Baby-Making Secrets You Should Know

Things can get a little complicated when it comes to wading through the fact and fiction of conception. What really works and what is just a long-standing fallacy?

The missionary position (man on top) is often said to be the best position for conception because it allows the sperm to be deposited directly onto the cervix upon ejaculation. Toni Weschler, MS, founder of the Fertility Awareness Counseling and Training Seminars in Seattle, Washington, and author of the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health, recommends intercourse from behind (hands and knees position) for women with a tipped uterus. "This position allows the sperm better access to the cervix," she says. Following the closer-is-better logic, partners should avoid any position that causes semen to leak out, including the woman-on-top position, standing, and sitting during intercourse.

Makes sense, right? Too bad there's no real scientific proof that it works. When asked if there are any positions she recommends to fertility patients, Esther Eisenberg, MD, MPH, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and director of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, simply replies, "No."