Pregnancy Myth Busting
- Sienna Dang
- Mar 2, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Mar 13, 2021
Throughout your Pregnancy, you will encounter all sorts of information out there. Some from generations past that seem to have carried on through the ages, others that are meant to be helpful, with grains of truth but have then been grown into extreme "no-no's" and sources of fear. During a time in your life that is rife with change, potential anxiety and second guessing everything you do, it is good to get all the information and make an informed decision. I am here to help sort out a few of these "no-nos" so that you can decide for yourself what level of risk you are comfortable taking. As always, you and your primary care provider (Midwife or OB) will sort out your individual risk factors. This information is not to be taken as medical advice.
Myth number 1
You cannot clean your cat's litter box
Like all of these myths, this is a partial truth. Yes, you can get toxoplasmosis from cat litter. However, the chances of you getting infected with it this way is actually quite slim. Toxoplasmosis is found in rodents, that are then in turn attacked/eaten by your cat and then the oocytes are excreted in their feces. However, the oocytes are only excreted for a few weeks after infection and only becomes infectious 1-5 days after being excreted. Finally, you can only become infected if you accidentally (or intentionally? yuck!) ingest fecal particles.
If you are concerned, there are steps you can take to prevent infection.
Wear gloves and wash hands after cleaning the box
Ensure your cat stays indoors where they cannot access potentially infected rodents or get into contaminated soil
Because the oocytes do not become infectious for 1-5 days, cleaning your cat's box daily can reduce the risk of becoming infected.
Lastly, if the risk is still too great for you, and you have someone in your life (partner, family member, older child, friend) to help, you can delegate the cat box duties to them during your pregnancy.
Additionally, keep in mind that you are more likely to contract toxoplasmosis through unwashed fruits and vegetables, contaminated soil when gardening without glove, or eating undercooked or raw meat. Make sure you are cleaning and cooking properly.
Myth Number 2
Caffeine is a no-no
Caffeine is a stimulant found if coffee, tea, sodas, chocolate, and some medications.
During pregnancy, excess caffeine is associated with low birthweight, miscarriage, and stillbirth. While we aren't 100% just how much caffeine is safe, following guidelines, you are likely to be fine with up to 200mg a day. This is about 1 cup a day (not your triple shot venti espresso drink from Starbucks, you know? moderation). If you aren't sure how much caffeine is in your favourite coffee spot's coffee, they are often listed online for large chains.
Emily Oster, the fabulous author of Expecting Better mentions that women who drink excess caffeine are also more likely to consume alcohol and smoke. Both of which we know can cause extreme issues with babies. When talking about caffeine we run into the issue of correlation vs. causation. If you are interested in reading more about caffeine, I will leave the link to a post by Emily Oster! She explains it much better than I do.
As for her book, personally, I loved it. If you have a lot of anxiety about doing something that may harm your baby (caffeine or otherwise), this is a great book to gain loads of perspective and evidence based information. I felt so much more confident about my decisions on what I wanted to cut out or leave in my life through my pregnancies.
Myth number 3
You can't sleep on your back.
I run into this one so much in my work. After the 1st trimester, I position all of my pregnant clients in a semi-seated position and side-lying. Yes, there are pillow systems and tables that allow a pregnant woman to lay on her stomach. I choose not do this but that is a topic for another day! Putting them in this position inevitably starts the conversation of "I keep waking up on my back and I'm scared! I thought it was so bad to do that!"
This "rule" exists because once baby gets big enough, they can get into a position that puts pressure on the inferior vena cava (IVC) when mom is on her back. This can lead to decreased oxygen to your brain and, in turn, through the placenta. Naturally, that is a scary thought. We dread thinking that we could unconsciously be doing something that puts baby in harm's way. I get it!
If/when baby gets onto that IVC, you will quite abruptly start feeling dizzy and like you are going to faint. If you are sleeping your body will wake you. It will not voluntarily allow for the brain to not get oxygen. Also know that you will be feeling these symptoms and awoken well before it negatively effects your baby.
Yes, the optimal position is the left side-lying position as this allows for the best oxygen flow to the baby and should be our preferred position most of the time. This doesn't mean that you need to feel guilty and scared if you roll over in your sleep.
If this does still concern you and you want to really avoid it, using a pregnancy or body pillow or even a rolled up blanket to bolster your back while on your side can help prevent you from rolling completely onto your back.
Myth number 4
Massage isn't safe in pregnancy
Massage is good for everyone! Pregnant women are often, understandably, hesitant to take any pain medications in pregnancy. Pregnant women are also really likely to experience discomfort and possibly pain in their bodies due to all the hormonal changes, organ and bone shifting, fast weight gain, and swelling. They need relief somehow and massage is a perfect option. The benefits are numerous. check out my post on prenatal massage here to learn more!
All RMTs are trained how to treat a pregnant woman safely but many of us, including myself, take extra training to go above and beyond to prioritize comfort and effective treatment. Please know that there is no evidence that massage increases the chance of miscarriage. Even so, you will find that I err on the side of caution. There are a few ways that I do this.
No deep massage in the abdomen at anytime (abdomen massage past the first trimester has loads of benefits but I will not be giving a lot of pressure)
No deep massage in the low back and around the sacrum during the 1st trimester
No prone positioning or flat supine positions past the 1st trimester
As always, you are in control of your massage, you are not comfortable with a treatment plan or position, you can always let me know and we adjust!
Myth number 5
You are eating for 2!
There are 2 of you, yes, but one of you are just teeny, teeny, tiny for quite a while. While you should eat more and eat to hunger, you don't need to double every meal. Ensure that what you are eating is nutritionally dense and fuels your body properly but only adding in 300-500 extra calories a day starting in the second trimester is adequate.
If you are really nauseous and sick, it will be important to take in food that can both stay down and get you some nutrition. I am obviously not a doctor, nutritionist or dietitian so it is important that you speak to one of them if you are finding it hard to eat much of anything.
In my personal experiences, I ate anything and everything in sight and gained 50 lbs with my son. Once I got pregnant with my daughters, though, I lived on popsicles and saltine crackers for the first trimester and still gained 40 lbs each. Every pregnancy is different, every mom is different, and what works for one won't necessarily work for another. That's OK!
There are so many more scenarios like these but I hope this list has given you some reassurance that you are doing fine and that there is always more to the story than just do or don't. Ask questions, get answers and then make your own best judgement. Hiring a doula can go a long way to making sure you get good quality information to make informed choices.
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