Honey, Yams, & Legs In The Air: Which Of These Fertility Tricks Actually Work?

If you’re trying to conceive, or even just curious about it, you’ve probably heard plenty of fertility “tricks” that will supposedly help make sure that the sperm hits the egg: After sex, lie down with your legs in the air. If you want to have twins, eat yams. Have sex in missionary position. Men: wear boxers, not briefs.

Some of these tips have been around for thousands of years, passed from generation to generation. Ancient Egyptians associated honey with conception, considering it sacred to Min, a god of fertility. Today, people trying to conceive are sometimes advised to snack on raw honey in order to increase their chances. “Seven people I know who had been trying to conceive between six months and three years gave me a tip... they were having two spoonfuls of Manuka honey a day... all of them now have children or are pregnant,” reads one such tip on a conception forum.
 
But is there any proof that these “tricks” actually work? We asked Mary Jane Minkin, MD, Ob/Gyn at Yale University to find out.