Now that your spouse is pregnant, everyone will be giving you advice whether you want it or not. While people usually mean well, the advice given can be misguiding or false. Science and education has helped to debunk many pregnancy myths. But some just don’t seem to go away no matter how obscured, being passed down through generations.
As a dad to be, life is hectic enough. Below is five of the most popular pregnancy myths that have been proven false.
Common Pregnancy Myths Proved False
- Spicy food triggers labor. Truth: Food has not been shown to have any influence on a woman’s due date. Spicy food is very effective in increasing pregnancy induced heartburn though.
- Your spouse should avoid sleeping on her back while pregnant. Truth: This myth originates from studies conducted that showed that blood flow can be compromised when a pregnant woman sleeps on her back. My wife had no issues sleeping on her back up until the 5 month mark. Once her belly began to grow significantly, she found that it was just plain uncomfortable to lay on her back. New studies have shown that while it may not be comfortable for the mom to be, it will not harm the baby.
- A baby’s gender can be determined by position and fetal heartbeat. Truth: Heartbeat and position has nothing to do with a baby’s gender. Simple put, the position of the baby is dependent on a series of factors such as gestational age and weight, and maternal weight. The origin of the fetal heartbeat myth is probably due to the fact that women generally have a faster heart rate than men. As babies, we all normally start out with heart rate of 150 to 160bpm. As the baby’s heart develops and matures, the count may fall to the normal range of 120 to 160bpm. Heart rate can also be effected by the baby’s age, and level of activity during measurement.
- Strong Heartburn During Pregnancy Signifies a Hairy Baby. Truth: Heartburn is very common during pregnancy. It is caused by the little human being take up more real estate in the womb. If this myth was true, our daughter would be part yeti judging from the amount of heartburn my wife experienced.
- Pregnant women should avoid cats. Truth: This myth is partly true due to the fact of toxoplasmosis which is a parasite that can cause serious infections in the developing baby. It can be found in your cat’s poop, so guess who is on poop scoop duty for 9 months? Pregnant mothers are perfectly safe to be around cats. The risk of toxoplasmosis can be reduced even more if your cat is an indoor only and eats only store bought cat food.
Common sense should prevail. Check with your doctor if you have any concerns. Hopefully this list will help the first time dads out there decipher fact from fiction.
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