Lately I have run into a lot of common pregnancy myths all over the likes of the internet. So, I decided to kind of survey and collect some of my favorites, and the most ridiculous I heard, and write a blog about them, while helping to educate in the process.
The one I want to kick it off with is one I heard the other day, the woman was completely serious, and when I asked her what "book" she read it in (because she told me she read it in a book) she got awfully quiet. Which I figured.
Baby girls are normally born two weeks early in first time pregnancies.
Um? Maybe you want your baby girl to come two weeks before her due date, but the average first time pregnancy in
boys, and girls, is 41 weeks 2 days when left alone, and not induced.
Next I move onto the oh so common....
Epidurals have no effect on babies or moms.
Which most of us know is incorrect, but for those of us who are not familiar with epidural anesthesia, it does carry risks that are often overlooked or not even questioned for comfort measures. In fact, I have heard providers tell this to women directly.
Some of the risks of epidurals are
- Epidurals may cause your blood pressure to suddenly drop. For this reason your blood pressure will be routinely checked to make sure there is adequate blood flow to your baby. If this happens you may need to be treated with IV fluids, medications, and oxygen.
- You may experience the following side effects: shivering, ringing of the ears, backache, soreness where the needle is inserted, nausea, or difficulty urinating.
- You may find that your epidural makes pushing more difficult and additional interventions such as Pitocin, forceps, vacuum extraction or cesarean may become necessary
- In rare instances, permanent nerve damage may result in the area where the catheter was inserted. (Which personally happened to me with my epidural in my first birth.)
- Dosages and medications vary, so concrete information from research is lacking. Studies reveal that some babies may initially have trouble "latching on" among other difficulties with breastfeeding. While in-utero, they may become lethargic and have trouble getting into position for delivery. These medications have been known to cause respiratory depression, and decreased fetal heart rate in newborns. Though the medication may not harm the baby, the baby may experience subtle effects like those mentioned above.
This is another great publication about the risks to mother and baby, by Dr. Sarah Buckley. The next myth that I move onto is...
Hospitals are the safest place to have a baby.
Recently several
studies have been released stating, in low risk, healthy women, planned home births with a medical professional present are as safe as hospital births. The article linked states,
"Researchers found women who had planned a home birth had lower risk of obstetric interventions, including a C-section, or complications like hemorrhage, compared to those who delivered in hospitals."
Which many of us know. Some of the benefits of having a home birth also include, no seperation between mother and baby which increases the risk for breastfeeding difficulties, no risk for unnecessary interventions which result in cesarean sections, less risk for an infection or illness picked up from the hospital, and you have less of a risk for fetal death (again at cited in the article).
Next I move onto the other common myth of...
OB/GYN's give better care than Midwives.
Consumer reports did a research study in 2008 which they published in the form of a true/false maternity care quiz. In this research, they included the above myth. The below is taken from the Consumer Reports maternity care quiz about this ignorant myth.
" False. Studies show that the 8 percent to 9 percent of U.S. women who use midwives and the 6 to 7 percent who choose family physicians generally experienced just-as-good results as those who go to obstetricians. Those who used midwives also ended up with fewer technological interventions. For example, women who received midwifery care were less likely to experience induced labor, have their water broken for them, episiotomies, pain medications, intravenous fluids, and electronic fetal monitoring, and were more likely to give birth vaginally with no vacuum extraction or forceps, than similar women receiving medical care. Note that an obstetric specialist is best for the small proportion of women with serious health concerns."
I was very happy to see such a major organization becoming involved in the quality of care, and maternity care system because just like anything else, women are consumers.
I continue with Episiotomies Vs. Natural Tearing...
Many women think that episiotomies not only heal easier but actually have a function.
For many women they may be needed, but in reality, they are not very beneficial to most women, and do more harm than good.
The Childbirth Connection reviewed a JAMA study about routine episiotomies should not be used as much as they are today. Many even believe there is no medical reason for an episiotomy at all. Others believe natural tearing heals easier. I personally have had neither, but what I have noticed in my time in the birthing community, less women I have come in contact with complain about natural tearing than damage done by episiotomies.
Now, onto my favorite!!!!!
ONCE A CESAREAN, ALWAYS A CESAREAN.
We all know, well if you are a friend or reader of mine, you certainly should know, that this is one of the most grossly incorrect statements out there.
