https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/19/pregnancy-myths-vs-fact/

When you’re pregnant, especially for the first time, EVERYONE usually has an advice or 100 to share, solicited or unsolicited. In a typical Nigerian culture, mothers will tell you so much about pregnancy, a first time mum won’t know what to actually believe.

Oftentimes, some of the information passed on as facts are not but myths that have been handed down from generation to generation.

While some myths cannot be debunked with facts, some have been debunked. Below are some myths that have been debunked and some that are just myths with no basis in truth.

MYTH ONE: You’re eating for two

Pregnant women are encouraged to ‘over eat’ in most cultures on the basis that they are eating for two people.

FACT: A pregnant women needs to eat an additional 300 calories on the average. There is no need to have two full meals meant for two people while pregnant. The amount of calories consumed depends on the height, weighty and level of activity of the woman, the trimester of the pregnancy will also play a part.

MYTH TWO: You can tell the sex of the baby by the shape of the stomach

It is largely believed that if your belly falls low then are having a boy and if your belly is high, you will give birth to a girl.

FACT: This is not true. The shape of a woman’s stomach during pregnancy is dependent on the physical structure of the woman’s body like the strength of her abdominal muscles, the structure of her uterine muscles, her muscle tone and the number of childbirths.

MYTH THREE: Pregnant women should not exercise

Most people frown at pregnant women exercising as they believe it will either cause a miscarriage or induce premature labour.

FACT: Pregnant women can actually benefit from regular to moderate exercise. However, it is important that your doctor clears you for exercise. Exercise may also help you prepare for the delivery. This is why doctors and midwives advise women in labour to walk up and down during labour to speed up the process.