful and the woman should eat fruit and fish regularly, for a boy a more "man behind" approach should be adopted along with salty foods and lots of red meat.
- Placing scissors beneath your pillow also speeds conception.
More information is available from across the web and often your own family members - they often contradict each other which provides for amusing conversation.
Photo inspired by Beccy Newman of Samantha Gummery's dinner.
