Pregnancy Myths & Facts

Pregnancy is a very difficult and stressful period for women, especially if they’re pregnant for the first time. Unfortunately, there are many myths that are accepted as facts by many in our society. That is why Prega News has come up with a few myth busters that will help you during this period. Like our pregnancy test kits, these myths busters are extremely reliable.

1. Myth 1 : One of the most common myths that surround pregnancy is the shape of a woman’s stomach. If a woman is carrying high, in all possibility it is a girl and if she is carrying low it is a boy.
   Fact : Experts say there is no scientific basis for this assumption and it is the woman’s muscle size, structure, the position of the foetus, posture, and the amount of fat deposited around her abdomen that play a role in the size and shape of a pregnant belly.
2. Myth 2 : Craving for salty foods means you’re having a boy. Craving for sweet foods indicate a girl is expected.
   Fact : Research shows that cravings have nothing to do with determining the sex of a baby. Stick to all the proper food your pregnancy diet requires you take.
3. Myth 3 : If you suffer from heartburn during pregnancy, it means your baby will be born with lots of hair.
   Fact : Heartburn is a common problem for pregnant women and has nothing to do with the quantity of hair for your child. Even women who suffered a lot from heartburn have welcomed bald babies.
4. Myth 4 : If your mother had an easy pregnancy and delivery, so will you.
   Fact : Hereditary factors have no role to play in predicting how easy or difficult your pregnancy and delivery will be. On the contrary, the size and position of the baby, your pregnancy diet and lifestyle play a role in determining how things will be.
5. Myth 5 : Sleeping or taking a nap on your back will hurt your baby.
   Fact : While you won’t harm your baby if you sleep in this position, you will feel better if you sleep on your side. Experts recommend sleeping on your left side since this is known to increase blood flow to your uterus and placenta.
6. Myth 6 : Having sex might hurt the baby.
   Fact : You should know that seven layers of skin from the abdominal wall to the amniotic sac are present to protect your baby. Your cervix has lengthened and hardened to prevent anything from getting into the uterus, and it also produces mucus to keep the area clean and infection free. Having sex cannot reach, touch or harm your baby. If your doctor has not asked you to abstain from sex, have no fear and go ahead.
7. Myth 7 : First babies always arrive late.
   Fact : While this is true to an extent since about 60 percent arrive after their due date, five per cent on the due date and 35 before the due date, what really determines the arrival of your baby is the length of your menstrual cycle. If it is shorter, there are more possibilities of you delivering early. If your cycle is longer, your baby will arrive later and if your cycle usually lasts 28 days, you will more likely deliver close to your due date. Always be sure, keep up-to-date with your ovulation date with our ovulation calculator.
8. Myth 8 : A woman in her early 20s not using birth control has a 50 percent chance of getting pregnant each month.
   Fact : Getting pregnant isn’t as easy as you’d think. Surprisingly, when you’re under 25, your monthly chances of hitting baby bingo are just 20 to 25 percent — not that much higher than they are for a woman who is over 35, whose monthly odds would be about 15 percent.
9. Myth 9 : Saliva is the most fertility friendly lubricant to use when you’re trying to conceive.
   Fact : You’d think that all bodily fluids would just get along — but no, not so, saliva is a sperm killer. In fact, the truth is that most lubricants and massage oils are fertility unfriendly — so best to go without when you’re baby making.
10. Myth 10 : Boxers are a better bet than briefs when you’re trying to conceive.
    Fact : Though in most cases, not true enough to make a big difference. Sperm production can get a cold shower from overheating — whether it’s in a hot tub, a sauna, spandex bike shorts, or a pair of tighty-whities. So if you’d like to give your partner the most conception-friendly climate control, switch to boxers and stay out of hot water.
11. Myth 11 : Laptops can impair sperm production.
    Fact : The heat is on when you use a laptop on your lap, and heat is not a friend of male fertility. The same may hold true for cell phones. So keep them out of your pocket and treat laptops as desktops.
12. Myth 12 : It’s best to take a home pregnancy test first thing in the morning.
    Fact : Even though you can get a positive result with anytime of the day urine, the longer you’ve gone between pees — and drinks — the more concentrated your urine. The more concentrated your urine, the more likely early levels of pregnancy hormone are to show up in it — and the more likely you’ll get the early positive you’re hoping for. For the best result try our pregnancy kit and check out our video on how to use a pregnancy kit properly.
13. Myth 13 : The average couple conceives within 3 months of trying.
    Fact : Conception doesn’t typically happen overnight — even after a really hot night. Egg and sperm may meet up on your first try, of course, but it actually takes take the average couple who doesn’t have any fertility issues between 6 and 12 months of active efforts before mission conception is accomplished. So if at first you don’t succeed — try, try again next month. Don’t forget to check out our conception calculator and our pregnancy test kit!
14. Myth 14 : After an egg is released, it can be fertilized for up to two days.
    Fact : While sperm can hang out and wait for their date for three days or more, an egg has only a 12 to 24 hour shelf life. So sperm have to catch it while they can. Timing is just about everything when it comes to fertility, which is why how to tell when you’re ovulating (and pinpointing ovulation) is so key to conception success. Try our ovulation calculator and our due date calculator to get the best idea.
15. Myth 15 : You can wait until you’re pregnant before you start cutting back on those lattes.
    Fact : Too much caffeine isn’t just a pregnancy no-no, it can be a fertility buster, too. Heavy caffeine consumption is linked to fertility issues, as well as to early miscarriage. So decaffeinate your diet and stick to no more than 200 mg a day while you’re trying to conceive, the equivalent of 12 ounces of brewed coffee or 2 shots of espresso. Good news: You won’t have to cut back any more once you’re expecting. The pregnant set is allowed the same 200 mg.
16. Myth 16 : Hopeful Moms need to switch to sparkling water, but Dads can keep their cocktails.
    Fact : Too much alcohol can definitely mess with a woman’s cycle, so it’s best to start cutting back on alcohol or cutting it out once you’re actively trying — especially because you won’t know immediately when baby’s on board. But dads don’t get a free drink pass. Too much alcohol can bring down the curtain on performance, but it can also lower testosterone, impairing sperm production.
17. Myth 17 : When a couple is having trouble conceiving, the woman should get a fertility workup first.
    Fact : First of all, fertility issues are just as often linked to men as to women. More importantly, a female fertility workup involves lots of testing, prodding, and probing. A male fertility workup involves a sperm sample. You do the math.
18. Myth 18 : Men don’t have a biological clock.
    Fact : It’s a clock with a much longer-lasting battery, but it’s still ticking away. While guys can produce viable sperm — and father babies. Older men are more likely to have fertility issues, due to dipping testosterone levels, the decrease in quantity and quality of sperm, as well as its strength and motility, and other factors.