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.

Pregnancy Myths About Your Diet

You Are Eating For Two

The words “you’re eating for two” will probably be the most popular phrase you hear throughout your pregnancy, but it's nothing but a metaphor. Before you shamelessly pile on an extra serving of each dish during your meals, you may want to reconsider. For women who are of average weight when they conceive, only 300 additional calories are required per day to meet the developmental needs of her growing baby.

Doubling what you consume at each meal will far exceed that 300 calorie requirement. Instead of having double helpings at each meal, try eating a few small, healthy snacks throughout the day, such as almonds, cheese, yogurt or fruit. This will help you stay within the recommended pregnancy weight gain of 25-35 pounds. It will also help you fight pregnancy nausea.

You Should Eliminate Caffeine

This is a very popular myth that has made its way into on-line forums and mommy-to-be discussions all over the country. Not only is it difficult for women who enjoy their daily cup of coffee to cut it out, it is also unnecessary. The common misconception is that drinking any caffeine during pregnancy can lead to an increased risk of miscarriage, preterm birth or low birth weight.

Current research suggests that there is no link between any of these conditions and mild caffeine consumption. So while you don’t want to consume an excessive amount of coffee throughout the day, consuming 200 milligrams or less of caffeine per day, the equivalent of one 12 ounce cup of coffee, is perfectly safe for both mom and baby.

You Should Avoid Sweets

The old saying that “everything is okay in moderation” holds true for eating sweets during pregnancy. While it is important to eat a healthy diet during pregnancy to ensure that you meet your nutritional needs, you don’t have to eliminate sweets altogether. In fact, if your sweet of choice is dark chocolate, you can actually be helping your baby’s future development.

Recent studies suggest that pregnant women who consume a daily dose of dark chocolate give birth to babies who smile more as newborns, laugh more as toddlers and exhibit less fear as babies. Additionally, consuming a minimum of 5 servings of dark chocolate per week during the third trimester can significantly decrease your chances of developing preeclampsia.

You Should Avoid All Fish

While it’s true that pregnant women should steer clear of raw fish and fish that are high in mercury, it is perfectly safe to eat cooked, low-mercury fish such as salmon, shrimp and tuna. Eating fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids can actually boost your developing baby’s brain development. Studies of children whose mothers ate these fish regularly during pregnancy suggest they may have higher verbal IQ levels, and better social, communication and motor skills.

You Will Crave Unhealthy Foods

Although it’s possible that you will experience unhealthy food cravings, it certainly is not a guarantee. Some women who didn’t make the healthiest food choices prior to pregnancy find that they have a yearning for fresh, wholesome foods once they conceive. And cravings can vary from pregnancy to pregnancy. Women can crave lots of carbs and sweets during a first pregnancy and go on to crave fruits and vegetables during a subsequent pregnancy. Regardless of what you crave, it is okay to indulge as long as you do so in moderation.