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Myth 1: A classic
myth is that if a pregnant woman is carrying high, the
baby will be a girl and if she is carrying low it, will
be boy. There is no scientific basis for this. Carrying
low indicates the baby just dropped lower into the pelvis
because you're closer to delivery. Factors such as her
muscle size, structure, the position of the fetus, her
posture, shape before pregnancy, and amount of fat deposited
around the abdomen play a role in the size and shape
of a pregnant belly. Curious to know the sex of your
baby, ask your doctor for an ultrasound. |
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Myth
2: During the full moon phase more women go into
labor than other times. Looking at the facts shows that
this isn't true. |
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| Myth 3:
Spicy food induces labor. Again, there is no scientific
logic to this. |
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| Myth 4:
Sex brings on labor - this also isn't based on fact and
there is no evidence to show that it is true. |
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Myth
5: It is commonly expressed that stretch mark
is a natural resultant of pregnancy. The truth is there
are women who don't get them at all. |
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Myth
6: Another classic is that if you crave for salty
foods then you will have a boy. Craving sweet foods
would indicate a girl is on the way. You may crave lots
of things when you are pregnant and you may have no
particular cravings but none of these will determine
the sex of your new baby. |
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| Myth
7: Hold a string with a ring in it over a pregnant
belly and you can predict the gender of the baby by
the direction the string moves: back and forth for a
boy; in a circle for a girl. This isn't true but it
might be fun to try. |
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Myth
8: If your nose swells during pregnancy, you
are going to have a girl baby. In reality there is no
link between a mother's appearance and baby's gender.
Nose swelling can be explained by increased estrogen
level, which heighten blood flow to the mucous membrane
causing it to expand. |
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Myth
9: No morning sickness equates to having a male
baby. About one half of all pregnant women go through
some degree of morning sickness. According to myth women
carrying boys are protected from the male hormone testosterone
produced by the male fetus. Doctors believe that relaxin,
a hormone produced by the mother is responsible for
the nausea. Mothers who have undergone morning sickness
blues while pregnant with their daughters expound this
theory. |
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Myth
10: Slow heart rate means a boy child and a fast
heart rate means a girl child. A normal fetal heart
rate is between 110 and 160 beats per minute (bpm),
although some people think if it's faster (usually above
the 140 bpm range) it's a girl and if it's slower it's
a boy. But there have been no studies that conclusively
show that heart rate is a predictor for a baby's gender.
Your baby's heart rate will probably differ from prenatal
visit to prenatal visit anyway - depending on the age
of the fetus and activity level at the time of the visit. |
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| Myth
11: Heartburn during pregnancy means your baby
will be born with lots of hair. Heartburn is a common
discomfort during this state and is no way an accurate
predictor of baby being born with lots of hair. Women
with this problem have welcomed baldies into the world. |
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| Myth
12: Having sex might hurt the baby. Seven layers
of skin from the abdominal wall to the amniotic sac
protect your baby. Your cervix has lengthened and hardened
to prevent anything from getting into the uterus. Additionally,
your cervix is producing mucus to keep the vagina clean
and infection free. Intercourse cannot reach, touch
or harm the baby. The only exception to this is a woman
whose doctor has told her to abstain because of a complication.
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| Myth
13: Backaches are an unavoidable part of being
pregnant. You can avoid backache with some simple changes.
First, pay attention to your posture, don't arch your
back by pulling your shoulders back but not your abdomen.
Don't wear shoes with any heel height, it will force
you to arch your back which puts pressure on the lower
back. Try pelvic rocking to give your back a break,
and squat throughout the day to stretch the muscles
of your back.
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| Myth
14: Being pregnant makes you so crazy. Your hormone
levels change when you are pregnant, which may cause
you to react more strongly to things. However, you will
still be yourself. You will still have your likes and
dislikes, fears and concerns. What changes is your ability
to "hide" the real you. Your high hormone
levels encourage you to show your reactions on the outside
too.
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| Myth
15: First babies are usually late. True to an
extent since about 60% arrive after their due date,
5% on their due date and 35% arrive early. The timing
is tied closely to length of your menstrual cycle. If
it is shorter, you are more likely to deliver early.
And if your cycle is longer than your baby will arrive
later and if it usually lasts 28 days you will more
likely deliver close to your due date.
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Myth 16: If your mother
had an easy pregnancy and delivery, so will you. The
size and position of the baby, your diet, lifestyle
and attitude all play greater roles than hereditary
in determining the ease or difficulty of your pregnancy
and delivery.
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Myth 17: Don't lie
or sleep on your back or you'll hurt your baby. While
you won't harm your baby if you lie on your back for
short periods of time, both of you will feel better
of if you sleep on your side. Doctors recommend sleeping
on the left side as this increases the blood flow to
the uterus and placenta .
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When it comes to your pregnancy
its always best to rely on the advice of medical professionals
instead of folklore and myths.
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