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True or false? The top 11 pregnancy myths debunked
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You won't believe what you should stay away from... - photo by Hannah Rose
When you announce you are expecting, youre likely told all the tips, tricks, myths and old wives tales about pregnancy. Some are amusing while others are terrifying all the same. Youve probably been told the way the baby rests will tell you if you are having a boy or girl, or that you should sleep on your left side.

Some myths are interesting but not all are amusing. Some common pregnancy myths can cause unnecessary worry and misconceptions that can pose some real health complications. Save yourself the trouble by discovering whats true and what is false with these 11 myths:

1. Stress is bad for the baby

True!

Scientists from the University of Denver conducted a study that measured the presence of cortisol, a stress hormone, in the mothers womb and the effect the hormone has on the growing baby.

Researchers were interested in understanding if the hormones babies were introduced to in their very first environment affected them for the rest of their lives. Approximately 60 percent of the children exposed to high levels of cortisol showed signs that the rostral anterior cingulate area of their brain was thinner than their counterparts. These children experienced higher levels of anxiety and distress.

2. You are eating for two

False!

Eating for two is not a proper justification to serve yourself two ample servings of cereal. You are feeding yourself and your baby, but that does not mean you have to double the amount of food you intake.

According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a pregnant woman only needs to consume about 300 extra calories to feed and foster the development of her unborn baby.

3. Avoid sugary food

True!

Just as it is true in multiple cases, all things must be consumed in moderation. An excessive intake of sugar can be extremely detrimental to the health of the mother and her baby.

Excessive sugar has been linked to intensify pregnancy symptoms such as vomiting, heartburn, nausea and mood swings. Also beware of your cravings, as women that crave sugary foods while pregnant can consume limits that are unhealthy and can create a lack of nutritional sustenance for themselves and their child.

4. Skip the flu shot this year

False!

In a recent report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pregnant women can and should get an influenza shot. Pregnant women who come down with the flu are at higher risk of hospitalizations, experiencing more intense symptoms and even death than non-pregnant women.

The best fight for the flu is getting vaccinated; your body will begin to create antibodies that will help you create the proper defense system against the highly contagious illness.

5. Avoid exercise

False!

Prenatal exercise is recommended by the ACOG (The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ) from the day you find out you are expecting till the day you deliver. Women who exercised religiously while pregnant were linked to having less unplanned cesarean sections, a smaller likelihood of developing gestational diabetes and have been proven to decrease depression during pregnancy.

6. Avoid seafood

True and False!

Seafood can be a good source of zinc, protein and iron that is beneficial for the growth and development of a healthy baby. The omega-3 fatty acids found in many fish are fortifying to the growth of your babys brain.

BUT certain types of seafood, such as sharks, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefishcan contain high levels of mercury. If you are pregnant or hope to become pregnant be aware of your mercury intake. Over time the substance can accumulate in the bloodstream and can damage the development of your babys brain and nervous system.

7. Dont dye your hair

False!

Have no fear your beautiful hair can be dyed to your hearts desire while you are expecting. According to the Organization of Teratology Information Services (OTIS), a group that provides information on potential reproductive risks, concluded that hair dye does not provide changes in human pregnancies.

8. Should you give up caffeine?

False!

Who doesnt love their morning caffeine fix? Sometimes its the only thing that can get us out of the door in the morning. Pregnant women are often warned to stay away from caffeine because it could possibly cause miscarriage, preterm birth or low birth weight. Fear no more, the case against caffeine is not strong.

There is no significant evidence that a woman who drank caffeine experienced any increased risk of low birth weight or miscarriage.

9. No air travel

False!

Pregnant women should have no fears of taking to the sky. Airport body scanners, x-ray machines and radiation from flying at high altitudes can seem daunting and harmful, but the small amounts of radiation a pregnant woman is exposed to does not have much penetration to cause any damage to your baby.

10. Stay away from cats

True and False!

It is completely safe to cuddle up with your cat while pregnant, but it is important to take special care when cleaning your furry friends litter box. If possible, have someone else do it. Cat feces can carry a parasitic infection, toxoplasmosis, and if contracted while pregnant can cause serious eye and brain damage to your baby.

11. Avoid hot baths

True!

Pregnant women should avoid saunas, hot tubs or any water that will raise their body temperature above a balmy 101 degrees. OTIS (Organization of Teratology Information Services) concluded a pregnant woman with high body temperatures have shown an increased risk of birth defects such as congenital heart defects, cleft lip and spina bifida.
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From the book 'Outliers' comes proof that good health is more than just genetics
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Friends Jim Young, left, Mike Natale, Jeff Natale and Ryan Kiernan were on Greenwich High School football team together and Jim and Mike were captains. Jim, who was the youngest in Sherry Young's family, was welcome in the homes of the other three boys who still had siblings around and grandparents near. - photo by Sherry Young
As I look back on my life and the lives of others, both personally and in the reading I have done, I am convinced of the necessity of positive human contact in our lives. We are doubly blessed when we are able to make good friends or are a part of a family where we are accepted and loved.

Malcolm Gladwell in his book Outliers tells of a time in the 1950s when Dr. Stewart Wolf met a physician who practiced in the area of Roseto, Pennsylvania. Roseto was settled by a group of Italian families from Roseto, Italy, who re-created their life again in America.

This was in the 1950s before drugs and measures to prevent heart disease became important. In their conversation the physician said, You know, Ive been practicing for 17 years. I get patients from all over, and I rarely find anyone from Roseto under the age of 65 with heart disease.

Wolf was surprised by these words as, It was impossible to be a doctor, common sense said, and not see heart disease.

Wolf enlisted the aid of a sociologist and friend John Bruhn to help him. They found, There was no suicide, no alcoholism, no drug addiction, and very little crime. They didnt have anyone on welfare. Then we looked at peptic ulcers. They didnt have any of those either. These people were dying of old age. Thats it.

They checked into diet, genetics and possibilities of something in the foothills of eastern Pennsylvania but nothing made sense.

What they found was that Rosetans visited one another, stopping to chat in Italian on the street, say, or cooking for one another in their backyards. (Researchers) learned about the extended family clans that underlay the towns social structure. They saw how many homes had three generations living under one roof and how much respect grandparents commanded. They went to Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and saw the unifying and calming effect of the church. They counted 22 separate civic organizations in a town of just under 2,000 people. They picked up on the particular egalitarian ethos of the community, which discouraged the wealthy from flaunting their success and helped the unsuccessful obscure their failures.

What they found eventually convinced the medical establishment to look beyond the individual and understand the culture people are part of their friends, families and town they came from. They determined that the people we surround ourselves with and the values of the world we inhabit have a profound effect on who we are.

Likely, this study could have been done with other ethnicities. However, my family's experiences with the Italian families in Connecticut ring true to the study. Our hungry and growing sons, especially our youngest son, Jim, who was left home alone with two beady-eyed parents, all had some memorable experiences being fed and loved in the Cos Cob multigenerational families. Proof of the African proverb, It takes a village to raise a child.

We live in an age when the contact we have with people often is on the internet, and many of us live among strangers. Unless we make the effort to reach out, we will become isolated, especially as we age. The Rosetan study is proof that reaching out and communicating may be good for our health.
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