Women in this world have to take on the incredibly complicated responsibility of forming a new human being inside them.
Hence it is very common for women to freak out before or during pregnancy about how they should handle the nine month long process.
To-be mothers go around seeking advice for the birth of a healthy baby from doctors, friends T.V. shows or even books.
Therefore they are bound to get tons of advice about early pregnancy symptoms. But some of these ‘advices’ or statements made on early pregnancy symptoms are just pregnancy myths and are not actually true.
Science has proved that certain conventional wisdom about early pregnancy symptoms are not true and turn out to be the exact opposite of what is assumed.
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Here are ten such statements that science has proved to be a myth.
Myth 1 – Missed Your Period? Definitely Pregnant!
Among all early pregnancy symptoms missing out on your period is definitely a vital sign of pregnancy. But pregnancy is not always the cause of a sudden halt in your period cycle.
There are many other reasons why you miss your period. The reasons include fatigue or stress. Sometimes it occurs if you are on birth control.
There are times when your period cycle gets affected due to excessive weight loss or weight gain which ends up in you missing your period for a month or two.
Another reason why you might miss your period is when you face hormonal problems. Get a pregnancy test to ensure that you are actually pregnant after you find out that you have missed your period.
Myth 2 – Are you suffering from Morning Sickness? Say Hello to Pregnancy
Morning sickness is considered to be one among many very early pregnancy symptoms. But this kind of sickness is not always due to the fact that you are pregnant.
The nauseous feeling may be because of food poisoning. Sometimes it arises from various kinds of stomach disorders. At other times the morning sickness is an important side effect of extreme stress. So don’t start believing that you are pregnant immediately after you suffer a bout of morning sickness.
Go to the doctor to confirm your belief because you might end up realising that the sickness was all because of the stress of everyday life.
Myth 3 – While Pregnant, You Eat More as you Feed both Yourself and the Baby
This statement is not true at all. Among early pregnancy symptoms, food cravings or the desire to eat more is certainly there but that does not mean that you’ll be helping yourself to more than one adult sized helping.
While it is true that you need to feed the baby along with yourself, the baby certainly will not to be fed an adult sized helping every time you consume a meal. To feed a growing baby in a mother’s womb you just need to eat 300 calories extra to keep the baby healthy.
If a pregnant woman puts on more than 35 pounds, there are chances that they may face problems during child birth. They are likely to experience difficult vaginal birth.
Also babies that are born overgrown have high chances of being subjected to obesity later in life. So take care while eating.
Myth 4 – Say Goodbye to Chocolates during Pregnancy
If someone has been asking you to avoid chocolate during pregnancy, then you can go ahead and completely ignore that person. The truth is the exact opposite of this statement.
Chocolates actually keep pregnant women happy and also have great positive effects on the baby. It is said that pregnant women who ate chocolates everyday gave birth to happy babies who smile and laugh a lot at the age of six months.
Also pregnant women who helped themselves to five or more helpings of chocolate each week during their third trimester have a lot less chance of developing preeclampsia.
Also the babies show less fear and are strong hearted. See! Chocolates never deceive.
Myth 5 – Hasta la Vista, Seafood
If seafood hasn’t caused problems to your body functioning before pregnancy, it is very less likely to create problems after it. Fish causes no harm to you or your baby while you are pregnant.
Instead the more the fish you consume during pregnancy, the healthier and wittier your child becomes. Fishes have omega-3 fatty acids which contribute to the intelligence factor in your baby.
Just be careful of the mercury levels in a fish. It is preferable for you to avoid fishes with high mercury levels. Salmon, tilapia and shrimps are perfect for your pregnancy diet.
But stay away from fishes like tile fish and swordfish whose mercury levels may cause harm. So, if there is a seafood festival you want to visit, don’t hesitate to rush to it.
Myth 6 – Don’t exercise! It Might Hurt the Baby!
This is absolutely false. Exercising has always been beneficial to both your body and health. So if you exercise during pregnancy you not only keep your own body fit but you also give your baby a healthy workout.
It is said that pregnant women who are more active physically have slower heart beats which vary. These are both signs of cardiovascular health. Just make sure that you avoid exercises that force you to lie on your back.
Lying on your back reduces blood flow to your brain along with your uterus. It has been proved that fit exercising mothers not only have babies with lower birth weights but also with babies who have bigger brain which automatically increases their intelligence level. So start your workout routine as soon as possible.
Myth 7 – Hair Dyes are a Big No
This is most definitely a myth. Till today hair dye chemicals have never affected the baby in a mother’s womb. There is no need for you to stop dyeing your hair once you are pregnant.
Even though skin absorbs the hair dye chemicals, they are absorbed in minimal amounts that cause no harm at all. If you are still extremely worried, then you can opt to let the first trimester pass before your dye your hair again.
Also, some hair dye chemicals give out strong fumes or have odours which might make pregnant women feel nauseous. Try to avoid these hair dyes or use them in a well ventilated room.
So if you suddenly want to go from a brunette to a black haired lady, don’t keep yourself from dyeing your hair right away.
Myth 8 – If you are Pregnant, Then you are always happy
While pregnancy brings happiness to all to-be mothers, it is not true that they’ll always be happy throughout the nine month gestation period.
Studies and surveys have shown that most of the pregnant women are subjected to extreme mood swings. While you may feel happy now, you may later go into a deep depression. Anxiety and depression caused during pregnancy may affect the baby sometimes.
This depression may not only increase the chances of a premature birth, but it can also result in low birth weight of the baby.
So if you’ve been experiencing bouts of anxiety here and there during your pregnancy days, talk to your doctor. Medications like antidepressants help a great deal in these situations. So avoid stressing and worrying during pregnancy.
Myth 9 – Except the ultrasound, all other ways of knowing a Baby’s Sex is False
We all know that having an ultrasound is the best way of getting to know of your baby’s gender. But science has recently proved that many of the folklores surrounding the speculations of whether the child is going to be a girl or a boy is actually true.
Through surveys, studies and observations it has been found out that if pregnant women suffers from a severe case of morning sickness, then she must be having a girl. Pregnant women who have greater cravings for food are more likely to give birth to baby boys.
Also those women who confirm the gender of their baby based on dreams or weird ‘feelings’ then it is more likely that they are right in their assumptions. So don’t ignore what your intuitions say, because more than often they turn out to be true. So happy guessing!
Myth 10 – Don’t fly during Pregnancy
There is no such rule that stops you from flying during pregnancy. You can fly whenever you want whether it be your first or last trimester.
Sometimes it is airlines who don’t want to take on pregnant ladies as they fear the thought of them going into labour on the flight. Besides that, there is no harm in flight during pregnancy.
The radiations that you have to go through at airports cause no harm to a baby in a womb. So have safe flight ladies!
So go through these pregnancy myths so that you have ample knowledge about what you really should avoid and what you actually can enjoy.
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