5 Pregnancy Myths Debunked
I hear all kinds of myths everyday! Today I will answer about the 5 pregnancy myths I hear most often.
1- Everyone enjoys pregnancy and “glows”.
Oh, how I wish this was true. With all the unpleasantness of pregnancy, it isn’t surprising at all that many women just don’t enjoy it. Morning sickness, bloating, muscle and joint pains just aren’t pleasant. Many women also feel incredibly guilty about now enjoying it.
2- Morning sickness is only in the morning.
Many people who experience morning sickness have it at all different times of the day. Fluctuating hormone levels make it most common in the morning but everyone and every pregnancy is different. For tips on managing morning sickness, check out this post. Some women also suffer from “extreme vomiting during pregnancy”, also known as hyperemesis gravidarum.
3- You should be off your feet the whole time.
Most women can remain active during their pregnancies. Some activities, such as contact sports should be kept for after baby but keeping up with activities you were doing before pregnancy can really be good for you and baby. New guidelines recently came out saying that most women should be doing 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
4- There are many foods you need to be avoiding
The truth is, there are only a small number of foods that are considered high risk and need to be avoided. According to Health Canada, the list is:
-Raw or undercooked meat, fish and eggs
-unpasteurized milk and cheese and juices
-hot dogs and lunch meat
-raw sprouts
When in doubt, choose something else!
5- Pregnancy is exactly 9 months long.
There is a big range of what is considered normal in terms of the length of your pregnancy.
37 weeks- 38 weeks, 6 days is considered early term
39 weeks- 40 weeks, 6 days is considered full term
41 weeks- 41 weeks, 6 days is considered late-term.
Even more important to note is that the average first-time mom gives birth in the 41st week of pregnancy!
What myth have you often heard for pregnancy? Join the conversation by joining the Pregnant in Ottawa Facebook Group!