4 old wives’ tales to ignore during pregnancy

After making your pregnancy announcement, you might find that people are a whole lot more eager to give you advice and make judgments about your unborn baby. Chances are high that you’ll get a lot of “Oh, you look like you’re carrying a boy!” and “What kind of weird foods have you been craving?” People believe a lot of strange things when it comes to pregnancy, so it might help to set the matter straight. Here are four old wives’ tales worth ignoring.

Cravings

While cravings are possible, they’re more likely to be for specific types of food that satisfy your senses. Like, you might feel inclined to eat something crunchy or just can’t get enough of the sweetness of fruit. The chances of you forcing your partner to head to the store for something wacky are low unless you have some strange tastes to begin with.

Gender 

Some people will think you’re having a boy because you’re carrying low or a girl if you’re carrying high. But truth is, the shape of your belly is determined by your muscle tone, the position that the baby’s in and your uterine tone. Not to mention, your belly will look lower once your baby drops into the pelvis when delivery is close.

Crazy gestures

You shouldn’t reach high over your head, touch your toes or basically make any crazy movements, because this can cause the umbilical cord to wrap around your baby’s neck.

Breathe easy—nothing you do can actually cause this—it’s your baby who’s responsible for getting tangled if he or she is doing a lot of gymnastics in there.

Cats

There’s no reason why you can’t cuddle up with kitty during your pregnancy (unless you’re allergic, of course!). However, it is a good idea to steer clear of your cat’s litterbox. Tell your partner that toxoplasmosis, which is a parasitic infection that can cause serious birth defects, can be carried in litter, sand or soil that a cat’s been in. He’ll have no choice but to take over the chore (yes!). If you’re the only one available to do it, take precautions by wearing gloves and washing your hands immediately afterward.