French fries & lucky socks: Navigating IVF myths, traditions, and superstitions

French fries & lucky socks: Navigating IVF myths, traditions and superstitions

If you’ve ever spent five minutes scrolling through fertility forums or searching hashtags like #EmbryoTransfer and #TransferDay on social media, you know that fertility treatments aren’t just about cutting-edge medicine and precise hormone schedules. They are also wrapped up in a fascinating, heartwarming, and sometimes bizarre collection of traditions and superstitions.

Social media analysis reveals an explosion in viral fertility trends. On TikTok and Instagram alone, hashtags like #IVFFries and #IVFSuperstitions have gathered over 42 million cumulative views globally, with hundreds of thousands of patients posting photos holding up traditional treats alongside their embryo ultrasound pictures.

But when you’re getting ready for an upcoming treatment cycle, it’s completely natural to wonder: what IVF myths and superstitions are good to do? And more importantly, is there any medical truth behind them?

With the help of Dr Wael Saab, fertility expert and senior medical director at CRGH, let’s unpack the science, the patient psychology, and the facts behind the most famous IVF traditions.

At a glance: IVF folklore vs. fact

1. McDonald’s Fries

• The folklore claim: Salt creates a “sticky” uterus.
• The clinical reality: No impact on implantation; historically used to manage mild OHSS fluid retention.
• Our recommendation: Harmless comfort food. Enjoy if it lowers your stress, but it’s not a requirement.

2. Pineapple Core

• The folklore claim: Bromelain boosts womb receptivity.
• The clinical reality: Bromelain is anti-inflammatory, but fruit concentrations are too low to alter outcomes
• Our recommendation: Eat moderately if you enjoy it; excessive core eating causes mouth ulcers.

3. Lucky Socks

• The folklore claim: Warms the feet to warm the womb.
• The clinical reality: Uterine temperature is regulated internally, not by surface skin.
• Our recommendation: Wear them! Operating rooms are cold, and physical comfort reduces anxiety.

     4. Beetroot Juice

• The folklore claim: Forces the embryo to implant
• The clinical reality: Nitrates naturally increase uterine blood flow
• Our recommendation: Supported by early clinical data, but discuss with your doctor first.

The drive-thru ritual: Do I need to eat McDonald’s fries?

It sounds wild, but stopping at the drive-thru immediately after leaving the operating theatre is one of the most widely practiced rituals in the fertility community.

The theory behind the fry

There is a tiny grain of medical history at the root of this salty superstition. In earlier days of IVF, medication schedules could put patients at a higher risk for Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) – a complication where fluid leaks into the abdomen.

To combat this, doctors frequently advised patients at risk for OHSS to consume high levels of sodium and protein to help draw fluid back into the blood vessels. Because McDonald’s french fries are notoriously salty and easy to grab on the way home from a clinic, they became fertility folklore’s ultimate go-to remedy.

The clinical perspective

No, you don’t have to eat McDonald’s fries for a successful transfer. There is no scientific evidence showing that greasy food directly helps an embryo implant into the uterine lining.

“While getting McDonald’s fries is a harmless comfort food, social media is turning these superstitions into something you have to do for success,” warns Dr Wael Saab. “The sheer volume of content under these hashtags shows how lonely and out of control patients can feel during IVF. If going to a drive-thru brings a moment of joy and connection during an incredibly stressful time, we support it. But it’s vital patients aren’t hard on themselves, a failed cycle is down to multiple embryologic and medical factors, not the Golden Arches.”

Separating fertility myth from helpful habit

If an online tradition is physically safe, affordable, and brings you a sense of control, it can be a positive coping mechanism during the “two-week wait.” Let’s look at how other popular traditions stack up against clinical reality.

1. Eating pineapple core

The tradition says that cutting a pineapple into five horizontal rings (core included) and eating one slice a day from transfer day helps implantation.

• The reality: This stems from an enzyme called bromelain, a mild anti-inflammatory agent found in the pineapple’s core. However, the amount of bromelain in a standard piece of fruit isn’t concentrated enough to make a measurable medical difference. In fact, eating too much of the tough core often just results in severe mouth ulcers and acid reflux.
• The clinical alternative: Eat pineapple if you enjoy the taste. However, if your goal is to support cell division and optimal egg/lining quality, focus on clinically backed protocols. Your specialist may recommend targeted, high-quality supplements like Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), Omega-3 fish oils, and a methylated prenatal folic acid.

2. Wearing ‘lucky’ transfer socks

Millions of embryo transfer posts feature women on the clinic table wearing brightly coloured, matching socks. This stems from traditional Chinese medicine’s philosophy of “warm feet, warm womb.”

• The reality: Uterine blood flow is not affected by surface skin temperature at your extremities; the uterus is deep inside your body’s core and regulates its temperature independently.
• The benefit: Keep the lucky socks! Operating rooms are notoriously cold. Keeping your feet warm keeps you physically comfortable, and reducing physical discomfort or anxiety helps you feel relaxed, which is an excellent state of mind for any medical procedure.

3. The pomegranate juice protocol

Influencers often insist that drinking 8 oz of 100% pomegranate juice every day from the start of an IVF cycle until transfer day acts as an internal “super glue” by flooding the body with nitric oxide to thicken a thin uterine lining.

• The reality: Pomegranates are packed with excellent antioxidants and polyphenols, but drinking cartons of it right before a transfer will not instantly fix an unresponsive uterine lining. In addition, shop-bought juices are high in free sugars, which can raise insulin levels and potentially trigger inflammation. Treat it like a healthy daily habit rather than a medical necessity.

4. Integrating acupuncture

Many believe that having acupuncture sessions strictly immediately before and after the embryo transfer is a strict “magic window” to prevent the uterus from rejecting the embryo.

• The reality: Acupuncture is highly regarded as a complementary therapy because it down-regulates the central nervous system, reduces stress hormones, and enhances pelvic blood flow. However, the timing doesn’t need to be rigidly stressful. If trying to squeeze tight appointments into your transfer day causes you logistics anxiety, it defeats the clinical purpose.

5. The one ritual backed by clinical data: Beetroot juice

While most internet trends are purely symbolic, there is one popular ritual that has randomized clinical data behind it.

Online forums often recommend drinking bright red beetroot juice from transfer day until the pregnancy test. A recent clinical study tracked hundreds of women undergoing embryo transfers and found that the group who drank a daily juice made of beetroot, watermelon, and ginger saw their clinical pregnancy rates jump significantly compared to the control group.

The science behind the beet

Beetroot is packed with natural nitrates, which the body converts into nitric oxide—a powerful vasodilator that relaxes and widens blood vessels. This increases the flow of oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood straight to the uterus, supporting a healthy, receptive endometrial lining. (The watermelon adds L-citrulline to further boost nitric oxide, and the ginger acts as an anti-inflammatory).

Note: While this early-stage evidence is promising, it is not a medical guarantee. It is always important to discuss any major dietary changes or juicing protocols with your medical team before your transfer day.

The ultimate goal: Control, comfort, and community

The most important ritual is whatever keeps you hopeful. If a pair of neon green socks or a stop at the drive-thru helps you through the emotional toll of the two-week wait, embrace it.

At CRGH, we combine state-of-the-art reproductive science with personalised IVF protocols, advanced embryology, and holistic patient care. If you want to learn more, book a consultation with our specialist team.