You Must Eat for Two
One of the most persistent myths floating around pregnancy circles is that you need to double your food intake. Here’s the truth: while pregnancy does increase your nutritional needs, it doesn’t mean you should double your calorie intake. In the first trimester, your calorie needs remain about the same. It’s only in the second and third trimesters that you might need to consume an extra 200-300 calories per day, which is roughly the equivalent of a small snack.
Think of it this way – those extra calories are literally the size of a peanut butter sandwich, not an entire second meal. The reality is, during the first trimester, there’s no need for additional calories. In the second and third trimesters, an extra 300-500 calories per day is generally recommended. Focus on nutrient-dense foods instead of just eating more of everything.
Exercise Will Harm Your Baby
The old belief that pregnant women should avoid exercise has been completely debunked by modern research. Pregnancy is actually an ideal time to start an exercise program — even if you’ve never really exercised before. Public health guidelines for pregnant women recommend moderate exercise or activity for approximately 150 minutes per week (or 30 minutes per day, five days a week).
If you are healthy and your pregnancy is normal, it is safe to continue or start regular physical activity. Physical activity does not increase your risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, or early delivery. In fact, physical activity while pregnant is linked to successful vaginal delivery, less excessive weight gain for expecting mothers, lower rates of gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, less frequent pre-term birth, and healthy birth weight for babies.
Your Baby’s Position Determines Their Gender
The whole “carrying high means girl, carrying low means boy” theory is complete nonsense. There is no fact to that. It is a fact that the first pregnancy, before the abdominal wall is stretched out, tends to be visually higher. As the abdominal wall gets stretched out with each new pregnancy, the uterus appears to be carried lower, but it’s not the sex of the baby.
The position of your baby bump has more to do with your body type, muscle tone, and the baby’s position than it does with the baby’s gender. Unfortunately, the only reliable way to determine your baby’s gender before birth is through ultrasound or genetic testing. Your aunt’s predictions based on how you’re carrying are just wishful thinking.
Heartburn Means Your Baby Will Have Lots of Hair
This old wives’ tale actually has some surprising scientific backing, though it’s not as simple as it sounds. Contrary to expectations, it appears that an association between heartburn severity during pregnancy and newborn hair does exist. The simple linear relationship between heartburn severity and hair volume was significant.
However, the study was very small—it only included 64 women. (For the record, there are millions of pregnancies in the US every year). The researchers suggest the release of hormones during pregnancy lead to hair and, separately, lead to heartburn. “We propose a shared biologic mechanism involving a dual role of pregnancy hormones in both the relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter and the modulation of fetal hair growth.” So while there might be a connection, it’s not the hair causing your heartburn.
You Can’t Dye Your Hair During Pregnancy
The low level of chemicals found in hair dye is generally thought to be safe. However, many women still prefer to avoid dyeing their hair in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Most experts agree that the amount of chemicals absorbed through your scalp during hair coloring is minimal.
It probably isn’t good to introduce any new chemicals that you aren’t sure about in your first trimester, but after that the amount that might be absorbed by your skin, if you do it a couple of times during your pregnancy, is unlikely to be a problem. If you’re concerned, opt for highlights instead of full-head coloring or use semi-permanent dyes.
Pregnancy After 35 is Automatically High-Risk
A pregnancy that begins after a woman is 35 is considered a “high-risk pregnancy” because certain risks are slightly higher, not inevitable. Most moms 35 or older have a normal pregnancy and healthy baby. The term “high-risk” is medical speak for “we need to monitor you more closely,” not “something terrible will happen.”
There are even some advantages to being an older mom, including financial stability and having more life experience that can help during your parenting journey. Age brings wisdom, and many women find they’re better equipped emotionally and financially for parenthood in their late thirties or forties.
You Can’t Travel While Pregnant
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), low-risk expectant mothers with no history of preterm birth can travel up to 36 weeks into their pregnancies. The key is communicating with your healthcare provider and taking reasonable precautions.
For air travel, get up and walk around regularly to prevent blood clots. Take copies of your last doctor visit and prenatal lab history. For particularly long flights, consider taking a baby aspirin the day before, the day of and the day after. Just avoid destinations with health risks like malaria or Zika.
You Can’t Have Coffee During Pregnancy
One of the biggest myths during pregnancy is that you can only drink decaf coffee. It’s true that caffeine crosses the placenta, meaning when you load up on lattes, both you and baby feel a buzz. But a small cup of coffee or tea a day is perfectly fine—in fact, ACOG says that having up to 200 milligrams of caffeine a day is considered safe.
That’s roughly equivalent to one 12-ounce cup of coffee – not exactly a caffeine binge. While excessive caffeine intake should be avoided, moderate coffee consumption is generally considered safe during pregnancy. The recommended limit is around 200-300 milligrams per day, equivalent to about one 12-ounce cup of coffee.
All Soft Cheeses Are Off-Limits
Some kinds, like cheddar and Swiss, are totally fine because they’ve been pasteurized. It’s the soft, unpasteurized products like Brie, feta and goat cheese that might carry food-borne illnesses. Luckily, most American grocery stores only carry pasteurized versions—just be sure to confirm on the label.
Food handling and storage practices impact the safety of the foods you consume, so make sure you’re purchasing your food from a reputable seller. In fact, cheese can be a wonderful source of calcium and protein during pregnancy. The key is reading labels, not avoiding an entire food group.
Morning Sickness Only Happens in the Morning
Despite its name, morning sickness can affect pregnant women throughout the day. Less than 2% of pregnant women experience morning sickness only in the morning. The name is totally misleading – it’s like calling it “unicorn sickness” when it affects nearly everyone.
Morning sickness typically starts by the fourth week and ends by the 16th week. Despite its name, morning sickness can strike at any time of the day. Some women feel queasy all day long, others get hit with nausea in the evening, and some lucky few actually do only experience it in the morning.