There are lots of breastfeeding stories or myths about pregnancy that, in one way or another, continue to flourish, even though they are far from true. Personally, I think pregnancy myths are great fun, but of course only as long as they are not taken more seriously than they deserve to be. I have therefore compiled a brief overview of some of the most well-known myths, which for the most part should be taken with a smile and a pinch of salt.
Myths about pregnancy
1) If you have a lot of heartburn, your baby will have a lot of hair on its head
False. Heartburn and the amount of hair on a baby's head are in no way related.
2) If you are primarily “pregnant in the stomach,” you are expecting a boy
Or to put it another way: if you are getting thicker in the thighs and buttocks, you are expecting a girl. False! All women have different body shapes, pregnant and non-pregnant alike, and you can't tell whether you're having a boy or a girl by looking at your stomach or buttocks. You might be able to tell something about how many cream cakes the pregnant woman is eating, but that's completely irrelevant in terms of gender.
3) If the baby's heartbeat is fast, you are expecting a girl, and if it is slow, you are expecting a boy
Fact or fiction. On average, girls have slightly smaller hearts than boys, which is why they have a slightly higher average heart rate, but there are plenty of baby boys with a “fast heart rate” and plenty of baby girls with a “slow heart rate.” Babies' heart rates also change in line with their activity levels, so this method is unlikely to be very helpful.
4) You should preferably sleep on your left side
Myth. Many pregnant women feel uncomfortable lying on their backs, which is why they naturally tend to lie on their sides. It will usually feel most comfortable to lie on the side where the baby's back is, which in most cases is the left side. However, there is no health difference between lying on one side or the other when pregnant. Of course, you should not lie on your back if it does not feel good.
5) Rich cream can prevent stretch marks
Fake. Unfortunately! Stretch marks occur in the subcutaneous tissue, where neither creams nor oils applied externally have any effect. That said, you can benefit from strengthening the elasticity of the epidermis so that it can keep up a little more easily, both when your belly grows and when it shrinks again at some point. Here, Embrace is an obvious choice, both because of its wonderful properties and because it can be an extremely enjoyable pregnancy ritual to rub cream on your belly – or even better, to have it rubbed on for you.
6) You must not eat sushi
False. You can eat sushi when you are pregnant, but you should be cautious with large predatory fish, such as tuna, which are often used in sushi.
7) If you want to induce labor, you should go out and climb stairs
False. There is no evidence that physical activity can induce labor. On the other hand, it can be extremely exhausting when you are heavily pregnant, so it may be better to save your energy for the birth. Of course, you should keep active as much as possible, but there is no point in pushing your body too hard to induce labor.
8) The larger the baby, the more painful it is to give birth
False! Giving birth to a baby weighing 2500 grams is just as painful as giving birth to a baby weighing 4500 grams, and one cannot be described as easier than the other.
9) You can't produce enough milk if you have very small breasts
False! The number of milk glands in the breasts has nothing to do with the size of the breasts. The most important thing for producing enough milk is to breastfeed at least every 4 hours – preferably around the clock – and to consume plenty of calories. If the body is in a calorie deficit, breast milk will typically be one of the first places it “saves.”
10) You can induce labor with sex
Fact. And a little bit of a myth. If labor is about to start anyway, you can induce it with sex. For several reasons. One reason is that male semen contains the hormone prostaglandin, which is also used to induce labor. However, the amount is very small, and it takes about six servings of semen to have the equivalent of one induction pill. The second reason is that contractions are stimulated by oxytocin, our love hormone, which increases during sex. Especially during orgasm, which is the most effective. And fortunately, most people find sex more enjoyable than climbing stairs, so you can always give it a try.