Posted by Melanie on 17th February 2010

93 Old Wive’s Tales, Superstitions and Myths About Pregnancy

In my obsession over pregnancy and babies I have come across quite a few of Old Wive’s Tales, superstitions and myths. Why are they tales and not fact:

- They are not supported by science
- There is no definitive answer to if they are true
- They are based on cultural beliefs
- Your mother and grandmother’s generation most likely made it up

Either way they are interesting to read. Although, I must say that you should never trust your health and baby to a tale that someone tells you. You should get sound medical advice (oh…and for me spiritual of course). Some women have gone places in their mind that they shouldn’t from this stuff. Pregnancy should be fun not weighed down by random “what-ifs?”. We have enough of those in life.

So if your promise not to obsess – here they are. Some of these are fun (the gender ones), others are just plain weird (the bad luck ones), but all-in-all its good clean fun…in moderation. Another quick note – none of these are of my making. I have quoted from several websites which can be found below the list. Enjoy!

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

Having a Boy:

You didn’t experience morning sickness in early pregnancy
Your baby’s heart rate is less than 140 beats per minute
You are carrying the extra weight out front
Your belly looks like a basketball
Your areolas have darkened considerably
You are carrying low
You are craving salty or sour foods
You are craving protein — meats and cheese
Your feet are colder than they were before pregnancy
The hair on your legs has grown faster during pregnancy
Your hands are very dry
Your pillow faces north when you sleep
Dad-to-be is gaining weight, right along with you
Pregnancy has you looking better than ever
Your urine is bright yellow in color
Your nose is spreading
You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves in circles
You are having headaches
You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and the sum is an even number

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Having a Girl:

You had morning sickness early in pregnancy
Your baby’s heart rate is at least 140 beats per minute
You are carrying the weight in your hips and rear
Your left breast is larger than your right breast
Your hair develops red highlights
You are carrying high
Your belly looks like a watermelon
You are craving sweets
You are craving fruit
You crave orange juice
You don’t look quite as good as normal during pregnancy
You are moodier than usual during pregnancy
Your face breaks out more than usual
You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread
Your breasts have really blossomed!
Your pillow faces south when you sleep
Your urine is a dull yellow color
You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves from side to side
You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and the sum is an odd number

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

If a pregnant woman frequently experiences heartburn, her baby will have a full head of hair.
If a pregnant woman sees something ugly or horrible, she will have an ugly baby.
If a baby is born with cafe au lait spots (light-brown birthmarks), the mother drank too much coffee or had unfulfilled cravings during pregnancy.
Pregnant Women Should Not Take Baths because the water will go into the uterus.
Holding Your Hands Above Your Head Can Cause the Umbilical Cord to strangle The Baby
Wearing A Lei Can Choke Your Fetus
You Have to Drink A Lot of Water or Your Baby Will Get Dirty
You Need Boiling Water Nearby During Childbirth to Disinfect the baby
Your Partner Will Get a Sty in the Eye if They Don’t Feed You What You Crave
Intense Sex Can Kick Start Pre-term Labor
Eating pineapple core will help the fetus implant into your womb
Exercising during pregnancy will cause a miscarriage
To ensure a healthy baby, it is best to conceive at midday
To promote a babies intelligence a pregnant woman should read as much as possible
If you eat with a pregnant woman you will get a headache, or you become lazy, or sleepy. (This may fit the weird category)
Sex during pregnancy may give the baby bad skin / may scare the baby / may cause the baby to have a smashed nose

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Chinese

The emotional state of pregnant women is important. They should stay happy as much as possible. It is believed whatever affects a mother’s mind will also affect the baby. If you cry and stress a lot, then your baby will be always in sour face and cry always.
Pregnant women should watch what they eat because it’s believed that if you eats food that’s not properly cut or mashed, her child will have a careless disposition. Light colored food will make your baby fair-skinned. If soy sauce or dark soy sauce make up a large part of your diet, your baby may have darker skin. (So for a lightskin child I will just chug bleach…yum.)
Absolutely no renovation works around the house no matter how minor it is. Things in need of repair around the house? Well, too bad I’m afraid. Anything that involves drilling, hammering, chopping, sawing and such could lead to abortion or fetal deformities.
Never attend funerals and weddings. This is to avoid any clash on each party.
To protect your unborn baby from evil spirits, pregnant women are advice place a knife under their bed.
Pregnant women should not cut anything on the bed. Spiritually, it signifies cutting your unborn baby’s umbilical cord.
Using glue is believed to bring about difficult labor.
Avoid getting a stroller or pushchair before your baby is born. Keep it elsewhere, preferably away from the house if you happen to purchased one. It’s bad luck to have an empty stroller within the house when you’re pregnant.
Avoid having baby clothes in the house. Like a stroller or pushchair, it’s also bad luck to have used (or new? I’m not too sure about this though) around the house when you’re pregnant.
Never utter foul or vulgar words or you might risk getting your baby cursed. (Good idea in general since you will have little ears around soon)
Stop that all too common habit of rubbing your baby bump if you don’t want a spoilt and over-demanding child.
Do not visit houses which had been left vacant for a long time. Such premises have not been spiritually “cleansed” therefore might contain unholy entities that affects you and your baby.
Hang images or posters of babies around the house and bedroom.
Leave a light on when you’re sleeping. A small night light will do just fine to avoid sleeping in total darkness.
For those who are yet to be married. Have the groom carry the bride over a pan of burning coals when entering his home for the first time. Doing this ensures trouble-free labor.
Eating oranges and drinking coconut juice when pregnant will cause the baby to have plenty of phlegm

