Do You Have Any Favorite OB Myths?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

Published

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?

Actually, there is a small amount of truth to the cat theory.

What people are witnessing when the cat "sucks the breath" out of a baby....is the cat jumping into the crib or onto a bed, and it smells the scent of milk coming from the baby's mouth...in an attempt to get some milk, the cat starts licking the baby's face, and the cat is STANDING on the baby's stomach is what causes it to smother to death.

While I've never owned a cat in my life, I can see this as a plausible explanation. It's very interesting to see the root of some of these myths, and how they could possibly be true.

I think that I've mentioned this one before, but I think my all-time favorites were from the housemother saying that the number of incidences of sex could corelate to the baby's gender. The "Adam's Rib" theory was a good one as well (that you could tell baby's gender by counting the number of ribs on u/s; supposedly men have one rib fewer than women).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
One of the OB myths I've always heard is that taking Castor Oil will bring on labor.

I don't know that I've ever met anyone tired enough of being pregnant to try it!!

I've had a few doula clients who want to try it... until I tell them that it could lead to a big mess when it comes to delivery and pushing. :p

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I flew 8 hrs overseas when I was 24 weeks along with my oldest and I had people ask me if I was worried that the pressurised (sp?) air in the cabin of the plane would cause my water to break - has anyone heard that one?

No, this is definitely not true. The cabin is pressurized to meet the same pressure that you'd find on the ground. Not even a sudden change in cabin pressure requiring O2 masks would cause PROM. This is a very rare event but it is a good idea for mom to be checked on the ground just in case. Events like these tend to result in emergency landings, which may require the use of evacuation slides. Injuries may result because of the slides, and if you're pregnant and required to evacuate a plane via escape slides, DEFINITELY get checked by someone.

Actually, if it's OK with your doctor and you don't have any pre-existing conditions, the 2nd trimester of pregnancy is a great time to travel, which it be land and air.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg.
All babies ARE born with blue eyes. They change later. However, the babies who will have brown/dark eyes tend to have a darker steel-blue than the one's who will have lighter colored eyes.

My babies' eyes were such a dark blue that my mother called them "black". Now they have light blue eyes. So, probably another thing that can't be generalized.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg.
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!

Noooo! My inlaws swore up and down this is true, they KNEW someone it happened to. :chair:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg.

How about those "Twilight Zone" moments? Was reminded while talking with a classmate the other night, that during my pregnancy (in which we learned at 25 weeks we were expecting twins):

1) When I called a college friend to tell her the news of the pregnancy, she said "I've been thinking of you... you're not expecting, are you?"

2) When our secretary at work learned I was pregnant, she told me that she had a dream that I had twins (she had the dream before she knew I was pregnant)

3) My stepdaughter (then 13) gave us a card that said "Congratulations! Are you hoping for a boy or a girl? Or just praying it isn't one of each?"

4) My mom looked at me one day (at maybe 20 weeks) and said, "You must have 2" ('course, that could be explained by how big I looked, I guess)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I've had a few doula clients who want to try it... until I tell them that it could lead to a big mess when it comes to delivery and pushing. :p

Actually it all comes out BEFORE delivery :uhoh3: I can attest to that. The castor oil has to do its magic first to actually put you into labor.

I just remembered being told that a baby boy makes mom look prettier and a baby girl makes mom look uglier. I was told that when I was pregnant with my daughter! Thanks;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Public Health, DEI.

When I was expecting my son, I remember hearing a story on the news about some restaurant in Malibu that serves a salad with a balsamic viniagrette dressing (which I believe was much less commonplace than it is now). It turned out that a number of expectant woman whose babies were late went into labor shortly after eating that salad. Now, it could well have been a matter of timing... these babies were due to arrive, after all, but as the restaurant was enjoying the press, they decided to offer this salad free to all pregnant women. I have no idea whether they still do, or even if the place is still in business.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Can those interested in discussing vaccinations further please start a new thread? It's not fair to the OP to continue to hijack this one and say "Oops, sorry!" Thanks!

It won't kill anyone to scroll down a few posts. :uhoh3: If you know how to move the posts in question to a new thread, be my guest, but I'm not doing all that copying and pasting over again. :lol2: :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

Let me guess... you are pro vaccines. :sofahider

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Please note: this is not the thread for a vaccination debate. If you have information, research or discussion on vaccinations (pro or con), then by all means, feel free to start another thread for that purpose. Hijacking an unrelated thread for the purpose of dicussing the pro's and con's of something as controversial as vaccination is not polite, nor fair. Thank you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

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.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
When I was expecting my son, I remember hearing a story on the news about some restaurant in Malibu that serves a salad with a balsamic viniagrette dressing (which I believe was much less commonplace than it is now). It turned out that a number of expectant woman whose babies were late went into labor shortly after eating that salad. Now, it could well have been a matter of timing... these babies were due to arrive, after all, but as the restaurant was enjoying the press, they decided to offer this salad free to all pregnant women. I have no idea whether they still do, or even if the place is still in business.

I've heard the same thing for a certain pizza sauce but can't remember for sure where the city is.. Chicago, Philly. It's supposed to cause labor within 24 hours.

I've been reading another book lately, and I was reminded of another myth: Morning sickness is related to ambivalence about having the baby. :uhoh3:

Here's a breastfeeding myth:

Mom must not become angry because it will cause her milk to turn sour.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment