Pregnant women are careful with 13 misconceptions during pregnancy

During pregnancy, women always want to learn about the care and protection of the fetus. In addition to researching on books and media, they believe in the experience of those who have gone before. However, besides useful knowledge, there are also misconceptions during pregnancy that you must be careful to avoid harming your baby.

According to statistics, among couples planning to have a baby, only 30% conceive in the first month, 85% conceive within 12 months and 5% become pregnant after a few years and require the intervention of medical. No matter how long it takes you to conceive , it is very important to have a thorough understanding of pregnancy and birth to ensure the health of mother and baby. Currently, on the Internet there is a lot of false information about pregnancy and childbirth. So aFamilyToday Health collects some of the most common pregnancy and birth misconceptions to help you better understand this.

1. Misconceptions during pregnancy: Big hips will make it easier to give birth

The larger hip is largely due to the pelvis (the largest and highest part of the hip). In fact, the size of the pelvis has nothing to do with the size of the birth canal. The deciding factor for fertility is the shape and size of the circular hole in the middle of the pelvis. It is called the upper waist and can be the same whether a woman has large or small hips.

2. The shape and size of the pregnant belly can tell the sex of the fetus

If it is possible to determine the sex of the fetus in this way, it is very simple. However, the only two things that can affect the shape and size of the womb are the size of the fetus and the position of the fetus in the uterus. Therefore, the size and shape of the pregnant belly are not related to the sex of the fetus.

3. Multiple ultrasound is not safe for the fetus

There is no scientific evidence that prenatal ultrasound harms mother and fetus. Ultrasound does not use radiation, it only uses high-frequency sound waves that scan the fetus to produce an image. The intensity of these waves is very low and is done quite quickly. Therefore, the only reason ultrasound is dangerous to pregnant women is that the users are not trained to operate the device.

4. Pregnant woman lying on her tummy harms her unborn baby

In the early months, the fetus is hidden deep inside the uterine muscles and is protected. Therefore, it is okay to sleep on your stomach as long as you feel comfortable. However, when your abdomen is large, lying on your stomach can make you uncomfortable so you cannot sleep well in this position. So what is the right sleeping position? Please see more article  Sleeping position during pregnancy: lying on your stomach, lying on your back or lying on your side?

5. Should not run during pregnancy

Being pregnant doesn't mean you have to give up your running habits. If you have no complications or problems during pregnancy, then running in pregnancy is safe and healthy. Note, if you encounter complications such as high blood pressure, excessive morning sickness or simply not used to jogging before pregnancy, you should not try this subject.

6. Morning sickness only occurs in the morning during the first 3 months

Morning sickness is the most common symptom of pregnancy. Up to 80% of pregnant women experience this problem in some way, but only 2% get morning sickness. Morning sickness can happen any time of the day, not just in the morning. In most cases morning sickness goes away after the first trimester, but up to 20% of pregnant women will still get morning sickness until birth.

7. Do not raise your hands above the head because this can strangle the fetus

This is an unsubstantiated rumor because raising hands cannot cause the umbilical cord to wrap around the baby's neck. In fact, your movements do not affect the umbilical cord. In addition, if your baby is born with an umbilical neck wrap, the doctor can easily handle it with just 1-2 movements.

8. You must stop keeping cats

Cats are the cause of toxoplasmosis , which causes birth defects in an unborn baby. However, this doesn't mean you have to stop keeping your cat during pregnancy. You should only avoid cleaning up pet waste. If no one helps, you can do it yourself, but wear disposable gloves and wash your hands right after. Usually the most common cause of toxoplasmosis is from eating raw or undercooked meat.

9. All women feel happy while pregnant - this is the best time in life

Everyone thinks that pregnancy is the happiest time in a woman's life. In fact, many pregnant women experience stress, confusion, fear and other unhappy feelings. Even about 14-23% of women struggle with symptoms of depression during pregnancy. This is because hormone changes can affect the brain and its active ingredients. Depression should be treated, otherwise it can affect mother and baby.

10. It's okay to drink a little alcohol from time to time

When you drink 1 glass of wine or beer, your baby will drink too. Alcohol can cross the placenta. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy increases the risk of birth defects physically, mentally, or neurologically. This condition is also known as fetal alcohol poisoning syndrome . No doctor can tell you exactly how much alcohol can lead to this syndrome. Therefore, it is better to avoid alcohol during pregnancy.

11. The weight gain during pregnancy disappears after childbirth

The extra weight gained during pregnancy includes the baby's weight, the placenta, the growth of the uterus and breasts, the amount of blood, body fluids and some excess fat. Once born, the weight of the fetus, placenta and amniotic fluid will disappear. After a few weeks, the weight of fluid stasis will also decrease. What is left in your body is the amount of fat you add during pregnancy. Over time, these fats will also disappear depending on your diet and exercise.

12. Caesarean section is easier than normal delivery

Many pregnant women prefer a cesarean delivery over normal delivery, though for no medical reason. This is because many women think that a caesarean section is less painful and safer. In fact, a caesarean section is also very painful but unlike normal births, the pain of a cesarean section will appear after the baby is born. In addition, a caesarean section may lead to complications in the future. Therefore, pregnant women should only give birth by cesarean section when the health of mother and baby is not guaranteed to deliver normally.

13. The fetus is not affected by external events

In the past, it was thought that the fetus had no knowledge of the outside world. However, at present, studies have shown that even in the womb, the baby can hear sounds, especially the mother's voice. In addition, the baby can also see the light outside the womb and turn away if it is too bright. Not only that, but your baby can also taste the food you are eating by licking the placenta and the uterine wall. Babies also have dreams and react to the world around them. Therefore, it can be seen that the fetus is affected by quite a lot of things happening outside.