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For some making a baby is easy. But for one in seven couples in the UK it's a struggle. In the hopes it may help their chances, couples up and down the country are forming interesting habits and routines incorporating ideas from both mainstream and alternative medicine.

Making Babies follows three couples battling with unexplained infertility as they go through a round of IVF treatment. In the course of making the programme, several couples were interviewed about what they had tried.

This is not a medically endorsed list of suggestions but rather a snapshot of some of the routines these couples have found themselves trying.

If you're trying to get pregnant you can visit the programme's Information and Support page.

This appears to be a big one — a tip mentioned by almost everyone interviewed. The theory goes that In the days following embryo transfer (part of an IVF procedure) the woman eats the core of a pineapple.

The enzyme bromelain, most present in the core, could help with blood flow to the uterus, potentially making the uterus a better environment for implantation to occur.

Some of the documentary participants expressed hating eating pineapple but they were willing to do it anyway: "I'm pretty sure you've got to eat about 50 of them to have any effect! But I'll sit there and chew my pineapple core, that's fine", said one interviewee.

One Making Babies contributor said: "After injecting my hormones to build the egg reserve, I've put hot water bottles on my stomach because that's meant to give you a nice environment and encourage growth."

The idea of keeping your uterus warm by placing a hot water bottle on your tummy may have come from Chinese medicine.

Some people believe that a "cold" uterus is not hospitable enough and having a warm abdomen will make implantation more likely.

"I've had five Brazil nuts a day for five days after transfer... it's meant to help implantation", said one of the contributors in Making Babies.

This idea could be down to the "selenium" in brazil nuts. Men are also encouraged to eat them as some a link between selenium–vitamin E supplements and improved semen quality.

According to research there isn't much good-quality evidence that eating brazil nuts will improve your chances of conceiving. Although as part of a healthy diet it certainly won't hurt if you'd like to try them.

This idea has more basis in fact than some, and is even . If you’re trying to get pregnant, it stands to reason that knowing when you are ovulating will help you to work out the most fertile point in your cycle.

Checking your basal body temperature (BBT) — usually your temperature when you first wake up — each day could be a potentially cheaper alternative to ovulation sticks. In women, ovulation causes a sustained increase of at least 0.2 °C in BBT so monitoring BBTs is one way of estimating the day of ovulation.

Despite a lack of scientific evidence, some women are happy to try the use of crystals, semi precious stones, to assist fertility. Interest in using crystals for general well-being seems to be increasing according to a : "In the US, demand for overseas crystals and gemstones has doubled over the past three years, and quartz imports have doubled since 2014."

As the explains, "There’s no reliable research to show the benefits of using crystals in any area of health." They do however acknowledge there may be some benefits: "Crystal therapy can be relaxing and enjoyable. Whether or not you believe in the healing properties of crystals, the therapy itself may help you to de-stress and focus on yourself."

The menstrual cup or "moon cup" is thought to be an environmentally kinder alternative to disposable tampons and pads. But could it also play a role in helping to conceive?

One couple explained they were advised to try using the "moon cup" to get pregnant. "That was not a fun one", they explained. "What they advise is that you pop it in after having sex and it keeps all the sperm in."

Since sperm can live for up to 7 days inside a woman's body, there could be some benefit to the prolonging their proximity to the cervix and entrance to the uterus.

There are some couples who believe that acupuncture played an important role in achieving pregnancy and many of the couples in this documentary have tried it — at least one woman did it for a whole year.

Consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, , explains the theory behind the practice:

"Acupuncture is based on the theory that there is a natural flow of energy through your body called qi (pronounced "chee"). There are different types of acupuncture, but most people have treatment using thin, solid metal needles. The acupuncturist puts these into your skin at specific places on your body, which stimulates the flow of energy."

Watch Making Babies to find out more about the couples in the programme and how they got on.

Don't forget you can visit the Information & Support page on the programme website for details of where to find further advice and support.