A lady once asked a doctor if she was more likely to conceive if her husband wore boxers rather than briefs. The doctor responded by saying her chances were best if he wore nothing at all.
Jokes apart!! Pregnancy is time of anxiety, nervousness, sadness and tremendous happiness. When you become pregnant, you have lots of questions and at the same time you hear a lot of silly myths as well. We yank the covers of some misconceptions surrounding, pregnancy, birth and babies that are flat out old wives tales.
Position of the fetus determines gender
A common myth is that if the baby is high up in the stomach, it will be a girl, but if the woman is carrying low, the baby will be a boy.This misconception probably gained ground as boys are heavier than gals hence their weight makes them drop lower in the pelvic region. There is no scientific basis for this. The closer a woman comes to delivery, the lower the baby drops naturally into the pelvis. Factors like position of the fetus, muscle size, the structure of the woman’s belly, shape before conception, posture, abdomen fat play a role in the size and shape of a pregnant belly. An ultrasound is the only way to determine the sex of a baby.
Raising arms over head chokes the baby
If a pregnant woman lifts her arms above her head the umbilical cord will get wrapped around the baby and choke him. While this is a pregnancy complication, it occurs only when the baby moves a lot in the uterus. Nothing will happen to your baby if you stretch your hands over your head.
Mom’s food cravings
This ridiculous pregnancy myth you can use to your advantage and possibly exploit. Legend has it that if you deny a pregnant woman her craving, you will end up getting a sty in the eye. Another bizarre myth is that if an expectant mom withstands food cravings, the baby will resemble the food she resisted. Truth be told, cravings are very common and tend to vary with each pregnancy and are completely harmless.
Bathing during pregnancy
Another crazy myth is that pregnant women should refrain from bathing. Baths are important from a hygiene perspective and are also beneficial when it comes to relaxing and easing back pain. The myth came into existence because in yonder years it was thought that water would seep into the baby and trigger bacteria. But since it’s been determined that water doesn’t enter the vagina while taking a bath, this myth has been busted. Just remember not to use very hot water while bathing.
Eclipse & birth defects
This old wives tale is hilarious. If you watched a lunar eclipse during pregnancy your baby will get a harelip. However, if you wear something metallic, like a safety pin you can ward off the danger and protect your unborn baby.
One myth that might be true
A popular belief is that pregnant women look radiant. This seems feasible because expectant moms typically retain more water that can temporarily smooth out fine lines and wrinkles. They also have increased levels of progesterone that can send extra blood flowing around the body, which can make them feel warmer and look a little redder. While this happen in most cases, there have been situations when the opposite has also occurred, so there is no guarantee of a glow.
Edited by Neelam Goswami on 31/01/2014
