Pregnancy is such an exciting and scary time for a woman. When that plus sign shows up on the stick, a woman's life will be forever changed. Get the facts you need to stay calm and happy throughout your pregnancy, so you'll feel confident that you're going to be a great mom.
Yipee, I'm Pregnant! Now What?
- > Am I Really Pregnant? Normal Symptoms
- > Common Pregnancy Check-ups and Tests
- > Healthy Pregnancy Exercises
- > Feeling Icky? Sooth that Morning Sickness
- > Special Section for Mothers Over 35
- > Typical Pregnancy Discomforts
Fun Pregnancy Moments
- > Fun Myths: Predicting a Baby's Gender
- > Tips for Picking a Baby Name
- > Top 10 Baby Boy Names
- > Top 10 Baby Girl Names
- > Top 10 Pregnancy Myths
- > Sex During Pregnancy
Pregnancy "No No's" & Warning Signs
- > Activities to Avoid During Pregnancy
- > Food During Pregnancy - List of No No's
- > These Medicines and Pregnancy Don't Mix
- > Should I Call a Doctor? Warning Signs
- > Signs and Risk Factors for Miscarriages
- > Signs and Treatment of Gestational Diabetes
Getting Prepared for Baby's Arrival
Top 10 Pregnancy Myths
When you get pregnant people seem to think they need to start telling you every crazy story or myth they've heard about pregnancy. If this is your first baby then you're probably wondering what's fact or fiction. Below you'll find several pregnancy myths that will hopefully debunk some of your friend's wild tales.
- Myth 1: You're Eating for Two so Eat, Eat, Eat! - Truth: The fact is you really should only increase your daily calorie intake by 300 calories, unless you're underweight when you conceive and then you can eat a little more.
- Myth 2: Exposure to Microwave Ovens and Computers Can Cause Harm to Your Baby - Truth: There's no evidence to support this myth so cook and surf the net till your heart's content.
- Myth 3: Exercise is Bad When You're Pregnant - Truth: In reality it's good to be active when you're pregnant. Studies show that pregnant women that do moderate exercise throughout the 9 months stay healthy and can even have shorter labors.
- Myth 4: If You Didn't Exercise Pre-pregnancy You shouldn't During Pregnancy - Truth: Light exercise like walking can help you combat pregnancy fatigue and even sleep better at night. It's good for you and the baby to move around during those 9 months.
- Myth 5: Spicy Food Will Bring on Labor - Truth: Spicy food might give a pregnant woman heartburn, but it definitely can't make a woman go into labor.
- Myth 6: Raising Your Hands Above Your Head Can Make the Umbilical Cord Wrap Around Your Baby's Neck - Truth: You can reach to the sky, wave crazily to friends, reach to the highest shelf and your baby will be just fine. This is definitely false.
- Myth 7: Bad Heartburn During Pregnancy Means Your Baby will Have Lots of Hair at Birth - Truth: It's true that your baby can be born with a ton of hair if you have heartburn, but if you don't have heartburn your baby can be born with lots of hair too. Pregnancy heartburn isn't a predictor of extra hair growth.
- Myth 8: Stress Can Cause Miscarriage - Truth: Regular every day stress has never been linked to miscarriage. In some rare cases though extreme stress such as a death of a family member or divorce can cause low birth weight or early miscarriage. So this myth is only true if the stress is very severe and only in rare cases.
- Myth 9: Your Hips Get Permanently Wider After Each Pregnancy - Truth: Your hips widen during labor to fit the baby, but go back to their original width after a few weeks.
- Myth 10: Vitamin E Lotion Can Prevent Stretch Marks - Truth: Whether a woman gets stretch marks or not depends on her skin composition. Some women's skin has more elasticity then others. Lotions might make you feel better, but they can't make your stretch marks look better.
