Pregnancy Myths Busted

Pregnant women are often barraged with a bunch of do’s and don’ts. Read these books. Avoid lunch meat like the plague. Hang up your ice skates for the season. While most guidelines come with good reason, others have been passed down from generation to generation without due cause. When in doubt, ask your medical provider to dispel fiction from fact. For now, let’s get a head start by dispelling 10 very common pregnancy myths.

Myth 1: You should eat for two.

This free pass for a feeding frenzy often does a huge disservice to pregnant women. Growing a human is a lot of extra work, but your body only needs an extra 300 calories a day to keep up with the demands that pregnancy brings. So, while it’s not a time to diet, it’s also not the time for a nine-month series of consecutive cheat days. Be mindful that not all calories are created equal. Moms-to-be should aim to get those extra calories from food sources that are high in omega 3s, calcium, iron, folic acid or protein while also avoiding sugar and saturated fats.

Myth 2: You need to send your cat packing.

There’s no need to call the animal sanctuary when you find out your family is growing. After all, petting and feeding your feline friend is still completely acceptable. What is off limits, however, is taking care of the litter box (or cleaning up any animal feces in the yard, for that matter). Passing poop duty on to another family member may make you want to break out in a happy dance, but the reason for rejoicing isn’t because you’re abdicating responsibility: It’s because you’re avoiding a possible parasitic infection known as toxoplasmosis that causes miscarriage, birth defects or still birth. Contracting toxoplasmosis is incredibly rare but a risk not worth taking.

Myth 3: Seafood is off limits.

If you’re looking for an excuse to indulge your sushi craving, don’t head to your favorite sushi joint just yet. Raw fish is a major no-no while pregnant. Likewise, so is consuming seafood with high levels of mercury, such as tuna, swordfish, orange roughy and mackerel. But don’t think that all fish is off the table. In fact, the FDA recommends that pregnant women eat two to three servings of low-mercury seafood such as salmon, tilapia and shrimp. These options are known to be good sources of omega-3 fatty acids and protein, which can aid in Baby’s development and prevent dreaded pregnancy brain fog. So enjoy!

Myth 4: Morning sickness will wrap up by noon.

One of the biggest misconceptions about morning sickness is that it only takes place in the morning. As many a pregnant woman finds out, morning sickness can be an equal opportunity meal offender that makes breakfast, lunch and dinner all unappealing. Nausea is often a common first pregnancy symptom due to the surge of extra hormones flooding through a woman’s body. Most find that it goes away when moving into the second trimester, but for an unfortunate few, morning sickness may be a way of  throughout pregnancy.

Myth 5: Exercise is off the table.

Pregnancy is not the time to set a PR, but it is a fantastic time to maintain or even establish an exercise routine. The ACOG recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week (“moderate” translating to breaking out in a sweat and having an increased heart rate but still being able to carry on a conversation). Talk with your medical provider to establish your own personal fitness do’s and don’ts. All pregnant women should avoid contact sports, activity that requires lying on your back (which decreases blood flow to the uterus and brain), or jumping into a hot tub, sauna or hot yoga class (along with anything else that ups your temperature beyond 102 F degrees).

Myth 6: Eating three square meals a day is key.

Your parents might have drilled into you the importance of three balanced meals as a kid, but now is the time to kick that habit to the curb. Dr. Stuart Fischbein, co-author of Fearless Pregnancy, recommends that pregnant women actually eat somewhere between six and seven small meals. Eating a variety of foods frequently will keep blood sugar in a constant range, which is optimum for both a mom and a baby.

Myth 7: You need to just grin and bear it.

With all that pregnant women are told not to ingest, sometimes they get confused and think that medications should be off the table, too. No so. There is absolutely no need to suffer through a migraine or a cold without some form of relief. As always, consult with your OBGYN before taking any prescription drugs. Most experts agree that these over-the-counter medications are good options for your maladies: Tums or Mylanta for heartburn, Tylenol for headaches, Robitussin for coughs and sore throats and Benadryl for allergies.

Myth 8 You’ll never have stretch marks if you use the right product.

Creams, gels and oils marketed to help pregnant women avoid stretch marks (or reduce the ones you already have) are bountiful. Unfortunately, those claims don’t really deliver. What research now indicates is that stretch marks are hereditary, and once those skin fibers tear, there’s no going back to the way things were before. Save yourself the money and focus on moisturizing through natural means, such as drinking plenty of water and applying a small lathering of coconut oil to your bump if it’s feeling dry.

Myth 9 Sweets are a no-no.

Sugary treats aren’t a healthy snack choice whether you’re pregnant or not. But if you have a sweet tooth, here’s one fact you’re sure to get behind: Dark chocolate in moderate doses actually does more good than harm throughout pregnancy. Elizabeth Triche of the Yale Center for Perinatal, Pediatric and Environmental Epidemiology, studied 1,681 women and found that those who ate 25 grams of chocolate daily had a lower risk of preeclampsia. Another study, published in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care confirms this, sayin that dark chocolate and other flavinoid-rich foods are where the money’s at. Three cheers for chocolate!

Myth 10 Your due date is golden.

Due dates are determined by adding 280 days to the day of your first missed period. Since menstrual cycles can range anywhere from 21 to 35 days, due dates are more like due guestimates. Still, many moms look at due dates as though they’re golden. The reality? Only 5 percent of babies are born on their actual due dates. A more accurate way to prepare for Baby’s arrival is to assume Baby will come any time from two weeks before to two weeks after the due date.

Lauren Greenlee is a freelance writer and a mom of three hailing from Olathe.

As always, please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns.