Once you get knocked up, there's no end to the advice you get -- especially about everything that's now "forbidden" for you as a pregnant woman. Don't eat this, don't wear that, careful what socks you wear, should you even still breathe oxygen?!? Ha, I'm exaggerating, of course.
How much of this advice is actually based in fact, and how much of it is just old wives' tales? Sure, you could err on the safe side and just wrap yourself in bubble wrap for nine months. But you still need to live! A North Dakota newspaper asked some OB-GYNs to dispel a few pregnancy myths. Here's what they had to say about the dos and don'ts of pregnancy.
Things Pregnant Women Can Do:
1. Dye or perm your hair. I mean, it's not great for anyone, pregnant or not. But it's not particularly harmful to a developing fetus, according to this doctor.
2. Drink coffee. Anyone else remember that Mad About You episode when pregnant Helen Hunt spit out her coffee because she was pregnant? Well, she didn't have to. As long as you're at three cups or under a day, it's fine.
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3. Eat seafood. You can eat fish (including sushi, according to one doctor, but my doctor said no to sushi) as long as it's low in mercury.
4. Go hot tubbing. Hot baths, saunas, and tubs are okay, BUT -- only if they're under 100 degrees. For hot tubs, avoid submerging your belly or pelvis under water. (I know, what's the point? But your aching calves will thank you.)
5. Have sex. Doctors still haven't seen definitive proof that it starts labor. Enjoy!
Two things to avoid:
Scooping cat litter. Yup, you officially have an excuse to avoid this chore. There's a very small chance you can catch toxoplasmosis. We don't have to go into how narrow that chance is. Shhh, just say thank you for this excuse note.
Sleeping on your back. If you sleep on your back, the baby can press against blood vessels that feed vital organs. Sleep on your side instead. If you wake up on your back, don't panic. (I did that all the time.) Just roll back on your side.
What else have you been told you CANNOT do now that you're pregnant?
Image via flequi/Flickr
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Comments 65
The only "don't do that" comments I get are from women who have never been pregnant. Ones who have been pregnant are definitely more laid back. The hardest don't do for me is not sleeping on my back. Sleeping on my sides makes my hips hurt so bad, but still doing it.
i was told by my husbands family towards the end of my pregnancy not to sweep or mop! yea idk they said that it could bring on early labor..but its not like i was mopping/sweeping an entire cafiteria lobby or something! lol so i just didnt do it..my husband really stepped up! =)
Yes Japanese women eat lots of sushi while pregnant. It's about how the fish is handled not the actual sushi.