How about your favorite Old Wives Tales related to health?

[NurseyTonyaLPN]

Another post (about stupid things patients say) made me think about this, I don't know if it's been posted before. But I have an elderly family member who says these things (and will not hear otherwise):

1) Having a baby at 7 months is better than having it at 8 months. My doctor told me something happens in the 8th month and if the process is disturbed it's bad for the baby. (I told her I've learned that every day in the womb is better for the baby, but she insists that's not the case).

2) Her breastmilk turned "to water" when her daughter was 3 months old and it was no longer good for her to breastfeed (I mentioned that babies go through a growth spurt at that time, but she insists, her Dr told her the breastmilk turned to water).

Makes you wonder about these docs back then huh? I know they probably did the best with their knowlege, but some people won't accept any new advice, if their doctor said it in 1940 it must be true huh? Any other favorite wives tales?

Tonya

[Sunny99]

Handling toads causes warts.

Hair's split ends can be repaired.

Babies have to be bundled as if for an Anarctic expedition, even when its 90+ degrees outside.

There is such thing as a "stomach flu".

This is kinda fun. Lets hear some more.

[weetziebat]

How about the ol' "feed a cold, starve a fever" that our grandmothers (or great-grandmothers) used to tell everyone.

Thanks for reminding me of this one. I heard it too, but can never remember if it is 'feed a cold and starve a fever' or the other way around.

My mother used to tell me if I sat on the radiator it would cause me to have hemorrhoids.

[LydiaNN]

Drinking milk and water together will give you a fever.

Butter is good for a burn (I guess that's more of a folk remedy than an old wives' tale, though)

My personal favorite, though- ''you can get pregnant doing that''.... that referring to any number of things other than intercourse. Conversely, there is also the ''you can't get pregnant having sex because...'' followed by highly questionable logic school of thought.

[knockandhello]

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!!

My mum said to cut their hair before a year old would shorten their life.So even though I knew better none of mine haid their hair cut under one.This went for the boys as well.

[GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

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!

That one gets me, too. I always have wet hair, lol. It is very long and I put it up wet in the am, and it isn't dry when I let it down before bed. I can't count how many people tell me I am going to get sick doing that. It has been years since I've been sick! (Well, I had 2 minor colds in the last 5 years, if that counts)

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

One I hear almost every day at work:

So my baby can't go home until he weighs ____ pounds, right?

(Fill in any number from 3 to 8)

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

Cover the baby's ears to prevent ear infections.

The pigeon cure for hepatitis

Don't let the baby look in the mirror before age 1 (or before first tooth comes in)

putting a gold bracelet on the baby will clear up jaundice

BTW - I also thought vomiting and diarrheah are flu related. They're not?

[NurseRoRo]

i had a patient who told me to keep his neck covered with a blanket at all times, and to pass it on to the nurses after surgery (i work in the OR). he said it prevents him from getting a cold and if he ends up with one after surgery, he'll know it was because his neck was exposed.

[MIA-RN1, RN]

I had a patient who came in and said she feels fine but her mother had "the fish dream" this was said with great solemnity (is that a word? lol) Anyway, she said because of the dream, her mother told her to come in for a pregnancy test.

Sure enough, the test was positive.

[SaraO'Hara]

If you have abundant hair, it sucks the strength from your body. :gandalf:

[danissa, LPN, LVN]

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

tonya, surprisingly a lot of our mums with "hairy babies" have had bad heartburn! maybe there is something in it after all! My Gran always told me about my Dad's birth ( home delivery, 10.5lbs!!) He was a hairy wee scottish boy, and throughout the pregnancy, she took loads of Baking soda(!!) to ease the heartburn. Well!!! He was seemingly born with a thick layer of baking soda on him!!!!!(?vernix??). but no, it WAS baking soda that she'd had to take for the heartburn from her hairy baby!(Loved her to bits!)

[mommy2boys]

My favorite old wives tales are the ones on having a boy/girl or what you are having when you are pregnant. When I was pregnant w/ my first son my mom was POSITIVE that I was having a girl because his heart rate was high. Even after I had my ultrasound she couldn't get over the fact that his heart rate was to high to be a boy. (I think she thought the u/s tech was wrong about the sex.)

When we were trying to get pregnant w/ our 2nd child, I wanted a girl so badly we tried every "way" to get pregnant w/ a girl (position of the bed, conception position, etc) I was so positive I was having a girl because all the old wives tales were telling me that I was pregnant w/ a girl and my mom said the heart rate was for a girl. (the sting and ring test, hair and ring test, the way I was carring, web sites, etc) That when I had my u/s I knew that it was a girl. The tech asked me if I wanted to know what we were having and I told her it was probably a girl, she started laughing and said that I was wrong. I still secretly thought she was wrong that I bought 2 going home outfits (boy and girl), just in case.

Now I know that thoses wives tales weren't true, but they sure had me convinced. I can see how people can truely believe them after they have been told that they are true their whole life.

Erin