ObGyn Reviews 7 Old Wives Tales with FACTS

Today’s video is so much fun! We’re going through 7 common old wives tales and fact-checking them with the science. Does the full moon make more people go into labor? Does eating bananas make you more likely to conceive a boy? Does a high heart rate mean you’re having a girl? Let’s run through the science PROVING (and DISPROVING) these 7 Old Wives Tales about Pregnancy!

00:00 Intro
00:50 High Heart Rate = Girl
02:50 Heartburn = Hair
04:53 Carrying Low = Boy
06:42 Raising Arms = Cord Around Neck
07:34 Eating Bananas = Boy
09:36 Full Moon = Labor
10:58 Looking At Ugly Animals = Ugly Baby

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** The information in this video is intended to serve as educational information and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/advanced practice provider. **

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[MamaDoctorJones]

What other old wives tales / urban legends should we dive into the science about?!

[CB-sree]

The statement, “Oh you look tired, the girl is stealing all of your beauty…” may not accurately predict the sex of your baby, but it often predicts that the person you’re talking to is an a-hole.

[Sam_on_YouTube]

My wife was convinced that one of our twins was a boy and the other was a girl because one of them was so much more active and aggressive, sometimes kicking the other across her womb. She literally once felt one of them kick and then felt the other one get knocked against the opposite side of her abdomen. She said, out loud, "Baby A, don't kick your sister!"

She wanted to be surprised about their sex. I didn't. So I already knew they were both girls. I just quietly chuckled to myself.

Their personalities haven't changed in the 10 years since. The one who did that kicking is now a great soccer player. Scored 2 goals a few days ago. Her sister does dance.

(Come to think of it, they were kicking each other a few hours ago...)

[Lottie]

My mom used to teach 6th grade science. Every year, when she was teaching about moon phases, she would have her students figure out what the moon phase was on the day they were born, and then tally up the results to see if there was any truth to the full moon theory. She did this for at least ten years, and taught 6 classes a day with about 30 students in each class. The students were always spread evenly across the moon phases. For some reason, my mom took great delight in proving the full moon theory wrong. 😂

[hiccuphufflepuff]

"Beauty is subjective... Skunks are ugly."
Well, point demonstrated, I guess. lol
Have you ever seen a baby skunk? They're adorable, just don't scare them.

[authormomma]

My heartburn was out of control! Couldn't even drink water without heartburn, lol. My son was born with a full head of hair. So glad this one is backed up!

[FunkiFungi]

Some of these old wives tales can be really damaging. After I miscarried, I had a coworker essentially blame me and say "I told you so" because I was still lifting boxes and putting my hands above my head at work, and they had warned me not to. That was devastating in my emotional state.

I can now look back and know that my pregnancy was technically over by the time I found out about it. The OB had me wait 4 weeks to see them after I found out, estimating it would be at 10 weeks by then. There was only 5-6 weeks of fetal development, and no heartbeat. I couldn't have done anything.

[threeoftrees]

My favorite old wives tales in parenting and pregnancy is how many people have told me to drink whiskey in pregnancy or give my newborn/very young child whiskey. WHO DID WHISKEY COMPANIES PAY FOR THIS

[petermj]

my mom has told me that your baby looks like whoever annoyed you the most while you were pregnant and quote “that’s why you look like your dad” 😂😂😂

[leeannapugh]

My mom had horrific heartburn with me throughout her pregnancy and when we left the hospital, I had pigtails! My first haircut was at 3 weeks old because it kept getting in my mouth! 🤣

[EXROBOWIDOW]

When I was at the hospital in labor, one of the nurses told me that it was a full moon, and since nurses believe a full moon causes more cases of labor, many of them call in sick, leaving the facility short staffed. I don't know what's worse-- that the nurses were doing this, or that the one nurse told me, the patient, that they were doing this. I'm glad that place is no longer a hospital.

[ThirstyBacon]

I started watching MDJ back when I got pregnant with my little girl and found out she may not make it. Got me through many bad nights. I now lay here in bed watching MDJ with my happy healthy chatty 5 month old perfect preemie. Much love and happy you got to 1 million. You deserve it!

[brianneporchak]

"Oh, you're carrying high, you must be having a girl!"

Yes, but I'm carrying high because my daughter is breech and folded in half with her head and feet pressing on my lungs.

True story...lol

[hatvielehobbies]

The full moon thing is probably all about realisation. It is easier to remember a full moon during any events than other moons. That leads to myths about everything weird/significant happening more often on full moons.

[marvolom]

My favourite myth is "bad eyes" - people belived that strangers can curse their babies by just looking at them. It actually might saved thousands of lives, because not letting strangers see your newborn prevented whatever bacteria/viruses/fungi they were carrying from spreading on said newborn (and it's underdeveloped immune system).

[heysamanthajade]

I had NEVER had heartburn in my life until I was pregnant. I gave birth to a really hairy baby 😂. Happy to hear I’m not completely crazy in thinking there was so correlation. 😁

[sharondreisbach]

While stationed in Hawaii I heard of a tradition of a pregnant woman NOT being allowed to wear a closed or circular lei as there is a superstition that if a closed Lei is worn the baby will be strangled by the umbilical cord. So the lei would be worn with the ends dangling..not tied in a circle. Sometimes this will suffice as a pregnancy announcement!

[hunterGk]

I think a lot of these old wives tales sadly come from wanting to blame the mother when there's an undesirable outcome 🙁

[ephvvonlyway]

I remember hearing that doctors of the day blamed the mother being scared by an elephant for John Merrick (aka “The Elephant Man”) being born with Elephant Disease. What a terrible guilt trip to put on an innocent mother who is probably already upset!

[starrywizdom]

"...my babies looked like there were up in my lungs..." -- that is SO relatable for me! The last two months of pregnancy I felt like I couldn't get my breath because of my lung capacity being restricted...