Pregnancy Myths

I saw this news on Yahoo regarding the 12 Pregnancy Myths Worth Ignoring (posted by Posted by Simeon Margolis, M.D., Ph.D.)

According to the article, "Dr. Robert H. Shmerling, a physician at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a member of the faculty at Harvard Medical School, has unearthed the following sample of 12 pregnancy myths that he says can be safely ignored."

So here's the list:

1. The worse your morning sickness, the more likely you are to have a girl. (Dr. Shmerling does point out, however, that several studies have shown that women who are hospitalized for morning sickness are slightly more likely to deliver a girl.

- When I was pregnant with Jenna, I never had any problems with vomiting and nauseousness. My pregnancy went quite smoothly. I was able to eat whatever I want and I was able do whatever I wanted to do without feeling sick to my stomach. But with Gavin, I experienced the continuous vomiting till my 6th month, the unavoidable dizziness and the constant pregnancy complains.


2. If you are pregnant, you cannot have x-rays and should avoid microwaves and computer terminals. Excessive or needless radiation should always be avoided, pregnant or not, but you should follow your doctor's recommendations for x-rays that are necessary. Modern microwave ovens and computer terminals do not expose the fetus to harmful radiation.

- I just went to see my dentist a few days ago and my OB-GYN signed a waiver that I could get an X-ray as long as they would cover my belly. For the past 32 weeks of my pregnancy, I've been infront of my computer almost 24/7 and I've been using the microwave to heat my food but everything has been okay as far as the baby's concerned.


3. Don't take a bath if you are pregnant.

- WORST MYTH EVER - For both my pregnancies (Jenna's and Gavin's) my body temperature has always been like being stuffed in an oven even when the weather's cool and breezy. Normally, I take a bath twice a day (in the morning and before I go to sleep). But when I'm pregnant, I take a bath 4 times a day, at the least just to refresh myself. And so far, it didn't harm the baby.


4. To keep your unborn child safe, avoid sex and exercise during pregnancy.

- Based on what my doctor told me, as long as I'm not bleeding or having any complications, having sex while pregnant is definitely safe. Some studies even show that sex can help a mother have an easy delivery. And my doctor does promote pre-natal exercise. He said that the proper exercise can help me lessen my back problems that I've been complaining about.


5. You can determine your baby's gender by the position of sexual intercourse when the baby was conceived, and by how your baby is situated in the womb.

- This is just like any old wives' tale. Any position, even the ones written in the Kamasutra, can not actually help produce the desired gender of the baby, unless the baby was conceived genetically, in a petri dish. And the shape and size of a woman's belly isn't the best way to determine if the baby's a girl or a boy. Even sonogram results make mistakes.


6. If you get a lot of heartburn during pregnancy, your baby will have a thick head of hair

- Well, I never had any heartburn when I was pregnant with Jenna and she came out with not that much hair in her head. People kept asking if she was a boy despite the fact that her outfits were always in pink so by her 1st month, I decided to have her ears pierced for the questions to stop. Anyway, with Gavin, I've been taking Mylanta for heartburn relief. So I'll find out in a few more weeks if his would have a thick head of hair or not.


7. Avoid bumpy car rides — they can trigger labor; or, labor can be triggered by being bumped in the abdomen or by lifting groceries.

- I've been carrying my groceries up to my sister's 4th floor apartment and I've haven't gone to labor yet although I was actually advised that I could only carry up to 20 lbs. worth of weight. As for the bumpy car rides, as long as the seat-belts are fasten, I don't think I should worry about going into to labor while inside the car.


8. If you raise your arms above your head while pregnant (as when hanging up clothes on a clothesline), the baby will get the cord wrapped around its neck.

- I just don't find the connection between raising my arms and having the cord wrapped about my baby's neck.


9. If the weather is stormy or the moon is full, you are more likely to go into labor, even if you are weeks away from your due date.

- I don't think a woman's uterus responds to bad weather or any moon cycle.


10. Avoid sleeping on your back; or, always sleep on your left side.

- For me, the best sleeping position, now that I'm pregnant, is by either side, as long as their a pillow supporting my back and in between my thighs. I get more backpains if I find myself in a supine position. I think it depends on how any pregnant woman can handle having a bulging tummy while trying to relax in bed. But for whatever position there is that a woman finds comfortable, I don't think it would harm the baby, unless she tries sleeping face forward, which I think isn't feasible anymore when she reaches her 4th month.


11. Avoid spicy foods — they can trigger labor before you are ready.

- As a kid, I was never a fan of spicy food. My parents love everything with chili. My husband, being a Bicolano himself, is quite use to spicy food. So I don't really know how eating anything with chili can trigger labor.


12. You should not touch a cat while pregnant. Women are indeed advised not to handle their cat's litter while pregnant because a cat's stool may carry a parasite that can cause toxoplasmosis, a serious infection in the mother and a possible cause of deformities in the fetus. However, other activities, such as petting your cat or allowing it to sit on your lap, are not prohibited. If you want complete peace of mind about this, you can have your cat tested for toxoplasmosis.

- I'm no animal lover, not because I hate them but because I'm not use to them. Since I've had asthma eversince I was a kid, I tried to avoid anything furry, eventhough sometimes they tend to be so cute. Probably I could survive having dogs around me but I never really liked cats. So I don't think I could argue about this myth since I've never been around cats since I got pregnant with Gavin and even with Jenna.

Well, I'm sure that there are more Pregnancy Myths being told to every pregnant woman and despite the things people say I should and should not do, I only listen to what my doctor's advice since I'm sure that he has enough knowledge to help me have a healthy pregnancy.