Pregnancy Myths

We thought about doing myths about Moms, but that might get us in trouble. "Mothers-to-be" aren't as dangerous, at least not to any of us making these videos. So this week we present a whole bunch of pregnancy myths. It's amazing how many of those exist. If you learn one thing this week, let it be that if you have a sperm anywhere near an egg - YOU CAN GET PREGNANT. Enjoy.


John Green -- Executive Producer
Stan Muller -- Director, Producer
Aaron Carroll -- Writer
Mark Olsen -- Graphics

[MightyNib]

Really impressed with the way you give straight facts, without condescending and telling us to play it safe. See the pulling out segment, and driving high video. Way to go Aaron!

[tabula_rosa]

I'm glad you skipped mom myths, mothers are pretty nasty when it comes to defending their misconceptions
(lol misconceptions)

[CygnusExOne]

"Full ejaculation" sounds like military jargon.

[supekele]

Just wanted to say that I appreciate  the speaker saying "random strangers can't predict the sex of your baby" as opposed to gender.

...Because even parents are occasionally wrong about the gender.

[JanelChristensen]

Ha, I had to laugh when you talked about mother's intuition at 5:07. My sister-in-law firmly believed she was having a girl because her second pregnancy felt so different than her first (which produced my nephew). She and my brother found out at her 20 week appointment they were not having a girl. They were having twin boys. :)

[marscentral]

Exposure to galactic rays does increase the chance your baby will be one of the Fantastic Four.

[fuzzzysock]

A normal period "can be as long as 7 days." Hah, try can be as long as 9+ days. Dear God did I have horrific periods when I was younger.

[EnigmaHood]

Hello doctor, can you please do a video on the health effects of circumcision. Thank you.

[charlietuba]

When my mother was pregnant with me my uncle (dad's brother) told my mother, "I hope you don't want any girls because we only have boys in our family." Well, two years later my sister was born follow by two more sisters over the next five years. My oldest sister (born in 1958) was the first girl born since 1896. The one born in 1896 was my grandaunt and my paternal grandfather's sister. It is my understanding that there were 13 male births in my father's family between my grandaunt and my sister.

[jenisedai]

I was always told that it wasn't the bed rest that prevented the preterm labor, it was the lowering of stress that came along with the bed rest which did the trick. But then you have to have lowered stress, and bed rest isn't a guarantee of that.

[Crystalvampire]

My mom was really sure that my sister was going to be a boy. When the doctor said "Would you like to see your daughter?" My mom said "My what now?"

[QueenBoftheQueenCity]

Yep the withdrawal method is a bunch of crap. Only one time we were too lazy to go to the store, and tried unprotected. He even pulled out. Why is this method crappy?

Well because as I type this I'm 6 months pregnant from that ONE time. Isn't life grand...

[torimoss]

Am I the only one who noticed the gummy bear skeleton was wearing glasses and a mustache?

[smalltime]

The only pregnancy myth I heard from my mother and grandmother was that the more heartburn, the fuller the head of hair.

[Lawfair]

I thought it interesting that you focused on the failure rate of the pull out method, while Dr. Doe over at your "sister channel" Sexplanations, talked at one point about the pull out method not being completely useless. 

Note I assume possibly wrongly that since both channels are being produced in conjunction with the Vlogbrothers that they are "sister channels". 

[tillsen]

As a father: This! Was! Great!
Thank you!

[brittaniesidebottom]

Me and my brother are living proof that #4 is a myth. My mom was on the pill when she conceived us both.

[ATTACKoftheSTRINGS]

“and sorry pregnant women, you suck at predictions too”. The best line in this and I haven’t even made it past this point lol

[niebs]

I really love these videos, they're very informative and entertaining. But why do you keep hopping around the screen?!

[aslgu]

in regards to the last myth: don't forget that bed rest for a pregnant woman further increases risk of DVT in a patient who is already at an increased risk for DVT (because she is pregnant)