Bizarre Myths About Pregnancy!

Everyone knows that a pregnant woman must eat a proper, well-balanced diet to allow normal growth of the foetus. But in many places, including India, nutrition of a pregnant woman is formidably influenced by food fads, religious and cultural beliefs, customs without any certainty about the myths and their real effects. This itself may pose a challenge to the available food choices during pregnancy where every trimester is different but interestingly significant. This span of nine months is really the most challenging period of a woman’s life.

Myth #1: Drinking coconut water regularly will cause the baby to have a good amount of hair and the mother to suffer from acidity.

Reality: A baby normally lays his or her head down in the third trimester, and the acidity that you may suffer from is caused due to your growing belly. As a woman advances through her pregnancy, the uterus stretches itself and pushes the intestine upwards causing the process of digestion to slow down and is responsible for all the acidity and digestive issues that may even result in constipation.

Myth #2: Cut down the cheese content.

Reality: Cheese, as most people know, is a great source of Zinc, Calcium, Vitamin B12, Protein, Phosphorus and Vitamin A. Some varieties such as Swiss or cheddar are harmless because they pass through rigorous processing and pasteurisation. It is the soft and unprocessed kind of cheese like goat cheese, Feta or Brie, which may cause cheese-borne diseases. So it’s a good idea to eliminate the hard cheese instead of cutting down the cheese in totality.

Myth #3: Consumption of clarified butter while bearing the child eases delivery and helps in quick healing of the uterus during the post-partum period.

Reality: This is one of the most ludicrous food misconceptions related to pregnancy. Ghee or clarified butter neither helps in quick healing of the uterus nor eases childbirth. However, it is a saturated fat and definitely helps in the absorption of EFAs; so it is recommended to consume clarified butter in moderation during pregnancy.

Myth #4: Eating something white in colour early morning will help you give birth to a fair-skinned baby.

Reality: There is no reason to believe this absurd myth. Imagine if it was true, then all the milk and bread and egg whites would have turned everyone white by now. This is nothing more than an inane crap and the colour of the food a would-be mother consumes has nothing to do with the complexion of her baby. It is a matter of pure genetics.

There are countless myths and strange beliefs that you may have come across during pregnancy. So it is always suggested to speak with a gynaecologist to know more about foods and their effects.