Despite scientific advances and the amount of information available on the networks, there are still many myths about motherhood. Mostly they consist of prejudices, superstitions and, in general, popular ideas without scientific foundation.
The problem with these myths starts when they affect women and make them feel insecure and a “bad mother”. Therefore, it is important to shed as much light on the subject as possible to prevent these beliefs from affecting your mood and compromising your life in general.
Myths about motherhood
Next we will see what are the most common myths about motherhood.
1. Pregnant woman should eat for both
Of course, the mother’s nutritional status must be improved and caloric and protein supplements must be administered, but excess nutrients must also be avoided if she is already adequately nourished and, above all, if she is overweight.
The familial predisposition to hypertension and diabetes, accompanied by an inconvenient diet, entails risks for the fetus and the mother. So, no more, no less, just better.
Or as clarified in a work on maternal nutrition: “The pregnant woman does not need to eat for two, she just needs to eat enough so that her baby in the womb has normal growth and can defend him against any infection associated with pregnancy.”
2. Belly shape predicts gender
If there’s one myth rooted in popular beliefs about pregnancy, it’s that the shape of the belly allows one to guess the sex of the baby. Although the coincidences seem to defy science, this is the truth in this particular one it affects the pelvic bones of the mother and the position of the baby in the wombas well as muscle and uterine tone.
3. Acidity is produced by the baby’s hair
Surely you have heard that if the mother suffers from heartburn or bad digestion, it is because the baby arrives with abundant fur. One reason is that the growing uterus causes the stomach and intestines to move out of place, throwing the digestive juices out of balance. However, if the mother avoids large meals and fatty foods, digestion is likely to improve.
On the other hand, the advice of older women is usually based on the experience of long generations, which has motivated investigations that seek to confirm or refute the hypotheses.
About this, studies on pregnancy myths they suspect an affair, why increased estrogen levels can cause heartburn by stimulating hair growth in the fetus.
4. No saunas, no baths, much less swimming pools
The bath or the shower are indifferent, even if the latter is recommended in the last months of pregnancy because the mother’s agility is reduced.
As far as spas or saunas are concerned, moderation is sufficient and staying no longer than ten minutes to avoid an increase in body temperature. AND If you go to the pool, don’t worry: the mucous plug of the cervix and the vaginal pH prevent infections affecting the baby.
In addition to water activity It will be very good for the pregnant woman.
5. No sports, you could have an abortion
The truth is exercise is a protector against many of the complications of pregnancy. And there is more and more evidence that highlights the low presence of risk as long as it is a normal pregnancy and a healthy mother.
Starting in the second trimester, physical activity will benefit, as reported Maria Borreguero Cardenosain an investigation into the influence of physical activity in pregnancya shorter labor and a lower risk of caesarean section.
The fetus will also benefit from exercise as it decreases fat mass, improves stress tolerance and advanced neurobehavioral maturation.
6. The mother who gives birth naturally wants her child more
Decidedly, The way of giving birth does not condition the feeling that a mother can have for her baby. So every woman is free to choose the method she thinks of, always taking into account the doctor’s indications, of course.
A mother who delivers her baby by caesarean section can love him as if she had given him naturally. A mother’s feeling of love is not measured by the type of birth.
Moreover, There are women who experience motherhood even if they don’t go through the biological process. In this sense we can cite the case of adoption. Although she does not give birth, the mother develops deep bonds and feelings of love for her children.
7. The best mother is the one who breastfeeds, one of the myths about motherhood
There are valid reasons why many mothers cannot breastfeedwhich doesn’t mean they aren’t good mothers. To say otherwise implies a great ignorance of the needs and particularities of each case.
While it is true that breastfeeding is a very beneficial practice for them, as it provides them with their “first vaccine” and strengthens the bond with the mother, as this article points out, study published in Chilean Journal of Pediatrics, there are mothers who cannot breastfeed for health reasons.
Breastfeeding your baby is a personal decision that has nothing to do with loving your baby.
8. The child eats every three hours
The truth is, the baby eats whenever he needs to and any clock will decrease before the biological clock. The baby’s caloric demand is on demand and the mother must be there, close by, to feed and soothe him. Indeed, as stated in the article Healthy infant nutritiontheir energy requirement is very high “and inversely proportional to the age of the child, and varies with the speed of growth”.
In this other article about sleep habitsyou will find recommendations to ensure that breastfeeding on request does not pose difficulties “to obtain a correct synchronization of the sleep-wake rhythm starting from three and a half months”.
