How about your favorite Old Wives Tales related to health?

beautifulb · Jun 7, 2006

What an interesting topic! I know that I have heard of a few but I really can't remember. One that does stick out, and I don't know if it is an old wive's tale or not, but, eating Chinese food will induce a Mom. Well, I did eat Chinese food the day before I was due (I know, I am grasping at straws) and my water broke later that night. Coincidence or not? Anyways, I had totally forgot about that wive's tale and that night I was quietly craving Chinese food when my husband suggested it and...there you go!

suebird3 · Jun 7, 2006

How about "Cats sucking the breath out of babies"? Yep...that one is still around....I am QUITE sure.

Suebird

Charity, RN, APRN · Jun 7, 2006

I have had more than one parent get visibly upset at the site of their baby in the isolette with a scalp IV. Because we had to shave or cut the child's hair. And everyone knows that if you cut a child's hair before he/she is a year old, the child will be stupid!! :nono:

NurseyTonyaLPN · Jun 7, 2006

I have had more than one parent get visibly upset at the site of their baby in the isolette with a scalp IV. Because we had to shave or cut the child's hair. And everyone knows that if you cut a child's hair before he/she is a year old, the child will be stupid!!

Is that how it goes? I've heard many people say you're not supposed to cut a baby's hair before he/she is a year old, but never heard why. I've seen moms with boys who had hair going down their back and into their eyes (at least with girls you can use a barette) b/c they were waiting for them to turn a year old. That's funny!

Dewgrl · Jun 7, 2006

My favorite is the wet hair tale. I worked in an ER filled with well educated nurses and dr's, and still everytime I walked into work with wet hair from my shower, I would hear the dreaded " You'll catch a cold walking around in this weather with wet hair!" Also used were pneumonia, bronchitis, the flu, etcc.. All this from a little wet hair! :uhoh3:

weetziebat · Jun 7, 2006

I graduated from my LPN program when I was 7 1/2 months pregnant. As a student, whenever I went to hang an I.V. patients would gasp and grab at my hands. "Don't raise your hands above your head when you're pregnant, or the cord will tie around the baby's neck". I heard that so many times it started to make me wonder.

Princess74 · Jun 7, 2006

My mom has always said if you dream about eggs that someone close to you is pregnant. The weird thing is, whenever she did dream of eggs we would find out someone really was pregnant.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Jun 7, 2006

My favorite is the wet hair tale. I worked in an ER filled with well educated nurses and dr's, and still everytime I walked into work with wet hair from my shower, I would hear the dreaded " You'll catch a cold walking around in this weather with wet hair!" Also used were pneumonia, bronchitis, the flu, etcc.. All this from a little wet hair!

You mean you don't catch colds from going out in the cold with wet hair?? :eek:

Don't let my sons hear that---it's the only way I can keep 'em from taking their showers in the mornings, when I want mine!!

Yes, my family has its share of 'old wives' tales, most of which came from my grandmother (who was a nursing student during World War I). Among them:

1) You'll get sick if you go swimming or take a tub bath during your period.

2) Walking around in wet shoes all day will make you catch cold.

3) Vomiting and diarrhea are just another part of having the flu (actually, a LOT of people still believe this one).

4) Sleeping under an electric blanket saps your energy.

5) You can tell what sex an unborn baby is by holding a wedding ring tied onto a string in front of a pregnant woman's belly and watching which way it moves---side to side if it's a boy, back and forth if it's a girl (or is it the other way around?? :uhoh3: ).

NurseyTonyaLPN · Jun 7, 2006

My favorite is the wet hair tale. I worked in an ER filled with well educated nurses and dr's, and still everytime I walked into work with wet hair from my shower, I would hear the dreaded " You'll catch a cold walking around in this weather with wet hair!" Also used were pneumonia, bronchitis, the flu, etcc.. All this from a little wet hair!

Yes, this is one of my pet peeves, along with people saying they'll catch a cold from going outside when it's cold. Isn't this the 21st century? don't we know viruses cause colds?

NurseyTonyaLPN · Jun 7, 2006

I graduated from my LPN program when I was 7 1/2 months pregnant. As a student, whenever I went to hang an I.V. patients would gasp and grab at my hands. "Don't raise your hands above your head when you're pregnant, or the cord will tie around the baby's neck". I heard that so many times it started to make me wonder.

Yeah, I was working in an urgent care facility and an xray tech told me her friend was hanging curtains and it caused the cord to wrap around the baby's neck. This is an intelligent person too. Think about it, the baby is surrounded in amniotic fluid, how is the position of the mother's arms going to affect the cord? Beats me.

Also, if you have heartburn when pg the baby will have a lot of hair. HMMM, I had heartburn with my pregnancies, wish someone would've told that one to my daughters who were both born bald

Sunny99 · Jun 7, 2006

How about the ol' "feed a cold, starve a fever" that our grandmothers (or great-grandmothers) used to tell everyone. I can remember my grandmother being genuinely worried that I was harming my first child by feeding her anything when she had a fever. :)