Old Wives Tales have been around for as long as humans have walked the earth. They are even mentioned in the Bible. I Timothy 4:7a says, “But refuse profane and old wives’ fables… (King James Bible) The term wives as used here refers to women as opposed to a married woman. The usage comes from the Old English term wif, which means woman. (Wikipedia.com) Old Wives Tales are a part of every aspect of life as we know it. From tales and myths in the kitchen, beauty myths in the bathroom and yes, to conception and pregnancy Old Wives Tales and myths invade our lives on a daily basis.
Here are some of the most common Old Wives Tales and myths about conception and pregnancy.
MYTH: You can’t get pregnant your first time having sex.
This is one of the biggest conception myths out there. You CAN in fact get pregnant your first time having sex. You can even get pregnant before you have your first period. If a young girl happens to be ovulating at the time she has sex she can get pregnant even before she has had her first period. There are no force fields or other paranormal avenues that will “know” it’s your first time and keep you from getting pregnant. Sorry girls, you have sex , you run the risk of getting pregnant…even if it’s your first time.
As an example, my sister-in-law waited until she was 22 to have sex. 9 months after her first time she gave birth to a beautiful, healthy boy. The only true and sure fire way to avoid getting pregnant is by practicing abstinence.
Myth! Myth! Myth! While pulling out will prevent the majority of sperm from entering the vagina, some of it can be caught in the pre-ejaculate and enter the vagina. Planned Parenthood estimates that for every 100 women whose partners pull out, 19 will become pregnant within the first year. (Snopes.com)
Myth: I will get pregnant as soon as I stop taking my birth control.
While this may be true for a very small amount of women, for the majority it’s false. Birth control, no matter what it’s form, releases hormones into your body. It may take a small bit of time for those hormones to leave your body. Look at it this way though…more fun for you trying though!
Myth: Having sex everyday will help me get pregnant quicker.
False! There is no proof that having sex everyday will help a woman conceive quicker. Woman are only able to conceive when they are ovulating and that only happens a few days a month. Also, having sex a lot can temporally reduce a man’s sperm count and that’s not very helpful when trying to get pregnant. Want to conceive quicker? Chart your menstrual cycle and figure out when you ovulate and have sex every other day. Having sex every other day will ensure that there is a fresh supply of sperm living in the reproductive tract. (momlogic.com)
Myth: If I have heartburn during my pregnancy then my baby will have a full head of hair.
This one is close to my heart. While pregnant with my daughter, I had heartburn EVERY DAY. I do mean every day of my life for 9 months straight. Yes, she was born with a head full of jet black hair. So much of it that I could put it into a little ponytail right from the time she was born.
However, heartburn is a natural part of pregnancy. It’s also one of those symptoms that some women have and some (lucky ones in my opinion), don’t. While a woman is pregnant, the placenta produces a hormone called progesterone that helps smooth out the muscles in the uterus. Unfortunately the hormone also relaxes the “flap” that separates the esophagus and the stomach letting acids come back up, resulting in heartburn. (Babycenter.com)
Myth: You can tangle the baby’s umbilical cord by raising your arms above your head.
Wow…that’s a lot to put on a soon to be momma. About 20-25% of babies are born with their umbilical cord either wrapped around their neck or tied in a knot. (http://forum.baby-gaga.com) It can be caused by fetal movements or by the baby having a cord that is longer than 100cm.
My daughter was born with her cord tied into a “true knot.” Think those twisty pretzels that you get at the mall…yeah, like that. It was caused by a flip that she did when I was about 6.5 months pregnant. I remember when she did it, I doubled over because it felt so strange. Bottom line? If your baby is going to get tangled, he is going to get tangled. Nothing you did caused it and there is nothing to prevent it.
Myth: The Doctor ALWAYS knows best.
This one is personal to me. Very personal. While most people know and realize that doctors are humans too who do make mistakes, sometimes we need to be reminded. I am a firm believer that women, especially those who carry a life inside of them, should trust in their own instincts.
I was not like this during my pregnancy. I trusted everything that the doctor said. I followed everything to a T…until my baby stopped moving like she should. Then, the doctor’s “That’s normal” response just didn’t seem good enough. I read everything I could get my hands on and finally started to figure out that maybe my baby had a problem with her cord. Turns out, I was right.
Never be afraid to ask for a second opinion. Always trust your gut instinct. You are the one who carries that baby 24/7…you know your body.
Sources:
King James Bible
Snopes.com
Wikipedia.com
momlogic.com
Baby-gaga forum
