4 Most Common Pregnancy Myths

There are many false myths about pregnancy and a lot of pregnant women still believe in them.

Pregnancy myth #1: You will hurt the baby by sleeping on the back

Some women are afraid to sleep on the back because they are convinced they would stop the blood flow to the uterus and thus prevent the baby from being fed. Such thinking might have its roots in researches conducted in the 1960s and 70s, when it was discovered that the blood flow to the umbilical cord is reduced if a woman gives birth by lying flatly on her back.

Sleeping on the back is completely harmless for pregnant women or, for that matter, sleeping in any position. The doctors think that if a woman would unintentionally press on the vein which supplies the uterus with blood, she would feel sick and wake up during sleep or instinctively switch position. Lying on the back can be dangerous only for women with risky pregnancy, women suffering from arterial hypertension or bad liver function. In this case it is advisable to sleep on the left side of your body.

Pregnancy myth #2: Baby’s sex can be predicted by the baby’s position and its heart rate

According to this pregnancy myth, women who carry their baby high will have a girl, and those who carry it low will have a boy. ''Carrying high'' and ''low'' are ancient expressions which actually predict the position of the baby in the uterus. A fetus can place itself in different ways in the uterus and that's why pregnant bellies are so different from each other. The general truth is that a baby moves closer to the pelvis when birth is approaching. There' no proof whatsoever that the baby’s position could predict the sex of a baby.

A similar pregnancy myth is the conviction that we can predict the baby's sex by observing the heart rate. Once a neurological system of a baby is developed, its heart beats with an average rate of 120 20 160 per minute. Old beliefs say that a faster heart rate means we can expect a girl. This conviction derives from the fact that grown-up women have a faster heart rate than men.

Pregnancy myth #3:  Intercourse during pregnancy can damage the baby

This pregnancy myth is completely false and it derives from fear of the unknown. Pregnant women find the fact they're carrying a baby magical, but they're often scared because they're not sure which actions can put the baby's development to risk. The truth is that intercourse during pregnancy is not harmful for the fetus; at least in case of a normal pregnancy. Maybe it's strange if you think that a penis is entering the body where a little creature is developing, but penetration can do no harm, and your baby won't remember any of it. 

Pregnancy myth #4:  You should eat for two during pregnancy

Many pregnant women still believe in this pregnancy myth, which is actually quite harmful, because overeating doesn't benefit anybody, including pregnant women. According to an article published in The Journal of Prenatal Education, which deals with pregnancy researches, the daily intake of calories should increase only minimally and gradually.

A woman in the second trimester should consume 340 calories more than usual, and in the last trimester the calorie intake should increase by 450. If you eat anything you feel like and as much as you want, you won't benefit your baby.

Find more advice on pregnancy in the Enyclopedia of Sexuality.