There are so many old wives tales floating around during pregnancy that it is hard to know fact from fiction, except in the case where the tale is really off the wall. You will probably hear strange things from your grandmother regarding what you should and shouldn’t do. While your grandmother probably believed this when she was pregnant with your mom, there is no reason why you have to believe it now. We can’t cover all the pregnancy related old wives tales in this article, but here are some of our favorites, and some of the funniest.

Pregnant Women Should Not Take Baths
This idea is false; however some of the beliefs behind it are true. Pregnant women can and should take baths. It is a great way for a pregnant woman to take some of the weight off her back and relax, especially later in pregnancy. If your water has broken however you should NOT take a bath as your uterus is then vulnerable to infection. You should also avoid throughout your pregnancy taking baths or sitting in hot tubs above 100 degrees. This can raise your body temperature too much and cause problems to your baby, especially during the first trimester.

Holding Your Hands Above Your Head Can Hurt The Baby
The truth is that the positioning of your hands has nothing to do with your baby’s positioning in the uterus or the umbilical cord becoming wrapped around him. Babies born with the umbilical cord wrapped around them is actually quite common as it happens in about 1/3 of all pregnancies and is actually caused by the early movements your baby makes in utero, while they are still small enough to make them.

Wearing A Lei Can Choke Your Fetus
This Hawaiian superstition is just that…a superstition. It makes no sense that a pregnant woman who wears a lei could be choking her baby.

You Have to Drink A Lot of Water or Your Baby Will Get Dirty
A pregnant woman should drink water because it is good for them. However it has nothing to do with how clean or dirty the baby’s amniotic fluid is. The truth is your baby pees in and drinks the amniotic fluid surrounding them, and the amniotic fluid actually replenishes itself every three hours. Staying hydrated helps your baby, but your baby will not get dirty if you do not drink the recommended eight glasses of water a day.

You Need Boiling Water Nearby During Childbirth
Fact or fiction? In reality no one is really sure WHY midwives used to order the husbands to get boiling water. Some think it was just a ploy to get the husbands out of the room during tense times of labor. Others speculate that it was an effort to make sure the few tools that were used, were properly sterilized. Along the same lines so believe that it was a way to keep the tools used at room temperature instead of letting them get cold. Today there is little, if no need to have boiling water nearby during childbirth.

If You Have Heartburn During Pregnancy Your Baby Has A Lot of Hair
Because of there being less room in your stomach since there is a baby growing and pushing on it, heartburn is actually extremely common during those nine months. There is no proof or reason to believe that having heartburn is a sign of a baby being born with a head full of hair.

Your Partner Will Get a Sty in the Eye if They Don’t Feed You What You Crave
While this is fun and definitely something a pregnant woman might be able to get away with holding over her partners head, it is not true. However, that doesn’t mean that the person who denies their pregnant partner the food she craves is safe…

Sex Can Kick Start Labor
This one is actually true! Female enjoyment creates the hormone oxytocin which can help ripen your cervix and get it ready for labor. A mans semen contains the hormone prostaglandins which can cause contractions. Sex is often recommended at the end of a healthy, normal pregnancy. Ask your OB!

Full Moons Bring the Babies
While it is widely believed and noted in L&D rooms every where, however this myth has never been scientifically proven.

These are just a few that we have put together for you. To see our list of gender related pregnancy old wives tales, click here.

There are a lot of old wives tales regarding pregnancy. Everything from taking baths, to the accuracy of ultrasounds will have a tale to go along with it. However there are certain old wives tales that are specific to the gender of your baby.

Shape of Moms’ Belly
Some say if the woman’s belly is big and round it means that she is carrying a girl. Likewise, if her belly is smaller and sticking straight out than she is carrying a boy. The way a woman carries her baby has nothing to do with the sex, but has everything to do with the body shape and type that the woman naturally has, when not pregnant.

Direction of the Ring
Many people believe in the good old ring test as a way to tell what the sex of their baby is going to be. In this test you hang your wedding ring from a string over your belly. If the ring swings back and forth your baby is a girl. If it swings around in a circle then it is a boy. This is not very good indication of whether or not you are having a boy or a girl. Fact is, if you hang your ring over any object or person it is going to swing.

Fast Heart Rate Tale
Some people believe that if your baby has a fast heart rate, near 170 beats per minute, then that means you are having a girl, and that if your baby’s heart rate is closer to 150 beats per minute then you are having a boy. This also is false. You baby’s heart rate will get faster and stronger during the first trimester as he/she grows. Then the heart rate fluctuates in speed during sleep and active times for your baby, just like an adults. So depending on when you listen to your baby’s heart rate, it might be faster or slower than it was the day before, or even earlier that same day.

The Shape of Moms Face
Some people believe that the shape of your face determines the sex of your baby. If your face is round then you are having a girl, long and narrow means a boy. This is just a myth however because where a woman stores fat and water during pregnancy has nothing to do with the sex of their baby. Along with that some believe that if your nose starts to grow or widen then you are having a girl because daughters “steal” mom’s beauty. While this sounds like something out of a fairy tale, it is simply an old wives tale.

The Key Test
Then there is the key test. Some say that if you can tell your baby’s sex by picking up a single key. If you pick the key up by big, round (top) part then you are having a boy. If you pick it up by the narrow part on the bottom then you are having a girl. Then, as if it isn’t detailed enough, if you pick the key up by the middle you are having TWINS!

The Mayan Tale
If you are Mayan then you may follow their beliefs and use numbers to determine the sex of your baby. The Mayans take the mothers age at conception and the year of conception and add them together. If the result is a even number then mom is having a girl. If the result is an odd number then a boy is on the way! The Chinese have a similar way of determining the sex of a baby.

Drain-O Test
So many people believe this old wives tale which is completely false. They are told to put a tablespoon of Drain-O in a cup and pee into it. If the mixture turns green you are having a girl. If it turns blue you are having a boy. Supposedly there is something in the moms’ urine that mixes with the Drain-O causing it to change color and determine the baby’s sex.

Acne Myth
Acne during pregnancy is caused by hormones, not the sex of your baby. However, many believe that if you have an increased amount of acne during pregnancy then it means you are having a baby girl.

Cravings
This one sounds good and can be an “explanation” for many of moms’ cravings, but is it true? Some people say that if you crave salty food while pregnant it means you are having a boy and if you crave sweet food while you are pregnant it means you are having a girl. Does this mean that baby girls are sweet and baby boys are salty?

Do You Smell Like Garlic?
The question should be, “Do you WANT to smell like garlic?” There are people that swear that the garlic old wives tale is true. They say that if you eat a clove of garlic, and the smell comes out through your pores then you are having a boy. If no garlic is detected then you are having a girl. Who really wants to find out THAT bad though?!

Ultrasounds Are Always Right
This one is definitely false. We have heard many stories where a woman has received an ultrasound, and sometimes more than one ultrasound where the doctor claims that she is having either a boy or a girl. The mother buys everything she needs for her little son or daughter, and when the day of delivery comes she is surprised with a baby of the opposite sex. Most of the time the ultrasound technician gets it right, but that is not always the case.

These are just a few of the popular pregnancy old wives tales that deal with the sex of your baby. To see other pregnancy related old wives tales click here.