The Most Common Myths About Pregnancy

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It seems that people come out of the woodworks when a woman is pregnant to offer tips, advice, warnings, blessings and more. While some of these tips and blessings can be helpful, motivating, and encouraging, some of them are just flat wrong. Over the years there have been many old wives tales, some which date back hundreds of years that warn women of all the different dangers that they can be exposed to while they are carrying a child. Some of the advice might be helpful and some myths that sound too good to be true actually aren’t. For instance, the placenta, if you are not going to donate it to a number of the cord blood banks that can help with stem cell research, can be eaten and has proven to be an excellent source of protein. Here are some of the most common myths about pregnancy.

1. One of the most classic myths is that a pregnant woman is eating for two. This is only sort of true, but it doesn’t mean that a woman should be eating two heaping adult sized servings for each meal, especially desert. A woman will typically gain up to 35 pounds during pregnancy, but some women, often because of this myth, think that they need to eat more to sustain their child. It can actually be harmful if you eat too much during pregnancy and you can even put on more weight if you do. It is most import to eat more healthily, than eat in larger quantities.
2. Another myth is that pregnant women should avoid caffeine. As of yet, there is no strong or certifiable evidence that says that women should avoid food or drinks with caffeine. It is recommended by doctors to stay under the 200mg servings a day rule, but a cup of coffee, or two, won’t cause any harm to your fetus or cause low birth weight, like the myth says.
3. Mothers-to-be also don’t need to be afraid of air travel either. Both air travel and the x-ray machines in security won’t harm your baby in any way. Normal, healthy women should be able to fly with very minimal risk up until their last few weeks of pregnancy. Even then it should be alright, but it might be wise to consult with your doctor and the airline to see if they have any restrictions, which they might.
4. There is also a big myth about sex during pregnancy. In no way can sex harm the child you are carrying. They are fully protected within the womb. Some specialists recommend that couples have sex in the last few weeks of pregnancy to ease contractions, but the contractions from orgasm are far different from labor contractions.
5. Lastly, there is a very common myth that pregnant women need to stay away from fish. However, fish, if served 2 to 3 times a week, can offer necessary proteins and omega 3 fatty acids to the mother-to-be and her child. It is important, though, to avoid fish with a high mercury content, like swordfish and mackerel.