Couples still believe in old wives' tales to get pregnant

Popular myths that people generally believe in include - drinking grapefruit juice or cough syrup and planting a rosemary bush helps in conceiving.

Even in today's age, some women trying for a baby think they have a better chance of conceiving if they avoid mints and will have twins if they eat yams, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

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, 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.

The study 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," said Natika H Halil, FPA director of information.

"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.