Do You Have Any Favorite OB Myths?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

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I was wondering if anyone had a favorite OB myth that you've come across in work.

I'll start with a few of my favorites:

When I worked at a maternity home, the lead houseparent told the girls that if their baby was a girl, it proved that the young lady had participated in a lot of sexual activity at conception. If it was a boy, the young lady had intercourse only once or twice. I couldn't think of any biological basis for that one. Of course if the young lady had a baby girl, then she would really have been read the riot act about her sexual activity from the housemother.

This one I heard rather recently. A woman went in for an u/s to determine the baby's sex, and baby had it's legs crossed. The woman asked the u/s tech to count the fetal ribs because men have one less rib than women do - the "Adam's Rib Theory."

Anyone heard of other interesting OB myths that are brought into the doctor's office or hospital?

THe ONLY thing I have seen castor oil do for non-actively-laboring women is to give them horrible diarrhea. it did not bring on labor in women who were already not getting there on their own.

That's what I try to explain. I really don't encourage clients to use castor oil at all because I've heard it could cause cardiac arrythmias in some people. I don't know if it's true or not, but who wants to find out at a time like this? :)

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

well, that makes sense, cause too much castor oil (or even any fluid for that matter) can throw off electrolyte balances very quickly in many cases. Castor oil does not do a pregnant woman any favors.

Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg/Oncology.

I wonder it if also stimulates the vagus nerve re: cardiac side effects?? I'm too tired to think it through right now.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

i am unsure about that....what does, however, is the straining done as if to have a bowel movement, or pushing a baby out. That is definately known to be true.

well, that makes sense, cause too much castor oil (or even any fluid for that matter) can throw off electrolyte balances very quickly in many cases. Castor oil does not do a pregnant woman any favors.

Labor AND explosive diareah....SWEET! :devil:

i am thinking the castor oil causes imbalances in K and Ca and other vitamins because they get washed away in the oil as it passes the intestine. That can cause arrythmias. My daughter used to take mineral oil for constipation and she had to take vitamins, and they had to be a certain time away from the dose of mineral oil.

ahh yea the "ceremonial passing of the mucus plug"

i have had women bring this nasty thing in, show me and declare "they must be in labor, as they have passed the mucus plug"

someone in these dr offices PUUUHLEEZE educate these people what labor IS and what is is NOT ??????

lord.

I worked with a L&D nurse last year and she had a very sarcastic sense of humour. When women told her that they "lost" their mucous plug, she would reply with "did you look under the bed?" :roll

Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

I had a co-worker once tell us that her husband's grandmother told him "if you do it doggie style you'll have a boy."

She was trying to get pregnant at the time. Needless to say this was way more information than anyone really wanted!

Specializes in Critical Care.

OK, I have to ask this. I have come across one that apparently there are OB's out there somewhere pushing. they are telling their patient to save the umbilical cord in the freezer and when they get pregnant again to "insert" it so the baby will have something to eat during the pregnancy. If they don't the baby will starve to death.

Now, these women who are doing this aren't stopping to think, "What about the first baby, why didn't they starve?"

But, EEWW how nasty is this?

tvccrn

Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.
OK, I have to ask this. I have come across one that apparently there are OB's out there somewhere pushing. they are telling their patient to save the umbilical cord in the freezer and when they get pregnant again to "insert" it so the baby will have something to eat during the pregnancy. If they don't the baby will starve to death.

Now, these women who are doing this aren't stopping to think, "What about the first baby, why didn't they starve?"

But, EEWW how nasty is this?

tvccrn

Eeeewwww is right!! :no:

I haven't heard that one.

I have heard "having sex will feed the baby." :chuckle

Bet some guy made that one up!!

If you have sex before you ovulate it will be a girl and the day of or after ovulation it will be a boy.

There is something to this - it's called the Shettles' method and while it's rate of success is a little low at 78% (for those trying to achieve a certain gender), it does work for some.

I just wanted to say that it's interesting these after such a long time, and especially now that I'm pregnant. :) Reading these on the other side of things is very enlightening.

Thank you all for your myths. I'd love to hear more! :)

I took care of a home delivery t/f pt (PN care with a lay midwife) who, when asked whether she'd been tested for GBS said "no, but I did the garlic clove thing" when the admitting RN asked what that was, the pt said, "you know, where you put a garlic clove in the lady parts so you won't have GBS. I did this, but mine fell out 3 days later." I don't know if there's any truth to garlic being a tx for GBS, but I think abx during labor would be a lot less smelly.

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