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We’ve all heard them right? Those pregnancy myths? I know, your granny swears blind that you will be eating for two and your hairdresser will insist that you have a spicy curry to get that baby out on your due date. Your postman will probably chip in as well by telling you that you’ll have to knock that caffeine habit on the head now your pregnant.
Do we really have to though? Do these pregnancy myths have any sort of substance to them? any factual basis in the slightest?
You will be pleased to know that I have done a bit of research for you, and I am about to bust 7 of the most common pregnancy myths right outta the water!
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Let’s Bust Those Pregnancy Myths!
You’ll get weird cravings
You might, but it’s not a given. Some people crave pickles in their cereal, but it’s not actually a standard pregnancy thing You might just fancy a normal food more often than usual, or go to the other extreme and develop ‘Pica’ which is uncommon and where you crave either non-food items or foods with little to no nutritional value, but don’t panic this is not a common thing.
Caffeine is a no go
We all know that too much caffeine is a bad thing. Moderation is always best practised, and this goes the same for pregnancy, except moderation is much less than normal. Yes, you can still have chocolate and your morning cup of coffee, just don’t go for the double shot of espresso and you should be fine. You could always try a decaf version of your favourite coffee?
You can eat for two!
Technically, you are eating for two (or more if your having twins). This does not mean that you should double your calorie intake. I know, it sucks doesn’t it? I was looking forward to an extra slice of pizza as well! Nutritional food is best and remember to take your prenatal vitamin.
Related: My Top 9 Tips for First Trimester in Pregnancy
You can’t dye your hair
I had quite a lengthy conversation with my hairdresser about this one. It is also about your own personal preference, however, the reason that hairdressers do not like to dye pregnant women’s hair is because of the patch test. Apparently, our hormones can change so quickly that it could make the results of a patch test void within 48 hours and cause an adverse reaction.
Spicy food can cause labour
The only thing that can cause labour is the baby itself, when they decide they want to come out, that is when they are coming out. Spicy food, will probably just give you heartburn. The pregnancy myth of spicy food causing labour comes from having something so incredibly spicy that it gives you a bit of a funny tum, and you have to go to the toilet a lot. The spasm could (very small chance) kickstart your womb into contractions.
Related: Second Trimester and 10 Things you should do.
You can’t have sex
Unless your GP or midwife has told you that you shouldn’t, there is no reason as to why you can’t. A lot of pregnant women say that being pregnant makes it better! You’re not going to hurt the baby, poke the baby or jiggle the baby about too much.
You’ll have to get rid of the cat
Yet another pregnancy myth busted! You absolutely do not have to get rid of your feline friend. The only thing you should avoid is cleaning out their litter tray if they have one. This is because of a parasite called ‘Toxoplasmosis’ which can be found in cat poo. You can safely clean out a litter tray, but it is safer to get someone else to do it.
There are many myths about pregnancy, but the majority of them are just that MYTHS! Some have a certain degree of truth in them, but it’s not the whole truth, as I have explained in some of the points above. The best thing to do? If you are unsure of anything, give your GP or midwife a ring. Honestly, no question is too silly because you just want to make sure that you doing the best that you can for yourself and your growing baby.