Myths about pregnancy that are widely believed
Nine common beliefs about pregnancy — smoking and alcohol, dental treatment, sex, driving, medication, the glucose test and exercise — and what is actually true.
From the moment a pregnancy is confirmed, excitement, happiness, fear and anxiety are all entirely natural. During this time women often shape their lives around information gathered from partners, friends and relatives, or from the internet. But is that information correct? Does it have a scientific basis? Or are these urban legends that can sometimes do harm to you and your baby?
Here are the beliefs we meet most often.
"A few cigarettes and a little alcohol in pregnancy do no harm." — Wrong
Smoking during pregnancy raises the likelihood of outcomes outside the normal range: a baby of low birth weight, restricted growth and premature birth. For that reason you should stop smoking definitively from the moment you learn you are pregnant, at the latest. Alcohol, regardless of the amount, can have a serious teratogenic effect and lead to very serious problems such as foetal alcohol syndrome. It should be stopped completely from the moment pregnancy is known.
"Dental treatment cannot be done in pregnancy." — Wrong
You can continue with your routine dental check-ups throughout pregnancy. If treatment is needed, it is advised that it be carried out after the first 12 weeks, using medicines your obstetrician recommends. In emergencies such as an abscess, however, it can be done within the first 12 weeks.
"Spotting in the first month of pregnancy can be considered normal." — Wrong
Bleeding in the first three months can indicate a risk of miscarriage. You should always see a specialist, so that ultrasound can establish the cause.
"Sex is inadvisable in pregnancy." — Wrong
It is not harmful at any stage of pregnancy. Apart from a few particular situations there is no objection to it. Sex is, however, ruled out where there is a threatened miscarriage, cervical insufficiency or an abnormally sited placenta.
"You should not drive while pregnant." — Wrong
You can drive carefully, wearing a seatbelt, until the final weeks of pregnancy — though it is worth being careful, since some reflexes can be slower in pregnancy.
"Radiation from a computer screen harms the baby." — Wrong
Research indicates that emissions from a computer are not expected to have any adverse effect on pregnancy. Research continues; if it puts your mind at rest, you can fit a filter to your monitor.
"No medicines can be used during pregnancy." — Wrong
Many medicines proved to have no adverse effect on the baby can be used during pregnancy for conditions such as upper respiratory infections, urinary infections and stomach problems. In consultation with your doctor, you can continue with medication where it is needed.
"A gynaecological examination in pregnancy is harmful." — Wrong
A general gynaecological examination at the beginning of pregnancy is worthwhile, and important for identifying certain risky situations. Gynaecological examinations do not increase the risk of miscarriage.
"The glucose tolerance test is inadvisable." — Wrong
The glucose tolerance test does no harm to the mother or the baby. The amount of sugar in the test is already consumed by pregnant women through what they eat during an ordinary day. What is genuinely harmful is undiagnosed diabetes in pregnancy. If it is not diagnosed in time and treatment is not begun, it can lead to very serious problems: significant abnormalities in the baby's heart, a large baby, unstable glucose levels and increased jaundice in the baby after birth, shoulder dystocia at delivery and sudden death of the baby in the womb. On your doctor's advice, the test may need doing in the early weeks in higher-risk pregnancies, or — where you have no additional risk factors — at 24-28 weeks, and may need repeating.
"You cannot do sport during pregnancy." — Wrong
Being inactive in pregnancy can pose a risk to both mother and baby. Mothers-to-be who exercise regularly tend to get through labour more easily. Heavy and demanding sport should be avoided, but regular swimming, light exercise and above all walking should not be neglected.