Pregnancy Myths: Fact or Fiction?

by Paula Andruss

Thanks to technology and medical advancements, there’s more information available about your growing baby than ever before. Yet some of the most popular myths about pregnancy still prevail, often passed down from generation to generation. Read on for the truth about several popular pregnancy myths:

You can tell your baby’s gender by the way you’re carrying. False! The position of the baby depends on the abdominal muscles of the mother and the size of the baby, among other factors. “Every baby is different, and every pregnancy is different,” says Peggy Foster, perinatal clinical nurse with the Kettering Health Network.

You lose a tooth for every baby. False! Women’s gums typically bleed more when they’re pregnant because circulation is higher, according to Foster. “They think since their gums are bleeding, they shouldn’t brush their teeth, and that leads to cavities,” she says. “That’s why it’s important to stick to regular dental habits.”

Heartburn means a hairy baby. True! This old adage was only recently deemed accurate by researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Studies have shown that increased levels of estrogen and other hormones can relax the sphincter at the bottom of the esophagus, allowing stomach acid to enter and cause heartburn. Those same hormones also appear to be related to fetal hair growth.

Fetal heartbeat indicates gender. False! While common lore says that girls typically have a faster heart rate in the womb, there’s no conclusive evidence to support it, according to Susan Bash, manager of birth and family education for Miami Valley Hospital.

Raising your arms above your head can cause the umbilical cord to tangle. False! “Babies are active inside the womb, and in a certain percentage of pregnancies, the cord can get tangled around the baby. But it’s not in any way related to the activity of the mom,” says Foster.

A full moon causes labor. False! While maternity-ward employees may tell you otherwise based on their own experience, Bash says that many research studies have watched birth patterns over several years, and not one found a correlation between a full moon and the number of births recorded.