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

The Weird Stuff (that I am 100%positive is not true…so don’t believe it!)

Full Moons Assure Pregnancy
Sewing while pregnant will cause the needle to injure the baby’s guardian angel and the guardian angel may disappear and leave the baby unguarded
If a pregnant woman is mad at someone, her baby will end up looking like the person she’s mad at.
Pregnant women were not allow to spin wool in the past as this meant her child would die by hanging
Pregnant women were forbidden to prepare food or help with farm animals as they may contaminate the animals
If a woman is having problems conceiving then all she had to do to ensure success was to hug a pregnant woman
In past times pregnant women were confined in order to ward off evil or the fairies swapping the child at birth
It is considered bad luck to talk about the baby before its birth because this invites the interference of fairies who may want to harm the baby
If a woman wants her child to be fair in color then all she had to do was to look at a corpse
If a pregnant woman steps over a black cat this ensures great luck
If a pregnant woman steps over any other color cat this is a catastrophe (pardon the pun)
It is believed that if a baby kicks on the left-hand side of the womb it is female and on the right, it is male
If a rat runs around a pregnant woman’s feet this will result in very bad luck
If a ferret, stoat or weasel jumps over the stomach of a pregnant woman then the child will be born with a birthmark
If a pregnant woman steps over a grave this will ensure premature death for her child
If a couple are having problems having a child then place a pearl under your pillow
Allowing a rat or a weasel to leap over a pregnant woman’s belly will cause a birthmark.
A pregnant woman frightened by a bird will have a child born with a wing.
If a pregnant woman gazes at the moon, her child will be born with mental problems.
If she drinks from a cracked cup, the child will have a hare lip.You can’t make fun or criticize other people or it comes back on your baby.
If your pregnant wife leans or walks over you, you’ll feel what she feels – nausea and headaches.
During the first months of pregnancy, it is widely believed that the qualities of the foods the woman craves may affect the child’s physical appearance. It is not uncommon for a pregnant woman to be cautioned against eating certain foods like duck embryo whose soft feathers resemble human hair; or eggplant, she risk having a child with distinct purple marks.
If you bear a redheaded child, there was a pig or goat under the bed when you conceived. Once upon a time, red hair was seen as a sign of a witch, or someone with magical powers. The ancient Celts had a “hymn” to Bridget, the fire goddess, that began, “I am a fire in the head” – which supposedly refers to red hair

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

If you want more of this stuff then you can check out Baby Lore: Superstitions and Old Wives Tales from the World Over Related to Pregnancy, Birth and Babycare

Sources:

http://parenting.ivillage.com/pregnancy/pbabyprep/0,,j012-2,00.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/524995/pregnancy_ancient_rituals_superstitions.html?cat=5

http://www.mommadiary.com/2007/11/29/chinese-pregnancy-superstitions-and-taboos/

http://www.womens-health.co.uk/forums/Pregnancy/Pregnancy_Beliefs_and_Superstitions/

http://foongsite.com/index.php/2009/07/hitting-and-scoffing-at-more-stupid-superstitions-and-pregnancy-myths/

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3 Responses

Shawn Tassone says:

February 18, 2010 at 12:01 pm

Great article and pregnancy myths are so fun that we wrote a entire book about them called “Hands Off My Belly!: The Pregnant Woman’s Survival Guide to Myths Mothers and Moods” Prometheus Books 2009 and Mom’s Choice Award Gold Recipient. We go through and tell which ones are true or false and why. You might want to check it out on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Borders

Reply
- Melanie says:
  
  February 18, 2010 at 12:03 pm
  
  Really? I will have to pick it up and do a video book review..thanks!
  
  Reply
MsBabyPlan says:

February 19, 2010 at 3:00 pm

LOL, what a list.

Reply

I friends who follow!