While there may be SOME women who it is safer to have a repeat cesarean because of medical conditions, or damage done by previous cesarean section/sections, that majority of women can safely, and SHOULD be having VBAC's (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean).
I detailed in full recently in another post the risks associated with repeat cesareans as opposed to VBAC. All of that detailed information can be found at
this link, as well as on this site.
I am trying to save a couple of the other myths to 1) not make this post a novel, and 2) be able to make another fun post continuing on about these myths.
I certainly hope you enjoyed these, and will leave comments as to which myths you would like to see debunked!
The one I want to kick it off with is one I heard the other day, the woman was completely serious, and when I asked her what "book" she read it in (because she told me she read it in a book) she got awfully quiet. Which I figured.
Um? Maybe you want your baby girl to come two weeks before her due date, but the average first time pregnancy in boys, and girls, is 41 weeks 2 days when left alone, and not induced.
Next I move onto the oh so common....
Which most of us know is incorrect, but for those of us who are not familiar with epidural anesthesia, it does carry risks that are often overlooked or not even questioned for comfort measures. In fact, I have heard providers tell this to women directly.
Some of the risks of epidurals are
- Epidurals may cause your blood pressure to suddenly drop. For this reason your blood pressure will be routinely checked to make sure there is adequate blood flow to your baby. If this happens you may need to be treated with IV fluids, medications, and oxygen.
- You may experience the following side effects: shivering, ringing of the ears, backache, soreness where the needle is inserted, nausea, or difficulty urinating.
- You may find that your epidural makes pushing more difficult and additional interventions such as Pitocin, forceps, vacuum extraction or cesarean may become necessary
- In rare instances, permanent nerve damage may result in the area where the catheter was inserted. (Which personally happened to me with my epidural in my first birth.)
- Dosages and medications vary, so concrete information from research is lacking. Studies reveal that some babies may initially have trouble "latching on" among other difficulties with breastfeeding. While in-utero, they may become lethargic and have trouble getting into position for delivery. These medications have been known to cause respiratory depression, and decreased fetal heart rate in newborns. Though the medication may not harm the baby, the baby may experience subtle effects like those mentioned above.
This is another great publication about the risks to mother and baby, by Dr. Sarah Buckley.The next myth that I move onto is...
Recently several studies have been released stating, in low risk, healthy women, planned home births with a medical professional present are as safe as hospital births. The article linked states,
Which many of us know. Some of the benefits of having a home birth also include, no seperation between mother and baby which increases the risk for breastfeeding difficulties, no risk for unnecessary interventions which result in cesarean sections, less risk for an infection or illness picked up from the hospital, and you have less of a risk for fetal death (again at cited in the article).
Next I move onto the other common myth of...
Consumer reports did a research study in 2008 which they published in the form of a true/false maternity care quiz. In this research, they included the above myth. The below is taken from the Consumer Reports maternity care quiz about this ignorant myth.
I was very happy to see such a major organization becoming involved in the quality of care, and maternity care system because just like anything else, women are consumers.
I continue with Episiotomies Vs. Natural Tearing...
For many women they may be needed, but in reality, they are not very beneficial to most women, and do more harm than good.
The Childbirth Connection reviewed a JAMA study about routine episiotomies should not be used as much as they are today. Many even believe there is no medical reason for an episiotomy at all. Others believe natural tearing heals easier. I personally have had neither, but what I have noticed in my time in the birthing community, less women I have come in contact with complain about natural tearing than damage done by episiotomies.
Now, onto my favorite!!!!!
ONCE A CESAREAN, ALWAYS A CESAREAN.
We all know, well if you are a friend or reader of mine, you certainly should know, that this is one of the most grossly incorrect statements out there.
While there may be SOME women who it is safer to have a repeat cesarean because of medical conditions, or damage done by previous cesarean section/sections, that majority of women can safely, and SHOULD be having VBAC's (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean).
I detailed in full recently in another post the risks associated with repeat cesareans as opposed to VBAC. All of that detailed information can be found at this link, as well as on this site.
I am trying to save a couple of the other myths to 1) not make this post a novel, and 2) be able to make another fun post continuing on about these myths.
I certainly hope you enjoyed these, and will leave comments as to which myths you would like to see debunked!