12 Myths About Pregnancy Exposed

As soon as you announce that you are expecting, the pregnancy advice comes flooding in. Well-meaning friends and family members aren’t the only ones to offer up their pregnancy tips. Don’t be surprised if complete strangers feel the need to comment on your condition and offer unsolicited advice as well as, of course, the obligatory horror stories.

Is that stressing you out? Don't fret. Much of the "common wisdoms" surrounding pregnancy are, in fact, complete nonsense.

Morning Sickness is Only in the Morning and Ends After the First Trimester

Myth number one about morning sickness is that it occurs only during the morning — makes sense, given the name. While many women experience nausea only in the mornings, there are plenty of women who will walk around with queasiness for the entire day. For some women, morning sickness is intermittent, and others experience a constant uneasy feeling from morning until night. There is no rhyme or reason to morning sickness, who it will strike, or when it will disappear. That's why morning sickness should really be called pregnancy nausea.

A woman’s hCG levels (the hormone believed to be responsible for causing morning sickness) peak around 8-12 weeks. Though most women do see an improvement in morning sickness when they hit the second trimester, some unfortunate women will suffer through their entire pregnancy with nausea. For some women, morning sickness will disappear during the second trimester, only to reappear in the third. If you are one of those women who suffer from all day morning sickness, or morning sickness that lasts beyond the first trimester, you may find some comfort knowing that morning sickness is regarded as a sign of a healthy pregnancy.

You Should not Have Sex

There is no truth behind the belief that pregnant women should refrain from having sex. Sex will not hurt your baby. The amniotic sac that protects your baby in utero, together with the mucus plug that seals your cervix, keeps your baby completely separate from any action that is taking place in the vagina. Orgasms do not cause miscarriage in low-risk pregnancies. The only time sex during pregnancy can be dangerous for your baby is if you were to acquire a sexually transmitted disease such as herpes, chlamydia or HIV during your pregnancy, as these conditions can be passed along to your baby. If you are on bed rest and have been advised to limit your movements as much as possible, sex is not advisable either.

You Will Have Gorgeous, Glowing Skin

Many women do experience beautiful, glowing skin during their pregnancy. Many, unfortunately, do not. Pregnancy hormones cause an increase in blood volume. For some women, this causes a healthy, rosy glow. For others, however, the result is inflamed, blotchy skin, rashes, moles, skin tags, broken blood vessels and changes in skin pigmentation. Fortunately, most of these changes are temporary, and your skin will revert back to its normal state after delivery. Do not panic!

Stress is Dangerous for Your Baby

While prolonged, severe or excessive stress may be dangerous to both mom and baby during pregnancy, current research suggests that occasional bouts of mild to moderate stress can actually be beneficial to your developing baby. The theory is that this type of stress balances the baby’s nervous system, resulting it an accelerated rate of development. This can lead to improved motor skills and mental development in babies and toddlers. Routine stress, related to work, a move, or a wedding, for instance, will not harm your baby.

You Should Not Exercise During Pregnancy

There is absolutely no reason why women who are experiencing a normal, low-risk pregnancy should not exercise. In fact, pregnant women who exercise are better prepared for the strenuous workout their body will undertake during labor and delivery. In addition, women who exercised during their pregnancy often find it easier to shed their pregnancy pounds than women who did not exercise.

Not only is exercise not bad during pregnancy, it is actually beneficial to your baby as well. Women who exercise during pregnancy generally have babies with slower heart rates, lower birth weights and may possibly be more intelligent as adults. Once your doctor gives you clearance to exercise during your pregnancy, go for it.

You Can Not Dye Your Hair During Pregnancy

Although many doctors claim that hair dye is safe during pregnancy, some suggest waiting until after the crucial first trimester is over. Once you pass the first trimester, all of the crucial stages of brain development have passed. Although only small amounts of hair dye are actually absorbed into the skin, you can speak with your stylist about taking precautions to not actually touch the scalp with the dye if this is a concern for you. Additionally, there are many hair dyes available today that do not contain ammonia or other harsh chemicals, and are derived from more natural ingredients. Speak with your stylist about using one of these safer, non-toxic formulas.

You Will Only Push for a Few Minutes

The pushing phase is the second stage of labor. Once the first stage of contracting and dilating passes, which can take hours, many pregnant women are relieved by the thought of giving birth after just a few pushes. It is important for expecting moms to have realistic expectations and to understand that, although it is possible to push a baby out in 5 minutes, the pushing stage can last up to 3 hours, especially for first time moms.