As a mommy-to-be, you must already have a list of “dos and don’ts” from your friends, family, and sometimes even strangers you may run into! Being humans, it is only natural for us to share experiences and advice with one another. However, not every piece of information you hear from someone is factual. Yeah, a lot of us may fail to realise, but some old-timey golden nuggets of wisdom are just pregnancy myths! Finding it hard to digest? (pun intended) Allow us to dispel some common myths for you, backed by concrete evidence, so you can decide for yourself!
Myth 1: Eat For Two!
This pregnancy myth is probably the oldest and most common among all. We’ve heard and seen about it a lot on television, radio, or from friends and family. However, many people fail to recognize that it’s just FALSE!
Furthermore, the expression “eating for two” is used to encourage women to only consume a few extra calories (approximately 300 calories a day more). It doesn’t mean that you should eat twice as much as you do, during pregnancy!1 Additionally, preggo moms should get their daily surplus of calories from a nutrient-rich diet, consisting of protein, clean carbs, veggies, fruits, whole grains, and nuts.
However, if you’re an expectant mom and confused about what you may or may not eat, you can simply ask your doctor or just refer to three words: ‘HIP,’ ‘RIO,’ and ‘LOS.’ Now you must be wondering what these are? Some sort of food cheat code? No, these are simply acronyms with the help of which you can recall the basics of a healthy diet!
In addition, as an expectant mother, you must also take supplements to fulfil the lack of nutrients such as iron, calcium and folic acid in your baby. All of these 3 nutrients highly benefit both the baby and the mother.
Myth 2: Mornings Bring “Morning Sickness”
Contrary to this pregnancy myth, morning sickness doesn’t always occur in the mornings! As a pregnant mom-to-be, you may have realised that nausea and vomiting aren’t something that just happens in the mornings. However, if you’re lucky you may experience it rarely, whereas some preggo moms can even go through it several times a day.
Most mothers typically experience morning sickness as a common pregnancy symptom. However, there are instances where expectant mothers can feel nauseous or get morning sickness at any time of the day. This can be attributed to various triggers that induce these sensations. These triggers may include certain foods, aromas, odours, etc. Moreover, it must be noted that women who often get migraines or motion sickness are more susceptible to morning sickness.
Although there’s no sure-shot cure for “morning sickness”, you can alleviate the symptoms by avoiding triggering smells or foods. If the condition persists even after doing so, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible!
Myth 3: No-No To Intimate Time!
A lot of couples are under the impression that women cannot have sex during pregnancy. Anyhow, there’s no truth to this statement.4 While most people think that having penetrative sex can harm the baby, it’s just a plain old pregnancy myth. This is because the baby is safe within the amniotic sac that is enclosed inside the womb. However, if you’re experiencing any of the listed below complications, you must avoid having intercourse:
- Amniotic fluid leakage
- Cervix opening prematurely
- The placenta covering the cervical opening
- Risk of preterm birth or premature delivery (or a history of either)
- Vaginal bleeding
Additionally, one must note that using condoms becomes even more imperative while having sex during pregnancy. Using protection will not only safeguard the mother but the baby as well from the potential STIs & STDs.
Although it’s safe to have sex during pregnancy, we still encourage you to take your doctor’s advice before getting intimate with your partner.
Myth 4: Eat Saffron To Have A Baby With Fair Skin!
This is one of the most common Indian pregnancy myths. According to this myth, if a pregnant woman consumes saffron, then she’ll have a baby with fair skin. It’s just a hoax. As a pregnant mother, whatever a woman eats cannot affect the skin colour of her baby. Additionally, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that eating saffron makes a baby have fair skin.
However, saffron does have other benefits for pregnant women, such as:
- Aids digestion
- Alleviates mood
- Boosts sleep quality
- Helps with hypertension
- Potentially soothes the symptoms of morning sickness
- Reduces the risk of heart diseases
Myth 5: Baby Bumps Can Help Predict If It’s Going To Be A Boy Or Girl!
You may soon have your cute li’l baby bump! And the minute your stomach protrudes a bit, your family and friends will start to make assumptions about the gender of the baby, by just looking at it. This old wives’ tale claims if you carry the baby high, you’ll have a baby girl. But if you carry it low, then it’ll be a baby boy. However, this is not true. No one, not even the doctors, can claim the gender of your baby by just taking a look at your baby bump.
