Pregnancy’s Most Misleading Misconceptions
Everyone in the world seems to feel entitled to make comments or give advice about your pregnancy.
Separating the good and the bad can be tricky. Can you tell what’s gospel truth and what’s a load of old codswallop?
5 Pregnancy ‘Facts’… or Are they?
- Exercise is a big no-no: Weeell… actually if you’re careful, gentle exercise can be great in pregnancy. It can relieve and prevent pregnancy niggles such as back-ache and swelling; it’s good for your mood and of course it helps limit weight gain. It’s best to have a chat with your healthcare provider first, because certain conditions like preeclampsia and cervical issues can present more risks when exercising.
- Eat for two: That’s a big fib. Sorry! While it’s true that a pregnant woman and her growing baby have different needs to a lady sans bump, you’re not eating for two adults. Tragically, pregnancy isn’t the get-out-the-spoon-free card that it ought to be. In reality, you only need the calorific equivalent of an extra banana on top of your usual munch.
- You shouldn’t get the flu vaccine.
Many people are skeptical about vaccines in general. In the case of pregnancy this is even more widespread. Medical officials, however, have declared flu vaccines safe while expecting or breastfeeding. More importantly the vaccination should pass on to baby too, who is the most at risk from this potentially deadly disease.
- Home birth induction methods are risky.
If you’re over your due date and everyone in your life is asking you where the baby is, it’s understandable to turn to any available measure to give birth. Cervical sweeps and pharmaceutical inductions can seem intimidating, so you might think of trying a few home-brewed tricks and tinctures to get things going. However, the problem with home birth inductions is that few are scientifically proven to work, and those that are can be dangerous. So yes, home birth induction is something to be approached with caution, and probably avoided if you’ve had any complications during pregnancy.
- Don’t put your arms above your head!
This unusual advice is supposed to prevent the umbilical cord from becoming looped around your baby’s neck, but oddly enough there’s no substantiated medical research to support it… or anything but superstition, frankly. Feel free to put your hands up for Detroit, wave them in the air like you just don’t care, or put them on your head when the Five-Oh come a-knocking.
For some of the maddest advice ever directed at expectant women, take a look at this article from The Bump. If you’ve got your own to share, we want to hear it! Let us know in the comments, via Twitter @CheskiSockCo or on Facebook.
