Pregnancy is both an exciting and wonderful time that many women go through. And, although it is a beautiful thing, it can also be scary, especially for those who are first-time moms to be. With pregnancy already being a complex and daunting experience, it makes matters worse to throw pregnancy myths and “old wives tales” into the mix to confuse new moms.
Here are 5 common pregnancy myths that are ridiculous and downright untrue (even if your grandmother’s best friend Sue swears by it).
Pregnancy Myth #1: Pregnant Women Should Not Touch Cats
This little tidbit of information has been passed around for years by women as a piece of sound medical advice. The idea behind this myth is that cats (even the one that lives in your home) can carry something called toxoplasmosis which is a dangerous parasite known to cause serious deformities in infants. So, touching them can be dangerous if they happen to pass the parasite onto you.
Luckily for Snowball, this is false.
Now, the parasite is real and dangerous, but you cannot be infected with it by petting, cuddling, or even kissing a cat. However, pregnant women should be extra careful when it comes to handling cat litter, as the parasite can be found in your cat’s stool. The best course of action to be totally safe is to get your cat tested for the parasite, so you can be absolutely sure that there is zero risk to you and your baby.
Pregnancy Myth #2: Your Fresh Face Will Determine The Gender Of The Baby
Another common pregnancy myth floating around is that if your baby is a girl, she will steal your beauty from inside of you. This goes on to mean that if you find yourself looking extra straggly (greying hair, eye bags, zits, the whole nine yards) then your baby is female. If you happen to be absolutely glowing and looking more beautiful than ever, then your baby is male and he doesn’t need you good looks.
If this sounds a little far-fetched to you, that’s because it is absolutely false.
Every woman’s pregnancy affects her differently. Some will get flowing locks and a glowing complexion, while others haven’t slept in weeks from nausea and have broken out like a tween. There has never been any scientific data pointing to any sort of male vs female correlation to the mother’s looks. And if you feel that maybe you don’t look your best, remember that your body is incubating a human being. Give yourself a break!
Pregnancy Myth #3: You Can Tell The Sex Of The Baby By Looking At Your Belly Position
This pregnancy myth is so common that it’s hard not to take it as fact. Many people claim that depending on where your baby bump is sitting, you can tell if it will be a boy of a girl. So if you are carrying your bump down low, you are having a boy. A higher up bump means that it will be a girl.
This is 100% false.
The size and shape of your growing belly has to do with many factors such as your current weight, bone structure, and even abdominal muscle strength, to name a few. But not one of those factors has anything to do with the sex of your unborn child. So before you start telling people what gifts they should bring you, make sure you aren’t basing it off of an arbitrary belly position.
Pregnancy Myth #4: Eating Spicy Foods While Pregnant Can Cause Blindness
What a horrifying thought! There is a pretty common myth that eating spicy hot foods while you are pregnant can somehow cause your baby to be born blind. If you happen to be a big fan of spices, this can be a disturbing blow.
This is as absurd as it is false.
There is absolutely NO correlation between eating spicy-hot foods and having your baby be born seeing-impaired. If that were the case, how would the millions of women who live in regions where spicy food is a staple in their diets not be giving birth to unbelievably high numbers of blind infants?! No, the only thing that could potentially happen to you if you eat spicy foods during your pregnancy is an extra bout of heartburn.
Pregnancy Myth #5: Getting Intimate With Your Partner During Pregnancy Can Hurt The Baby
Nine+ months is a long time to completely abstain from intimacy with your partner. It’s long enough to do some serious damage to your relationship if both parties are feeling like they want it and are solely abstaining because they think it will hurt the baby.
Don’t worry, this myth is totally false.
Your baby is floating safely and peacefully in your womb, far away from wherever any action is taking place. There is absolutely no potential health risk to your baby. Now, the further along you get, the more uncomfortable you might find certain positions or movements, but that has nothing to do with your child.
