Pregnancy Myth Busters!

What's the worst part about being pregnant? The bloating? The cravings? No. None of that, it's the unsolicited advice. Ever since becoming pregnant it seems as if everyone and their cousin's aunt's sister has an opinion about pregnancy.

And if it's not someone who has an opinion about pregnancy, it's an old aquaintance that has never been pregnant who has fantasized pregnancy into some kind of magical, beautiful time when nothing goes wrong, and is shocked to hear me say anything otherwise. You're not allowed to tell me how to be pregnant if you've never been pregnant yourself!!!

So here it is. My top 5 pregnancy mythbusters for any future naysayers who want to give me any sort of advice:

1. When you're pregnant, you only gain weight in your belly. 

FALSE. Doctors recommend that the typical pregnant woman gains 25-30lbs... and a baby only takes up 6-9 lbs of that. You do the math. And stop judging my thighs. They're healthy.

2. Working out is totally healthy for pregnant women.

 True and False. I've heard soo many stories from people who know someone's dog's sister who ran a marathon while pregnant. Good for them. For most pregnancies moderate exercise is suggested (such as walking 30 mins a day). But often doctors will suggest women to take a break from exercising. For example, my midwives told me to stop exercising because I was not only doing too much, but it was aggravating my morning sickness. So... especially friends who have never been pregnant before, stop telling me about your other friend who ran a marathon, and let me take my DOCTOR'S advice. Deal?

3. Morning Sickness  happens in the morning.

 False. Morning sickness typically lasts all day, but can be worse in the morning because of having an empty stomach from sleeping.

4. Stretch marks can be prevented if you use the right lotion/cream. 

False. Research has shown that creams and lotions don't prevent stretch marks, no matter how expensive. So stop telling me about your miracle lotion that's ony 50 bucks. I love my baby bump, and I love my stretch marks.

5. Stress is harmful not only for the mom, but for the baby, too.

 True! Mothers who undergo severe stress have babies who are 75 times more likely to become sick as adults. And babies experience a lot of the same emotions and stress that the mom experience. So stop telling me about how you handmade all of your baby's clothes or worked two jobs until your baby was born.

The moral of the story? Everyone's pregnancy is different, and women have been having babies for thousands of years. Let's all stop telling each other what to do, and just relax and the enjoy the process a little more!