9 Myths About Prenancy Proven to Be Wrong

Forming a new human being is the most complicated thing a person can do without really having to think about it. But that doesn’t mean women don’t fret over it.

Myth 1: Moving your hands above your head could cause the umbilical cord to strangle the unborn

Funny, right? Yes, I to find it funny, however according to traditional beliefs, moving the hand above the head might cause the umbilical cord to entangle the baby and kill it. This is a fallacy as the movement of the hands is not in any way connected to the umbilical cord movement. In fact, pregnancy exercise is of benefit both to you and the unborn. Though there have been reported cases of babies being born with the umbilical cord around their neck, it is not due to exercise but as a result of the fetus movement in the womb.

Myth 2: Stress during the period of pregnancy is bad for baby

This myth might hold some truth as stress is naturally known to weaken the immune system hence the mother is at risk of developing some illness, which is not good for the baby. However, research has proven that moderate stress is indeed beneficial to the unborn. The stress accelerates the fetus nervous system to develop. A woman who experiences moderate stress during pregnancy gives birth to a baby that has a more developed brain that works better within two weeks of birth in comparison to babies born of an unstressed woman.

Myth 3: Pregnant women are not supposed to eat seafood

This is not the reality and as a matter of fact eating a lot of sea foods during pregnancy is beneficial to the baby. Fish are rich in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and low mercury content. Women who eat fish during pregnancy give birth to smarter kids. According to findings published in a peer-reviewed journal, children whose mother consumed fish for a week in the course of pregnancy period have a higher IQ content.

Myth 4: You cannot fly during pregnancy

I call it the modern day myth as it is mostly more for safety purposes by airline companies who fear the cost of having to land the plane indefinitely in the face of labor pain. However scientifically it is appropriate to fly at any stage of pregnancy even with a 40 weeks pregnancy. No evidence points at altitude and giving birth therefore if you are pregnant and feel like flying go ahead and do it. Although flying after 34 weeks will generally depend on your insurers!

Myth 5: You should not have sex during pregnancy

Proponents of this school of thought argue that having sex during pregnancy makes the child dirty at birth. This idea is wrong as the child is usually protected by the amniotic fluid and by no way can the sperms get to it. Secondly having sex from the 31st week of pregnancy onwards stretches the vaginal muscles and leads to the release of the oxytocin hormone in preparation for the expansion of the pelvic bones during at birth. Oxytocin plays a role in this and, therefore, leads to lesser painful labor.

Myth 6: No exercise during pregnancy

Vague! Yes, I that describes it all. During pregnancy, exercise benefits the body and improves the blood circulations hence increasing nutrient supply to the fetus as a result of increased blood circulation. Exercises also relieve the woman from back aches that accompany most pregnancy. Week by week pregnancy exercise is therefore encouraged as a way of increasing nutrient supply to the womb and also relieving some of the pains associated with pregnancy.

Myth 7: Observing the lunar eclipse during pregnancy will lead to giving birth of a child with a cleft lip

This is one of the traditionally long held Hispanic belief. With the discovery of DNA in 1953 giving rise to more understanding of human genetics. It is now evident that cleft lip is genetically determined thus rendering this belief null and void.

Myth 8: Cocoa butter can cure stretch marks

You must have heard people saying that cocoa butter is effective in preventing stretch marks due to pregnancy. Absolute rubbish. There are no proven facts for this common myth. In fact some women experience a tough time if they are sensitive to it.

Myth 9: Can’t pet a cat

Another myth is that you cannot pet your favorite cat during pregnancy. Wrong. See what has a cat to do with you being pregnant? However you should avoid changing cat’s litter box if you are pregnant as you may be infected by toxoplasmosis from the cat’s fece.