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?

Specializes in NICU.
Um, maybe it took about a month because babies' heads just round out naturally anyway!!! You were kidding, right??? :rolleyes:

Unfortunately, there are a lot of flat-headed kids out there, they spend so much time in their backs, never get "tummy-time". Some babies do get into a program to reshape their heads, using a helmet which has to be modified as the babe develops. Once the flat spot develops, it's much harder for the baby to turn his head to a different direction.

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Specializes in NICU.
Um, maybe it took about a month because babies' heads just round out naturally anyway!!! You were kidding, right??? :rolleyes:

Unfortunately, there are a lot of flat-headed kids out there, they spend so much time in their backs, never get "tummy-time". Some babies do get into a program to reshape their heads, using a helmet which has to be modified as the babe develops. Once the flat spot develops, it's much harder for the baby to turn his head to a different direction.

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In rural AZ, many pregnant women urinate into a bottle of anti-freeze. It's supposed to change color and tell you if you're having a girl or a boy.

Lol!

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In rural AZ, many pregnant women urinate into a bottle of anti-freeze. It's supposed to change color and tell you if you're having a girl or a boy.

Lol!

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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?

this one's kinda creepy... never take an infant to a funeral or wake or he'll inhale death and die in his crib!! :stone

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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?

this one's kinda creepy... never take an infant to a funeral or wake or he'll inhale death and die in his crib!! :stone

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Specializes in OB, lactation.

About breastfeeding as a method of birth control - there is the lactational amenorrhea method which can be effective, but it is most definitely not just nursing your baby and being able to safely consider it birth control. Mom and the baby have to be meeting certain conservative guidelines and understand LAM as a method to make if effective. Most women don't nurse their babies in a style that is within the guidelines, so the natural infertility that can be had from breastfeeding is not conferred. But the idea of "not getting pregnant while nursing," does have an element of truth, the idea did start in fact, the information just isn't usually complete which is a big 'ol problem when it comes to birth control. Can't have half a condom, half a pill, or half LAM either. :) Anyway, it's pretty fascinating how it all works. More info can be found in these books:

Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing: How Ecological Breastfeeding Spaces Babies

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0926412205/qid=1082898726/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-3920786-8337554?v=glance&s=books

Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health (totally amazing book that I highly recommend to all women - look at the reviews on Amazon - all 631 of them!)

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060937645/qid%3D1012080885/sr%3D1-1/ref%3Dsr%5F1%5F2%5F1/104-3920786-8337554

Sorry to get all serious on yall, LOL!! :) I'll make amends- another myth: my friend's grandma used to yell at her for raising her arms over her head when she was pregnant, because she would strangle the baby with the cord - I mean to the point that she bought her a stool to use to get dishes out of the cabinet and everything! And this one isn't a pregnancy thing but my grandma always yells at my husband if he roughhouses with the kids and turns them upside down because "you'll turn his liver"!!! LOLOL Ok, here's the part you're really going to flip over - she's an LPN!!! :uhoh21:

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Specializes in OB, lactation.

About breastfeeding as a method of birth control - there is the lactational amenorrhea method which can be effective, but it is most definitely not just nursing your baby and being able to safely consider it birth control. Mom and the baby have to be meeting certain conservative guidelines and understand LAM as a method to make if effective. Most women don't nurse their babies in a style that is within the guidelines, so the natural infertility that can be had from breastfeeding is not conferred. But the idea of "not getting pregnant while nursing," does have an element of truth, the idea did start in fact, the information just isn't usually complete which is a big 'ol problem when it comes to birth control. Can't have half a condom, half a pill, or half LAM either. :) Anyway, it's pretty fascinating how it all works. More info can be found in these books:

Breastfeeding and Natural Child Spacing: How Ecological Breastfeeding Spaces Babies

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0926412205/qid=1082898726/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-3920786-8337554?v=glance&s=books

Taking Charge of Your Fertility: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health (totally amazing book that I highly recommend to all women - look at the reviews on Amazon - all 631 of them!)

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060937645/qid%3D1012080885/sr%3D1-1/ref%3Dsr%5F1%5F2%5F1/104-3920786-8337554

Sorry to get all serious on yall, LOL!! :) I'll make amends- another myth: my friend's grandma used to yell at her for raising her arms over her head when she was pregnant, because she would strangle the baby with the cord - I mean to the point that she bought her a stool to use to get dishes out of the cabinet and everything! And this one isn't a pregnancy thing but my grandma always yells at my husband if he roughhouses with the kids and turns them upside down because "you'll turn his liver"!!! LOLOL Ok, here's the part you're really going to flip over - she's an LPN!!! :uhoh21:

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Someone also mentioned something about morning sickness. The more morning sickness a mom has, the healthier the baby. I'm wondering if that's true or if it's something used to placate the mother during the 1st trimester....Anyone heard about this with morning sickness? Are there any studies saying that this is true?

Not that the BABY will be any healthier, but that the pregnancy may be healthier. If a woman miscarries due to hormonal imbalance (progesterone deficiency) then the presence of morning sickness suggests that she's got plenty of progesterone coursing through her blood, therefore, it's less likely that she'll have a miscarriage (due to hormonal imbalances - but we all know that's not the only cause of miscarriage).

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Someone also mentioned something about morning sickness. The more morning sickness a mom has, the healthier the baby. I'm wondering if that's true or if it's something used to placate the mother during the 1st trimester....Anyone heard about this with morning sickness? Are there any studies saying that this is true?

Not that the BABY will be any healthier, but that the pregnancy may be healthier. If a woman miscarries due to hormonal imbalance (progesterone deficiency) then the presence of morning sickness suggests that she's got plenty of progesterone coursing through her blood, therefore, it's less likely that she'll have a miscarriage (due to hormonal imbalances - but we all know that's not the only cause of miscarriage).

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Not that the BABY will be any healthier, but that the pregnancy may be healthier. If a woman miscarries due to hormonal imbalance (progesterone deficiency) then the presence of morning sickness suggests that she's got plenty of progesterone coursing through her blood, therefore, it's less likely that she'll have a miscarriage (due to hormonal imbalances - but we all know that's not the only cause of miscarriage).

I should have made the differientiation between healthy pregnancy and healthy baby - two different things. I never tell my clients that having a lot of n/v is indicative of fetal health. I told that to my cousin, and she had a baby with congential diaphramatic hernia. I was a newer doula then... not too wise a thing to do... her baby is just fine though after a 6 week stay in the hospital.

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How about getting rid of any housecats before bringing the new baby home. The cat can hypnotize the baby, and "suck his breath out"!

Lol!

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