Myth 6: Can’t Dye Hair During Pregnancy
Pregnant women are frequently advised not to dye their hair. This advice may be given because hair dyes contain chemicals that could be harmful to the developing baby’s health. However, it’s a pregnancy myth, as studies show that only extremely high amounts of hair dye can have an impact on pregnancy. Additionally, regular hair dye only contains tiny amounts of chemicals, meaning that it won’t harm the mother or baby. However, it is advised to consult your doctor before using hair dye when you’re pregnant.
Myth 7: Don’t Exercise!
This is yet another, as-old as-time pregnancy myth. Being active during pregnancy or doing at least 30 mins of daily physical activity (maximum 4-5 days a week) is considered safe for both mother and baby! However, if you have a unique pregnancy situation, we advise you to take extra precautions. And you can also always consult your doctor for guidance.
Moreover, if a woman has been active during pregnancy, her chances of experiencing delivery-related and postnatal complications decreases.
Myth 8: Keep The News of Your Baby, A Hush-Hush!
Moments like announcing your pregnancy are very exciting for soon-to-be parents! However, many still think that informing friends and family about the arrival of your baby could be unlucky, which is completely false. Although no studies have been conducted to support this pregnancy myth, if you still want to keep it a secret, wait until the timing is ideal as it’s your personal choice!
Myth 9: You Can’t Fly With Your Baby In Belly!
Good news for all the “travel buff” moms! You must have heard that you can’t board an aeroplane with a baby on board, but that isn’t true. However, even though flying is safe, we still advise you to consult your doctor about the same and about any health issues you may have before booking your airline tickets.
Myth 10: Due Date Is When Your Baby Comes Home
Doctors give expectant mothers a due date, which serves as a rough estimate of when the baby will arrive. However, your baby won’t be born on that day; yes, you got that right: “Babies struggle with punctuality”. It means that your baby might come early or late, but if you’re lucky, you can also have your baby on the exact day of their due date!
Final Note!
So far, we have debunked 10 pregnancy myths for you! Hope it has provided you with better insights into the fact that not everything you hear during pregnancy is accurate. On that note, have you also come across one of the most debated topics amongst parents-to-be: ‘whether or not to bank a newborn’s umbilical cord stem cells?’ Well, let us delve into some details about it before concluding!
Every newborn is born with powerful stem cells that can be preserved at the time of birth. And, these stem cells possess the ability to safeguard your baby from the impact of 90+ medical conditions. Its life-saving potential is widely known and the collection process poses no risk to the mother or baby. So, why miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity right? You can consider availing this expert-recommended service with India’s 1st and largest stem cell bank, LifeCell. By choosing LifeCell’s community stem cell banking service, you get access to 75,000+ qualified cord blood units. This means that if there’s a need, your baby will have >97% chance of finding a match in LifeCell’s registry. If you wish to know more, visit https://www.lifecell.in/ or simply call on 1800-266-5533.
*Disclaimer: The information in this blog is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Kindly consult your doctor or healthcare professional before incorporating any changes to your diet.
Also Read:
- Benefits Of Exercise During Pregnancy
- Benefits And Side Effects Of Saffron During Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Snack Ideas
- Top Food To Avoid During Pregnancy!
Product Recommendations
- BabyCord
- OmegaScore-P
References:
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000584.htm
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/nutrition-during-pregnancy#:~:text=To%20maintain%20a%20healthy%20pregnancy,be%20kept%20to%20a%20minimum.
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/morning-sickness/symptoms-causes/syc-20375254#:~:text=Morning%20sickness%20is%20feeling%20like,first%20three%20months%20of%20pregnancy.
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/sex-during-pregnancy/art-20045318#:~:text=Is%20it%20OK%20to%20have,preterm%20labor%20or%20placenta%20problems.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4923465/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6266642/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4599112/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33925432/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8398601/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5285732/
- https://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-baby/gender-prediction/wives-tales/
- https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/pregnancy/is-it-safe-to-use-hair-dye-when-i-am-pregnant-or-breastfeeding/#:~:text=Most%20research%2C%20although%20limited%2C%20shows,to%20when%20colouring%20your%20hair.
- https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/exercise/#:~:text=Keep%20up%20your%20normal%20daily,in%20later%20pregnancy%20and%20labour.
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