Superstitious Minds: Pregnancy Myths

Superstitious Minds: Superstitions related to pregnancy like 8 month delivery, eclipses dangerous when pregnant.

Most pregnant women are subjected to a detailed education in myths and superstitions regarding pregnancy. So even if you are not a superstitious person yourself, you will still be showered with advice on how to guess your baby's gender, size and so on. Here are some popular pregnancy superstitions, some of which you've probably already heard and some of which you'll be amused to hear.

Pregnancy superstitions

Each culture has its own storehouse of superstitions. The reason why they came about in the first place is not clear. Pregnancy is a fascinating and almost magical process and this may have inspired some of these superstitions. It could also be that pregnant women seem vulnerable and people try to protect them from all possible harm. Here is a list of common superstitions relating to pregnancy;

Pregnant women are advised to remain indoors during an eclipse. People were probably advised not to go outdoors during a solar eclipse because of possible damage to the eyes. This practice may have continued till date. However there is no evidence that eclipses cause complications in the baby.
Tying your wedding ring to a string and holding it over your belly button while lying down, will reveal the sex of your baby. A left spin indicates a boy and right indicates a girl. Lying down is good because it will help you rest, but the rest is baseless.
If you cut something with scissors or anything sharp, your baby may have deformities. Apart from being completely unfounded, myths such as these may place unnecessary blame on the mother.
Sweet cravings during pregnancy indicate that you are going to have a girl. If you crave savory foods, you will have a boy. Food cravings are a normal bodily response when there are deficiencies of certain nutrients. They may also occur during pregnancy due to the hormonal changes taking place in the body.
One should not take a bath or shower for a month after giving birth as it may disrupt the internal balance of the body. Taking a relaxing bath is one of the best things you can do after childbirth and caring for your newborn baby.
Holding your arms above the head may cause the umbilical cord to wrap around the baby's head. It is only when your baby moves about too much inside the womb that it can get tangled, it has nothing to do with the mother.

‹

›

Slideshow