| Myths |
Myth Busters |
| If I have heartburn, it is a hairy baby. |
Even bald babies can cause heart burn. |
| If the baby’s heart rate is fast over 140bpm, it’s a boy. |
This is right half the time, girls can have fast heart rates also if they are moving around. |
| The ring test can predict a baby’s sex accurately |
It can, half the time. |
| Putting my arms above my head while hanging out the washing will wrap the baby’s cord around its neck. |
1 in 4 babies have the cord around their neck. Putting out the washing does not cause this. So no need to buy a new dryer. |
| Underwater births are better for the baby. |
We encourage you to use water in the bath or shower early in labour. Once the baby’s head is delivered it requires air to survive, not water. If you deliver underwater your baby will have a lower apgar score. |
| Doctors do routine episiotomies and Caesarean sections. |
I prefer nature to take its course. Your recovery is much quicker after a normal birth, but both these surgical procedures have their place. Caesars and episiotomies are done for reasons of safety for both the mother and the baby. |
| Brown birth marked babies are due to their mothers drinking coffee. |
Babies can have birth marks whether you drink tea, coffee, or coca cola. There is no evidence drinking any of these beverages can cause birth marks |
| If you have a dream about having a baby boy, you will probably have a girl. If you dream about having a baby girl, you will have a baby boy. |
There is no evidence to support this. Sounds like a nightmare to me. |
| People say you are carrying high |
You are carrying high, you are carrying low, you are carrying nicely. These descriptions are often made from the other side of the road. They don’t tell us very much about your pregnancy, when the labour will start, or whether it will be a quick or a slow birth. |
| You are more likely to be having a girl, if your left breast is bigger than your right. |
There is no evidence to support these claims. |
| If your nose gets bigger you are having a boy |
Sounds like Pinnochio made this one up. |
| If you combine your age at conception with the number of the month you conceived and the result of it is odd, you are having a boy. |
Odds are this one is definitely not true. |
| You are more likely to have a girl, if your previous child’s first words were mama. |
Another one for the story books. |
| If you prefer sweet food during pregnancy, it’s a girl. |
Boys like sweets too, so this myth is busted. |
| If you prefer salty food it’s a boy. |
Same case as above I’m afraid. |
| If you don’t have the pregnancy glow, it is a girl – because girl babies are stealing your
beauty from you. |
Sounds like a horror story, and it’s a myth. |
| You shouldn’t have a bath if you are pregnant because the bacteria in the water may infect you. |
If you have ruptured your membranes we advise having a shower rather than a bath, otherwise taking a bath is ok and encouraged. |
