There are many pregnancy myths that you get to hear from people when you are pregnant. Let’s discuss some of the most misunderstood pregnancy myths.
10 MOST COMMON PREGNANCY MYTHS
MYTH #1: You shouldn’t travel while pregnant
- Flying or taking a car trip is not harmful to you or your baby’s health.
- However you should talk to your doctor about any health issues, complications or concerns you have before travelling.
MYTH #2: You cannot exercise
- Exercise is good for you during pregnancy and is not dangerous for your baby.
- As long as there are no complications, you should be able to continue most of the exercises you were doing before pregnancy.
- Avoid extensive exercises during pregnancy. Walking, however, is a good choice
MYTH #3: You should eat for two
- Eating for two during pregnancy is a myth. Your body doesn’t need any extra calories.
- In fact, doubling your caloric intake can lead to obesity, which can cause issues later in the pregnancy.
MYTH #4: Morning sickness only happens in the morning
- Morning sickness is often worse when you wake up, that’s why it is called morning sickness. However, it can occur at any time of the day or night.
- For most women, morning sickness improves after the first trimester, but some may experience it throughout their pregnancy.
MYTH #5: You cannot touch cats
- However, if you’re pregnant you should avoid cat litter since the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis tends to live in cat feaces.
MYTH #6: You will have weird cravings
- Pregnancy is different for everyone, so not everyone will have strange cravings.
- Cravings are trigerred by hormonal changes in your body which can affect taste and smell.
- Talk to your doctor if you have weird cravings or if you crave inedible things like clay, dirt or laundry detergent.
- This is a very serious condition known as Pica, and it can be a sign of iron deficiency (anemia).
MYTH #7: You cannot dye your hair
- Chemicals in hair dye are not highly toxic that’s why it is considered safe to dye your hair in pregnancy.
- However, many women avoid dyeing their hair in early pregnancy.
- Always ask your hairdresser to perform a patch test before using a permanent or semi-permanent hair dye.
MYTH #8: All bleeding during the first trimester means miscarriage
- Bleeding at any stage of pregnancy is frightening and scary. However, it is not always associated with miscarriage.
MYTH #9: You cannot have sex while pregnant
- If you have had any complications like bleeding, have a low-lying placenta or cervical weakness, you may be advised to avoid having sex until after having your baby.
- Otherwise it’s safe to have sex while you’re pregnant.
- Some women enjoy sex during pregnancy while others don’t, which is normal as sex drive changes during pregnancy and varies from person to person.
- Sex and orgasms later in pregnancy can sometimes trigger Braxton Hicks contractions (also known as false labour pains).
MYTH #10: A woman will be glowing and happy all the time
- Pregnancy can be difficult for many women and can affect a woman’s mood.
- Hormones, body changes, and tiredness can affect a woman’s physical and mental health.
- Hence, not everyone will feel ‘glowy’ during pregnancy.
- Up to 1 in 5 women in the UK develop some form of mental health problem, such as anxiety and depression, during their pregnancy or in the year after birth (also known as Post Partum Depression; PPD)
