While growing up there were several things I would hear that revolved around pregnant women and nursing mothers. Well, it turns out some of them were just the common pregnancy myths.

Today I will explain the common myths about pregnant women and nursing mothers.

Below are the Common pregnancy Myths:
If you are a first-time mother and you heard about them, you would probably be too conscious and even adapt to the dos and don’ts of the myths.

Let us look at some of them:

1. Once a baby starts feeding through a bottle he will never breastfeed.
   There are many reasons why the baby would start feeding through the bottle. One of the reasons could be because either the mother or child was on a medical procedure. Another reason could be the delay in milk production from the mother.

Research from league international shows that it is not impossible to bring the baby back to breastfeeding. It will however take much patience from the mother because the baby will resist for some time since he is now used to a different feeding mechanism. But eventually, it will work and mothers milk production will increase too.

2. When you are pregnant you are eating for two.
   For some reason it is true expectant mothers need to increase their calorie intake but not double it.

Overeating is not recommended especially junk food or foods that do not add nutrients to the mother and the growing fetus.

The quantity of nutrients should be added gradually over the pregnancy journey.

You will need more calories on your third trimester compared to your 1st trimester.

• 1st Trimester : 0 calories
• 2nd Trimester: 340 Calories approximately 0.04 kg
• 3rd Trimester: 450 Calories approximately 0.06 kg
• Remember :
• Your unborn child requires nutrients from what you eat so it is not necessarily the quantity but quality.

Remember :

Your unborn child requires nutrients from what you eat so it is not necessarily the quantity but quality.

3. It’s a curse to have a child with a “false tooth”.
   The dictionary term for a false tooth is Natal tooth.
   No study shows the reason why babies would be born with a natal tooth. This is rare on newborns however It is no curse. You can get more information on Natal tooth from one of my articles on this link

It is however recommended that if you notice your newborn with one, the doctors prescribe extraction. The tooth is always extracted majorly because the baby experiences difficulty during breastfeeding or can harm his or her tongue.

4. Having much heartburn means that your baby has lots of hair.
   This is one of the pregnancy myths that to some extent is true. A study by Johns Hopkins showed that the majority of women who had heartburn had hairy children.

Many women experience heartburn during pregnancy either in their second or third trimester.

How to Reduce:

• Avoid spicy food
• Eat food slowly
• Eat many small meals instead of three large meals

It turns out that some of the things I was told while I was pregnant were only but myths

5. Taking too much water causes the baby to have pneumonia or lung problems.
   Well, this is a common pregnancy myth in many countries.

Expectant mothers need to drink 8 to 10 glasses a day. This already seems like a lot but it is very important and it does not cause lung problems.

Why drink water:

It Reduces constipation, regulates your body temperature and prevents urinary infections.

Remember:

Taking more fruits and vegetables not only adds nutrients to your body, but also adds water to your body.

6. Cravings for different foods predicts the baby’s gender.
   It is believed that if you crave for natural foods then you will give birth to a boy. If you crave for sugary food or junk i.e chocolate, fries e.t.c you will have a baby girl.

Some women have seen this happening but no there is no proven research. Craving for certain foods is mostly associated with lack of some nutrients in the body.

7. Taking lots of fish makes the baby intelligent.
   Fish contains amino acids and that’s a great source of nutrients for a baby’s brain development.

Though this could be true, pregnant women are advised to avoid eating fish with high mercury.

Fish such as shark, catfish, swordfish accumulate a higher amount of mercury due to their long life spans.

8. Taking Spicy food can cause a baby to have eye problems
   Eating spicy food does not affect the growing fetus and thus very safe for the baby.

For the mother, however, it sometimes leads to having heartburn or digestive issues or even worsens morning sickness.

Just ensure you eat a balanced diet because the baby needs the nutrients for development.

9. Exercise during pregnancy can strangle the baby
   Expectant mothers are highly advised to do light exercises like walking or swimming or yoga.

Choose exercises that make you feel comfortable doing. Pregnant women are advised to do 30 minutes of light exercise every day unless advised otherwise by the doctor.

Regular exercise can:

• Decrease fatigue
• Improve posture
• Reduce Stress and also
• Helps you to stay healthy through your pregnancy journey
• Makes your body ready for labor and birth

10. Sex during pregnancy hurts the baby.
    This is the final common pregnancy myths in this article.

Enjoy Sex while you can and as long as your pregnancy is healthy or has no complications. Sex does not in anyway affect you or your baby.

However, on rare occasions, doctors might recommend abstaining from sex if you’re experiencing heavy bleeding or placenta problems consult your doctor first.

Conclusion

At the end of the day , it is how healthy you and your baby is during your pregnancy journey. Having read these common pregnancy myths, then we do not need to worry since they are only but myths.

What are some of the myths you have heard of? Share with us below in the comments section below.