Each of us has probably heard different advice from outsiders, and how many people so many opinions. There are plenty of pregnancy myths, but a majority of them are just superstitions. These ones, however, are worth acquiring and bearing in mind, when your time comes and the baby settles in your tummy.
1. PREGNANCY MAKES YOUR TEETH TO DECAY – it is one of the greatest myths which unfortunately is recognized as truth by many women, and I also believed in that at the beginning of my pregnancy. I did, however, in-depth interview on this subject with three dentists (2 persons from Poland and 1 from the USA) and it turns out that pregnancy in no way does take the “beauty” away from the teeth. It’s good to check the state of our teeth already at the stage of planning pregnancy. It will let us avoid possible inconveniences during the nine magic months. The fact is, that in the case of pregnant women gums bleeding happens very often, because gums are becoming better supplied with blood as a result of the progesterone raised level. While being pregnant we are also indulging ourselves a bit more often than usual with eating more sweets and sour dishes, which belong to cariogenic products. Pregnant women that are struggling with nausea are exposed to the teeth damage the most. Frequent vomiting, which unfortunately bothers the majority of pregnant women, troubles our teeth a lot and is one of the reasons for the cariosity. However, it doesn’t mean that our baby “is sucking out” from us all possible vitamins and minerals, which we have accumulated in our body so far, and that it causes our teeth to decay.
2. DURING PREGNANCY YOU SHOULD EAT LIKE TWO – changes of the demand for the energy are slight in the first trimester, in the second is rising by 360 kcal (on average by 18%), and in the third by 475 calories (on average by 23%). However, it is not a need for the energy that is increasing, but the need for nutrients. The diet of a woman from the beginning of pregnancy should contain all necessary ingredients needed for the baby’s tissues building. Products rich in calcium, iron, protein and fibre shouldn’t be missing in the diet. For the baby proper development, polyunsaturated fatty acids responsible for the neurogenesis and the development of the oragn of sight, are essential. Therefore, you shouldn’t eat like two but eat for two, and wisely compose your diet.
3. YOU SHOULD AVOID SPORTS DURING THE PREGNANCY – activity during the pregnancy is highly recommended. You should however remember, that not all of pregnant women can exercise. If you have asthma, cardiac diseases, diabetes, bedabblings or bleedings, low placenta, weak womb or when a risk of miscarriage exists, exercises are inadvisable. But if your pregnancy goes without complication you should be active every day. This will allow to oxygenate your organism and the baby, lessen nausea a little bit, and will put you in a good mood and better physical condition. Sports permitted during the pregnancy and those even recommended are: swimming, aquarobics, everyday walk, fitness for pregnant women, stretching, yoga, pilates, exercises with a ball. I, personally, benefited a lot from everyday exercises, which let me to bounce back very quickly after the pregnancy. My body was accustomed to being active and wasn’t so “indolent” as it could be after nine months of doing nothing. You can even dance, provided that you don’t intend to specialize in break dance!
4. DO YOU HAVE A CAT? GET RID OF HIM FOR THE TIME OF PREGNANCY – radical doctors claim, that for the duration of pregnancy it’s good to get rid of cats and other pets, in order not to have a contact with them… but does it have any rationale? The entire matter concerns the so-called toxoplasmosis, which can be transfered by cats. If you have a cat at home for years, in all likelihood you have already become infected with the toxoplasmosis and managed to acquire resistance to it. If it hasn’t already happened, which can easily be checked by blood tests determining the IgM and IgG levels of antibodies, you should obey a few simple rules: wash your hands after each time you play with your cat and don’t change the litter tray yourself. For this time let your partner to take over this obligation from you in 100%. If you have to do it personally, use rubber gloves. Remember, that from the very stroking you won’t catch the illness.
Raw meat, unwashed vegetables and fruits and as well working in the ground without gloves also, and even primarily, constitute sources of infection with toxoplasmosis. So, don’t feed your cat with raw meat, and also you yourself should forget about the steak tartare for the duration of the pregnancy. Statistics show that the majority of the women has already had toxoplasmosis and got the resistance to it. Therefore, contact with cats during the pregnancy isn’t dangerous – it is only necessary to keep certain precautionary measures. Neat and regularly dewormed cat doesn’t pose any threat to the pregnant woman.
P.S. We took in our kitten from the animal shelter, when I was in the seventh month of pregnancy. We all are healthy and doing well 🙂
5. YOU GOT BURNT WHILE PREGNANT? – THE BABY WILL HAVE A HALLMARKT – sounds ridiculously, but a lot of people still believe in it. It is the absolute superstition, and the possible burn is an injury to our skin and in no way transfers to our baby.
I’m courious about the myths you have heard of…? 🙂
