Myths About Pregnancy That We Should All Get Over

This is a partnered post.

We’ve probably all heard our fair share of wives’ tales and wacky stories from our parents about pregnancy. Whether it’s strange superstition or incorrect medical advice, there are still a couple of pregnancy myths floating around the internet that should really be debunked already. As part of that effort, we’re going to talk about a handful of pregnancy myths that are sadly more common than we’d like to admit.

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You’re eating for both you and your baby

When most of us first hear this, it sounds like it has a bit of truth to it. After all, you’re growing a baby inside of you, so it makes sense that you should eat more to feed them as well, right? This is actually only partially true. Most women only need to consume around 200 extra calories per day to provide for their baby. 200 calories is very little and it should ideally be made up of good nutrients like protein, carbs and healthy fats. Eating an extra chicken breast or having an extra healthy snack per day is enough for this.

You’ll crave random foods

And to add to the subject of eating, you’re not going to get random cravings for different foods. Cravings are common in pregnant mothers, but it’s not a universal thing that is caused by the pregnancy itself. Rather, cravings can be triggered by hormonal changes and not every pregnant mother will experience this.

You shouldn’t exercise when pregnant

While it’s never a bad idea to limit stressful movements, getting a bit of exercise is actually healthy for both you and your baby. As long as you’re not running marathons and trying to stick with your old weightlifting records, you’ll be fine to get a bit of gentle exercise. Start slow with something like walking or cycling, then as you progress through the pregnancy, switch to more low-impact exercises.

Your pregnancy will go smooth as long as you’re healthy

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when pregnant is assuming that everything will be fine as long as you’re healthy before getting pregnant. This is less of a myth and more of a misconception that is built on complacency. The reality is that any pregnant mother can face complications even if they’re extremely healthy. As a result, you should be looking out for any potential side effects, even if it’s migraines during pregnancy, and you should be reporting them to a healthcare professional to examine in further detail. Never overlook side effects during pregnancy and don’t just assume that your delivery will be stress-free as long as you take care of your health.

You can’t be intimate with your partner

As long as you’re enjoying your intimacy with your partner and engage in it with moderation, there’s actually nothing wrong with this and it won’t harm your baby. If you have any concerns, you should always speak to a healthcare professional or your midwife if you’re noticing anything strange about your body. This could include bleeding, cervical weakness or even dizziness.