As soon as women become pregnant, they find that they are bombarded by old wives’ tales and medical advice that is out of date. Because of this, those expecting need to sift through all the false information and find out the truths about pregnancy instead. It needs to be done sooner rather than later so that myths heard about pregnancy can be busted. This makes pregnancy easier and less stressful in the process.


Old wives’ tales are potentially as old as spoken language itself, according to Children’s Minnesota. Because of this, stories and tales get passed from one generation to the next.

And because there is just enough truth in what is being said with these tales, there are going to be people who believe what they are told. That, coupled with advice from older generations who had their babies with a different set of guidelines to follow to keep them healthy, and falling victim to pregnancy falsehoods.

This is why it pays to be up-to-date on current pregnancy information so that when presented with myths, they can be shot down immediately.

RELATED: Eating Dates To Help With Labor: Myth Or Truth?

Here are myths we have all heard about pregnancy, busted.

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10/10 Exercising Is Dangerous When Pregnant

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via Pexels/Jessica Monte

For those women who did not exercise much before becoming pregnant, they likely have heard that starting to exercise when pregnant is dangerous to the pregnancy. Something that is completely false.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, even if women have never been consistent exercisers, doing so during pregnancy is a great time to start. This can be walking, yoga, elliptical machine, or even water aerobics, per the publication.

Women should aim for 150 minutes of exercise per week, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. By doing this, not only will women be healthier, but they will have easier labor and delivery as well.

9/10 Traveling Is A No-No When Pregnant

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via Pexels/Anna Shvets

Traveling is completely safe during pregnancy, as long as the pregnancy is low-risk. Talk of anything else is a myth.

According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, women are safe to travel by plane until approximately 36 weeks pregnant. After that, most airlines will not let women travel, in case they were to go into labor while in flight.

If traveling by car, via publication, women should take frequent rests so that they are not sitting for long periods. Drinking extra water and wearing clothing that is not binding is recommended as well. All things that keep women safe while traveling while pregnant.

8/10 Women Can Gain As Much Weight As They Want During Pregnancy

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via Pexels/Michaela Markovičová

Does the phrase “eating for two” ring any bells? This is because women are told and believe that they can gain as much weight as they want during pregnancy. Something that is, unfortunately not true. Especially for those who were looking forward to nine months of indulging.

According to MedlinePlus, there are different amounts of weight that women should gain based on what their starting weight is before pregnancy. Those weight gain amounts include:

  • Underweight women:
    gain 28 to 40 pounds

  • Most women:
    gain 25 to 35 pounds

  • Overweight women:
    gain 15 to 25 pounds

  • Pregnant with twins:
    gain 37 to 54 pounds

Women should work to stay in these ranges. Not only will they feel healthier during pregnancy but will be better able to get the weight off when the pregnancy journey has come to an end as well.

7/10 There Are Plenty Of Methods To Determine The Sex Of The Baby

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via Pexels/RODNAE Productions

Oh, the methods that are said to be true when it comes to determining the sex of the baby. None of which can accurately predict the sex of the baby with any degree of certainty.

According to the South Bend Tribune, several ways said to be able to determine the sex of the baby includes:

  • The wedding ring test

  • Morning sickness

  • How the baby is being carried

  • Foods being craved

  • Baby’s heart rate

  • Skin breakouts

If only it were this simple to find out if the baby was a boy or a girl. Instead, women should wait until they are in their second trimester, and they will be able to take a blood test or use an ultrasound to let them know the sex of their babies.

6/10 Hair Cannot Be Colored During Pregnancy

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via Pexels/cottonbro

It used to be believed that if women dyed their hair during pregnancy, they could be putting their babies at risk. But because there is little of the dye coming into contact with the scalp, it has no way of entering the bloodstream, according to VeryWell Family. And because of this, it is considered safe to color hair during pregnancy.

5/10 Morning Sickness Only Happens In The Morning

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via Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio

According to the March of Dimes, starting around six weeks pregnant, women can begin to experience morning sickness. Something that is a bit of a misconception, given its name. This is because, per the publication, morning sickness can happen at any time during the day.

Therefore, if morning sickness is felt at times other than shortly after rising, do not fret. It is completely normal and just a sign that hormones are rapidly increasing during pregnancy.

4/10 Cats Need To Be Given Away When Pregnant

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via Pexels/Vlada Karpovich

Out of fear of contracting toxoplasmosis, women may think that the safest thing to do for themselves and their babies is to give their cats away when expecting. But for all the animal lovers out there, this simply is not true. Women can be pregnant and keep their fur babies around.

According to Winchester Hospital, if women have indoor cats who are fed “commercially-packaged food,” the risk of contracting toxoplasmosis is very low. Cats that can spread the infection are those who are outdoor cats who eat infected prey.

Interestingly, however, is that women are more apt to get toxoplasmosis from handling raw meat that contaminated, per the publication. Meaning that if there are any fears about toxoplasmosis, have someone else clean litter boxes during pregnancy. But cats do not need to be rehomed during pregnancy.

3/10 Bad Heartburn Means Baby Will Be Born With Lots Of Hair

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via Pexels/Anastaisa Shuraeva

One of the worst parts of pregnancy is dealing with heartburn. Something that gave women a silver lining was that heartburn meant their babies would have a full head of hair when born.

Unfortunately, according to Methodist, heartburn is not an indication that babies will have lovely locks at birth. Just as no heartburn does not mean women will have a bald baby. It is a pregnancy symptom that is caused by slowed digestion and relaxed muscles allowing stomach acid to escape the stomach and cause pain as a result.

2/10 It Is Okay To Have A Glass Of Wine Sparingly

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via Pexels/Los Muertos Crew

Where the idea came from that an occasional glass of wine is healthy during pregnancy is unknown. But women should not have any alcohol when pregnant.

According to What To Expect, there is no safe amount of alcohol for women to drink when expecting. It does not matter if it is wine or something stronger. Abstaining is what is best for babies’ development. And having several dry months in exchange for a healthy newborn is more than worth it.

1/10 All Women Over 35 Will Have High-Risk Pregnancies

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via Pexels/Matilda Wormwood

With more women having babies over the age of 35 than ever, hearing that it is a risky age to have a baby is scary. But there is nothing “magic” about the number 35, according to Self. Women this age, and older, have very healthy babies with no complications quite often.

The reason that there is a “risk” assigned to the age of 35 is simply that it can be more difficult to get pregnant. There is also a slight uptick in the rate of miscarriages as well. But if women feel healthy and are living a healthy lifestyle, there is no reason to not have a healthy pregnancy at the age of 35 or older.

Source: Children’s Minnesota, Johns Hopkins, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, South Bend Tribune, VeryWell Family, March of Dimes, Winchester Hospital, Methodist, What To Expect, Self



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