93 Old Wive’s Tales, Superstitions and Myths About Pregnancy

- They are not supported by science - There is no definitive answer to if they are true - They are based on cultural beliefs - Your mother and grandmother’s generation most likely made it up

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

Having a Boy:

You didn’t experience morning sickness in early pregnancy

Your baby’s heart rate is less than 140 beats per minute

You are carrying the extra weight out front

Your belly looks like a basketball

Your areolas have darkened considerably

You are carrying low

You are craving salty or sour foods

You are craving protein — meats and cheese

Your feet are colder than they were before pregnancy

The hair on your legs has grown faster during pregnancy

Your hands are very dry

Your pillow faces north when you sleep

Dad-to-be is gaining weight, right along with you

Pregnancy has you looking better than ever

Your urine is bright yellow in color

Your nose is spreading

You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves in circles

You are having headaches

You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and the sum is an even number

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Having a Girl:

You had morning sickness early in pregnancy

Your baby’s heart rate is at least 140 beats per minute

You are carrying the weight in your hips and rear

Your left breast is larger than your right breast

Your hair develops red highlights

You are carrying high

Your belly looks like a watermelon

You are craving sweets

You are craving fruit

You crave orange juice

You don’t look quite as good as normal during pregnancy

You are moodier than usual during pregnancy

Your face breaks out more than usual

You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread

Your breasts have really blossomed!

Your pillow faces south when you sleep

Your urine is a dull yellow color

You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves from side to side

You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and the sum is an odd number

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Popular

If a pregnant woman frequently experiences heartburn, her baby will have a full head of hair.

If a pregnant woman sees something ugly or horrible, she will have an ugly baby.

If a baby is born with cafe au lait spots (light-brown birthmarks), the mother drank too much coffee or had unfulfilled cravings during pregnancy.

Pregnant Women Should Not Take Baths because the water will go into the uterus.

Holding Your Hands Above Your Head Can Cause the Umbilical Cord to strangle The Baby

Wearing A Lei Can Choke Your Fetus

You Have to Drink A Lot of Water or Your Baby Will Get Dirty

You Need Boiling Water Nearby During Childbirth to Disinfect the baby

Your Partner Will Get a Sty in the Eye if They Don’t Feed You What You Crave

Intense Sex Can Kick Start Pre-term Labor

Eating pineapple core will help the fetus implant into your womb

Exercising during pregnancy will cause a miscarriage

To ensure a healthy baby, it is best to conceive at midday

To promote a babies intelligence a pregnant woman should read as much as possible

If you eat with a pregnant woman you will get a headache, or you become lazy, or sleepy. (This may fit the weird category)

Sex during pregnancy may give the baby bad skin / may scare the baby / may cause the baby to have a smashed nose

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Chinese

The emotional state of pregnant women is important. They should stay happy as much as possible. It is believed whatever affects a mother’s mind will also affect the baby. If you cry and stress a lot, then your baby will be always in sour face and cry always.

Absolutely no renovation works around the house no matter how minor it is. Things in need of repair around the house? Well, too bad I’m afraid. Anything that involves drilling, hammering, chopping, sawing and such could lead to abortion or fetal deformities.

Never attend funerals and weddings. This is to avoid any clash on each party.

To protect your unborn baby from evil spirits, pregnant women are advice place a knife under their bed.

Pregnant women should not cut anything on the bed. Spiritually, it signifies cutting your unborn baby’s umbilical cord.

Using glue is believed to bring about difficult labor.

Avoid getting a stroller or pushchair before your baby is born. Keep it elsewhere, preferably away from the house if you happen to purchased one. It’s bad luck to have an empty stroller within the house when you’re pregnant.

Avoid having baby clothes in the house. Like a stroller or pushchair, it’s also bad luck to have used (or new? I’m not too sure about this though) around the house when you’re pregnant.

Never utter foul or vulgar words or you might risk getting your baby cursed. (Good idea in general since you will have little ears around soon)

Stop that all too common habit of rubbing your baby bump if you don’t want a spoilt and over-demanding child.

Do not visit houses which had been left vacant for a long time. Such premises have not been spiritually “cleansed” therefore might contain unholy entities that affects you and your baby.

Hang images or posters of babies around the house and bedroom.

Leave a light on when you’re sleeping. A small night light will do just fine to avoid sleeping in total darkness.

For those who are yet to be married. Have the groom carry the bride over a pan of burning coals when entering his home for the first time. Doing this ensures trouble-free labor.

Eating oranges and drinking coconut juice when pregnant will cause the baby to have plenty of phlegm

- They are not supported by science
- There is no definitive answer to if they are true
- They are based on cultural beliefs
- Your mother and grandmother’s generation most likely made it up