On the other hand, abundant literature considers, as in this Bibliographic review published by the University of Zaragoza, which sleeping together is the most natural way to get through the night, with nocturnal awakenings almost without crying. As it grows it will adjust the hours of sleep, according to the circadian rhythms of the day and night.
9. When the baby cries, the mother knows why
This is another one of the most ingrained myths about motherhood. When the mother is new, due to her inexperience, the first cries of her baby scare and distress her. However, By living together he discovers whether crying is a necessity or a whim. However, the truth is that you can rarely tell what’s wrong with the baby by the tone in which he cries.
10. Postpartum depression occurs because the mother doesn’t want the baby
Many mothers suffer from postpartum depression, a condition that has nothing to do with the greater or lesser desire of the child who has been brought into the world. Mothers deeply love their children and they can suffer from this type of depression due to hormonal changes. If you get depressed after giving birth, you may still be facing a major change.
Postpartum depression includes neurochemical and hormonal changes that require the help of a professional, the support of the family and the partner, as evidenced by this research published in Cuban journal of obstetrics and gynecology.
11. Will your baby like you as soon as you see him?
Do you dream of a beautiful baby? When your baby comes into the world, he or she comes with characteristics of a newborn that might surprise you, such as:
- Puffy eyes.
- Wrinkled skin.
- Fat spots on the nose and cheeks.
It’s the exact opposite of what you imagined. Therefore, when you see it, you may not find it the most beautiful. Mother and child need time to get to know each other. As they grow, these characteristics of the newborn disappear.
12. Being a mother means always being happy
It is true that being a mother brings great joy and children bring immense happiness. However, it also implies worry, tears and sadness when something affects the children or the family.
All that happiness can be tempered by accumulated tiredness, insecurity, the responsibilities that motherhood brings, and hormonal ups and downs. Suffering mothers are victims of themselves, of their inability to manage and overcome the challenges that motherhood brings. Suffering does not go hand in hand with love, but everything about a child must be received and felt with love.
13. Being a mother is an instinct
Motherhood is a desire and in all women it takes a form. In many it does not prevail and their decision is not to procreate, without feeling guilty or becoming the object of accusations. However, the maternal instinct is an emotional bond that mother and child establish, with an undoubted chemical hormonal content. Indeed, the oxytocin It plays an important role in the strong mother-child bond.
14. The myth of the self-sacrificing mother
Self-denial is a virtue that makes the mother voluntarily sacrifice herself in favor of her children. It is the fulfillment of a sort of annulment of the woman who gives herself even beyond her own strength to bring up and raise her children and the whole family.
So that, she will be a better mother the more selfless she iscarrying the inequality of a system that ignores the collective commitment and the couple, in the responsibility of raising and supporting the family group.
15. Motherhood and housework are the same thing
This image is innocently but persistently cultivated from childhood, with roles punctuated by toys and household chores. Girls grow up with a doll in their arms, naturalizing that motherhood is a woman’s own and exclusive business. As well as cooking and cleaning products.
As psychologist Elisabetta Peredo states: “One of the myths supported by patriarchal society is that ‘household chores’ constitute, par excellence, the ‘natural place’ of women due to their close relationship with biological reproduction”.
16. Being a mother satisfies a woman
This myth condemns women to motherhood because otherwise they would be an incomplete being. That is, to achieve her full realization, she needs to be a mother. The breaking of the imperatives of this myth occurs because the woman has the power to decide whether or not to have children, according to her life plan.
says the anthropologist Yanina Avila: «This fact of “choosing” and leading one’s life without paying attention to external mandates or beliefs is part of the historical change that is taking place in contemporary societies».
17. Motherhood hinders the mother’s professional development
Gradually, myths like this one were displaced by the force of the facts and, more importantly, why Women today decide and choose with greater determination to be professionals, acquire independence and opt for motherhood, as equals, with or without a partner.
Mothers currently have, says anthropologist María Victoria Castilla in a article on the dilemmas of motherhooda «greater margin for questioning and, at the same time, a greater offer to choose from. In this process, they have become inescapable actresses in the co-formation of their own maternal biographies and identities.of their practices, beliefs and knowledge”.
As for the myths about motherhood…
The truth is that fears and taboos around motherhood still prevail. The information we have just presented is intended to alleviate some of these fears.and to encourage mothers to discover the strengths they have as women when motherhood knocks on their door. If you forget those myths about motherhood and just relax, you will be able to enjoy this beautiful stage more.
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