There are many facts and myths about pregnancy going around these days. Some of them are true, while most of them are completely wrong. I have decided that this is a subject worth talking about, in order for people not to have misconceptions about pregnancy. Some myths refer to the changes going on in a woman’s body; others refer to how men perceive women when they are pregnant and so on. So it is important to separate myths form facts, and this is why I have made a short list of some of the most popular facts and myths about pregnancy.
1. The baby’s sex can be determined by how the mother is carrying it. I have heard this myth many times, and it says that if a woman is carrying high, than the baby is a girl, and if she is carrying low, than it is a boy. This myth has no scientific basis whatsoever. The way the mother is carrying the baby depends on a lot of factors, including the muscle and bone structure of the mother, how far along she is, her posture and so on, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the sex of the baby.
2. Myths about how to induce labor faster. There are a number of different myths that related to this so let’s take them one by one. Sex is said to induce labor, but facts tend to contradict this speculation. There has been no significant statistic increase in the number of women who have gone into labor after sex, and those who didn’t. Another myth suggests that the full moon would have an effect in inducing labor. Well, this myth seems to be busted as well. There is no significant increase in deliveries during full moons, than in any other night. Spicy food is also deemed to be a trigger, but in scientific terms it is as efficient as the one’s I have mentioned above.
3. The sex of the baby can be determined but what food you crave. There seem to be a large number of myths regarding the sex of the baby, so let’s clear something up: the only way you are able to tell for real what your baby’s sex is, is to go and get an ecography done by your gynecologist. So the myth that if you crave salty foods you will have a boy, and if you crave sweet foods, you will have a girl, is absolutely false. These kinds of facts and myths about pregnancy can ignite fun conversations at best, but they have no scientific basis.
4. Heartburn means a bald baby. This is one of the funniest facts and myths about pregnancy I have ever heard. It says that if a mother has heartburn, than the baby will be born with no hair. Of course, these things have nothing in common. Heartburn is a common discomfort associated with pregnancy, because of some pregnancy hormones that slow down your digestive tract in order to get as many nutrients as you can from your food. The food stays longer in your body, which for many people can create heartburn, and not a bald baby.
5. Having sex can hurt the baby. This actually seems to be a valid question, because I have been frequently asked before. The answer is no. Sex can’t hurt the baby, because the cervix has lengthened and hardened in order to not let anything in the uterus. During sex, you will not harm, reach, or touch the baby, so it is ok. There are exceptions, and some women can’t have sex while they are pregnant, but this is only due to possible complications.
6. Pregnancy can make you go crazy. Well there is a shred of truth to this myth about pregnancy. During pregnancy, a female’s hormone levels will rise, and this will cause them to slightly change their temperament. She will still be exactly the same woman, so going crazy is an overstatement if I ever heard one, but you will be able to notice some slight changes in her behavior, along with spontaneous mood swings, but these are normal considering the number of hormones racing thru her body.
There are numerous other facts and myths about pregnancy. Most, if not all of them, have no scientific basis whatsoever. So, the main idea you need to remember is this: if you have any questions about pregnancy, you should go see a specialist, and not listen to what uninformed people hear or say. In general, myths do start from somewhere, and it usually has something to do with the truth, even if only just a little; but from what facts and myths about pregnancy I have heard recently, I’m starting to doubt that their exists even the faintest resemblance of truth in some of them, because they are just simply put, ridiculous.