6 myths about pregnancy

It’s understandable to want to do all you can to deliver a healthy baby – but how do you know what’s best? Even for those things for which there is no clear answer, one thing is sure: you’ll get advice about it. Yet no matter how popular, advice that is clearly wrong is worth ignoring.

For the list of myths below, we searched the Web, asked readers, and surveyed friends and family. As expected, the number of opinions about what pregnant women should and should not do was exceeded only by the confidence placed in these rules and prohibitions. Here’s a sampling:

1. If you raise your arms above your head while pregnant, the baby will get the cord wrapped around its neck.
Up to 25 percent of fetuses have the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck. The good news is that nearly all of these babies develop normally and come into the world safely. It is the baby’s activity in the womb, not the mother’s activities during pregnancy that determine whether the cord loops around the baby’s neck. Another important risk factor is a long umbilical cord, but, even so fetal activity may be the more important factor, and in any case, this is not something a pregnant woman can  control.

2. If the weather is stormy or the moon is full, you are more likely to go into labor, even if you are weeks away from your due date.
While believers may never be convinced otherwise, studies have demonstrated no increased incidence of labor based on the weather or the phase of the moon. Never mind that even if this were true, there’s nothing you could do about it! In fact, labor is triggered by a complex series of hormonal signals with no known connection to atmospheric conditions or the weather.

3. Don’t touch your cat while pregnant.
The recommendation regarding cats during pregnancy is due to toxoplasmosis, a parasite that can cause serious infections in humans and deformities in the developing fetus. Infection can follow handling of cat litter because it can be found in the stool of cats, so pregnant women are advised not to handle cat litter. However, no other activities are prohibited – feeding or petting your cat and allowing it to sit in your lap are perfectly acceptable while pregnant. And the risk of getting toxoplasmosis from your cat can be lowered even further if your cat has tested negative for this parasite or is an indoor cat that eats only store-bought canned or dry food.

4. Avoid sleeping on your back (or always sleep on your left side).
During the later stages of pregnancy, the uterus and baby may be large enough to press on the large vein, the inferior vena cava, and reduce flow of blood from the lower body (and uterus) back to the heart. But this tends to matter only in certain circumstances, such as during prolonged labor or when blood pressure is high, the kidneys are not functioning properly, or there is a problem with fetal development. In those situations, lying on the left side may be somewhat helpful. But for healthy women in the midst of a routine, successful pregnancy, the best position for sleeping is the one that’s most comfortable.

5. Avoid bumpy car rides (or being bumped in the abdomen, or lifting groceries) — they can trigger labor.
Minor bumps, taps and jolts — as in a bumpy, but “on-road,” car ride — are highly unlikely to trigger labor. The uterus and surrounding fluid provide ample cushioning and protection from minor trauma. However, major injury, as in a car accident or a fall, may complicate pregnancy, including inducing pre-term labor.

6. To keep your unborn child safe, avoid sex and exercise during pregnancy.
Within the bounds of common sense, there is no recommendation to avoid exercise or sex during pregnancy. The baby is protected in the uterus so that sex is unlikely to cause problems. Similarly, moderate exercise is not prohibited during pregnancy, and is often recommended. There are some limitations to this advice, however. Because excessive body heat can be harmful to a developing fetus, exercising in hot weather should be avoided. And if your pregnancy is complicated by bleeding, pre-term labor or other problems, your obstetrician may recommend that you avoid sex as well as certain exercises.

The Bottom Line

You may hear one of these myths or others during your pregnancy, or you may even be the one disseminating these well-meaning but misguided warnings. For most routine pregnancies, however, they can be safely ignored. If you read or hear something that concerns you, talk with your doctor about it, especially if it contradicts something he or she has recommended before.

You don’t need to live in fear of causing harm to your developing fetus for nine months — especially when the vast majority of routine pregnancies produce normal, healthy babies.

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