We’ve come a long way with maternity research and health, but there are still pregnancy myths many people believe to be 100% true.
From familiar superstitions to just plain out-of-this world advice, here are some of the strangest pregnancy myths some parents have heard.
It all started when Rose C., posted this on theAsianparent Community—a Q&A platform and community for parents.
screengrab: YouTube
She shared that she was told not to eat crab so the baby won’t come out sideways. She was also told not to eat squid to stop the baby from getting “sucked back inside”.
Aside from dietary restrictions, Rose C. was also told not to do home renovations so the baby won’t have pock marks. She was also told she “cannot paste posters else baby come out eyes will take longer to open, do sewing else baby won’t cry/make noise or carry another child or else (her) own child would feel jealous.”
“Your placenta may detach from the amniotic sac if you eat squid head”
However, Stephanie G. heard the opposite: “Your placenta may detach from the amniotic sac if you eat squid head.”
While Idza B. heard advice that was a bit different; she was told that expectant mums should carry sharp objects such as nails to protect her and her baby from evil spirits. She was also told to stare at handsome or pretty people so her child would grow up attractive as well.
She also found it funny how people cautioned her against “harbouring extreme hatred for anyone because the baby will inherit something from that person. My mum always jokes about how she was always at odds with an ex-boss when she was preggers with me and that’s how I got my almond shaped eyes while my brothers have rounder eyes.”
More odd pregnancy myths on the next page
Dad Nitin A. shared that his wife was told not to drink sugar cane juice because the baby might be born with yellowish skin (jaundice). They were also told not to visit the zoo because their baby might end up looking like one of the animals.
To ward of evil spirits, mum Febby A. was instructed to put a pin on her clothes.
Wei T. shared some Chinese pregnancy myths: Using scissors will cause the baby to develop a cleft lip, hammering will cause baby to have pockmarks or spots and she was also cautioned against attending weddings.
Sandra T., a mum-of-two, shared the worst thing she ever heard while pregnant was not to eat Mutton so her child won’t grow up epileptic. (She also shared that seizures in Mandarin literally translates to “mad goat”.)
Another strange superstition is to avoid crabs and shellfish while pregnant so your child won’t be hyperactive
photo: Pixabay
Another strange superstition is to avoid crabs and shellfish while pregnant so your child won’t be hyperactive—this, Sandra believes, stems from the Chinese idiom that describes a a hyper individual as one with “many hands and many legs.”
Melissa K. was told to avoid painting so the baby won’t have birthmarks. She was also told not to cut her nails on the bed or else her baby would be born with a cleft palate.
“I heard this super fascinating superstition from an Estonian friend,” shared Yuna L. “If a baby is born at the last day of the week, baby will grow up to marry late or not marry at all. Not sure if people still believe this and plan ahead to have their babies born earlier in the week.”
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