Más Bakersfield

When it comes to pregnancy, old wives’ tales and myths abound.

Oftentimes, new moms are already confused enough and don’t know what to believe.

MÁS spoke with local physician, Noel Del Mundo, who helped us expose the facts and the fiction behind some pregnancy myths.

Dr. Del Mundo has 10 years experience in obstetrics and gynecology. Here’s what he shared with MÁS:

Myth #1: Determining pink or blue? Physical characteristics can determine the sex of the child. For example, if your face gets fat when you’re pregnant, you’re having a girl; if you tie your wedding band to a string and have someone hold it over your belly, if it swings back and forth, it’s a girl, if it makes a circle it is a boy; how you are carrying — high or low — can indicate your baby’s sex; the baby’s heart rate can indicate the sex; the amount and severity of morning sickness you have can determine the sex of your child; etc.
False.  Ways to determine the sex of the child before birth that are considered reliable are amniocentesis (would require a needle to be inserted into the womb to collect fetal cells) and ultrasound after 16 weeks gestation.

Myth #2: Food cravings tend to mirror different stages of pregnancy. For example, when iron is needed, expectant moms will crave green leafy vegetables; when protein is needed the most, expectant moms tend to crave red meat; and when calcium is needed the most, expectant moms tend to crave ice cream, milk shakes and other dairy products.
False.  How wonderful it would be if our taste buds could guide us to the right foods our body needs!

Myth #3: Certain foods and beverages should be avoided during pregnancy including: caffeine, tuna, raw fish/sushi, cheese, yogurt, alcohol, and vitamin A.
True and False.  Unpasteurized milk products and uncooked meats and fish must be avoided because they might contain Listeria or Salmonella or E. Coli, bacteria that can infect and harm a fetus, but pasteurized milk products and properly cooked fish are okay, all in moderation.

Fetal alcohol syndrome (low IQ, emotional problems and facial deformities) can result from alcohol intake during pregnancy, and we don’t how much is too much.

Excessive vitamin A use has been linked to fetal malformation, so supplementation above and beyond what is provided in prenatal vitamins is not recommended.

Caffeine in the form of 6-ounce cup of coffee or tea (again, in moderation) has not been shown to be of harm to Mom or baby.  

Myth #4: The chemicals in cat litter can harm the baby, so moms-to-be should stay away from the litter box.
True.  The concern with cat litter is mostly to moms who have not had exposure to cat droppings prior to pregnancy, these moms are at risk of contracting toxoplasma, a parasite that can harm the developing baby.

Myth #5: Standing on your head after intercourse can increase your chances of becoming pregnant.
False. There are other methods to retaining the male semen in the vagina without risking the woman’s neck.

Myth #6: Heartburn means a baby with lots of hair.
False.

Myth #7: Exercising during pregnancy can cause premature birth.
False.  Women who have been exercising regularly prior to pregnancy can often continue with their exercise routine (contact sports excluded), if there are no complications such as placenta previa  — a placenta that implants on the cervical opening of the uterus.

Myth #8: If you fall while you are pregnant, you will have a miscarriage.

Mostly false. If the fall is from a high enough distance such that the deceleration that occurs on impact is enough to cause separation of the placenta from the uterus, in this instance, miscarriage would likely occur.

Myth #9: Engaging in intercourse during the final weeks of pregnancy can hasten labor and delivery.
False. This question was asked in a recently published study, and intercourse was found not to hasten labor. 

Myth #10: You should double what you normally eat during pregnancy because you’re eating for two.
False. The caloric intake recommended during pregnancy is slightly higher, but it is not double that when she wasn’t pregnant.

Myth #11: Sleeping on your back or laying on your back for long periods of time can hurt the baby.
For otherwise healthy moms, I don’t know of a study that has shown an adverse outcome in moms who regularly sleep on their back during pregnancy versus those that sleep on their sides.

Myth #12: When giving birth, it is better to cut (i.e. episiotomy) than to tear.
Mostly false.  Studies have shown that episiotomies only increase the risk for extension to third- or fourth-degree tears. But in unique cases, complications from lacerations or hematomas to other parts of the birth canal might be averted if an episiotomy is made. It’s a judgment call on the part of the obstetrician at the time of delivery in these unique cases as to whether or not an episiotomy would benefit the mom.

Myth #13: Using a hot tub or sauna can cause a miscarriage.
True. Sustained exposure to high temperature is harmful to the developing fetus.

Myth #14: Pregnant women have a glow: their skin, nails and hair are healthier.
Yes, if they are eating better and taking prenatal vitamins during pregnancy.

Myth #15: When you have a strong urge to clean house during the last weeks of your pregnancy, it means you are about to go into labor.
I don’t know. I haven’t found a study that shows increased frequency of dusting and cleaning predicts onset of labor.

Myth #16: If you put milk in your cup before your tea, it will keep your child from having red hair.
False. Color of hair is genetically determined, so until milk can be formulated to have genetic probes aimed at the hair color gene, this would be false.

Myth #17: Women who get an epidural during labor recover faster from pregnancy than women who go natural.
False. Most studies have shown that the recovery is equal provided the C-section rate did not increase with the use of epidural.