Ludmila moscato
07/26/2021 6:00
Clarín.com
Good Life
Updated 07/26/2021 6:00 AM
Many are the tips that a pregnant woman comes across.
Especially if you are a newcomer, listen to
all kinds of recommendations
not only from your doctor but also from neighbors, friends, family and even people who pass by on the street.
The motives?
On the one hand, it is a subject on which many people have previous ideas, since they lived it firsthand or up close.
It also happens that many issues were modified with the advancement of knowledge but
others persist
and become "maxims", and the same is left for the position of each professional on the subject (the well-known "each doctor with his little book").
To shed some light on the issue, we consulted Humberto Velázquez, head of the Obstetrics Service of the British Hospital, on those issues on
which there is usually unanimity
, to find out what the medical consensus says.
1- Pregnant women cannot eat raw fish
Better not do it, since there are several
precautions
that must be taken to ensure that it is safe.
So Velázquez explains: "Only raw fish, such as salmon or herring with strict control can be consumed by pregnant during all handling, including packaging and storage, measures should be taken to ensure that the same.
Not been contaminated.
Ante the slightest doubt, better to order another plate ", advises.
2- They must sleep on the left side.
True, but difficult to comply with.
"It is difficult to control the position that a woman adopts when she is asleep, since she will surely position herself in the way that generates greater comfort, according to her previous habits", says the doctor.
Specialists recommend sleeping on the left side when the pregnancy is advanced.
Photo Shutterstock.
However, "it may be recommended that when lying down or resting lying down, do it on the left lateral ulna. Especially when your uterus has reached a good size, if you lie on your back, it could compress
little resistant blood vessels
(such as the vena cava inferior that passes in the posterior wall of the abdomen to his right side) ", details.
3- There are cravings, and if they are not fulfilled, marks can remain on the baby.
False.
"Cravings are a
cultural issue
and surely exist for those who notice them. What is certain is that if they are not fulfilled, the baby will not suffer any consequences," he says.
4- Having sex close to your due date can help trigger it.
False.
"Both the sexual act and childbirth are related to the release of
oxytocin
, the popularly known 'love hormone'. The myth is generated because, when for some situation a vaginal delivery requires it, synthetic oxytocin can be used to induce it. But its composition and the volume used is totally different ", clarifies the obstetrician.
For this reason, he details that if the moment of childbirth has not yet arrived, "having sexual relations in the last stage of pregnancy will
not trigger it
", and adds: "Couples who wish to have intercourse can do so freely, accompany each other, respect the changes and help each other satisfy each other. "
5- Vegetables and fruits must be carefully disinfected.
True.
As Velázquez indicates, the correct washing of vegetables and fruits that are consumed without peeling is essential, especially due to the
risk of toxoplasmosis.
Special care must also be taken when handling raw meat and soil when gardening, for which he recommends the use of waterproof latex-rubber gloves.
6- Those who live with cats are at risk of toxoplasmosis.
Doubtful.
You can live with cats, but they recommend
taking distance
as much as possible: do not caress them with your hands, avoid changing their sanitary stones or manipulating their fecal matter, because they are vectors of toxoplasmosis transmission.
7 - Pregnant women are hungrier and should eat for two.
False.
"It is a myth that a pregnant woman needs to eat twice as much. But it is important that her diet provides the body with the nutrients necessary for her good health and that of the baby. It is proven that even from malnourished mothers healthy babies have been born. Nature prioritizes the development of the fetus, which feeds during gestation
from the mother's
caloric and nutritional reserve
, not from its direct intake ", he explains.
In pregnancy, a balanced diet must be maintained to incorporate the necessary nutrients.
Photo Shutterstock.
On the other hand, it is important to clarify that pregnant women
should not overindulge
in meals.
"Exaggerated weight gain during pregnancy is related to the appearance of metabolic disorders such as gestational diabetes or diseases such as pre-eclampsia. Therefore, controlling adequate weight gain is important, as is insufficient weight gain during pregnancy ", he exposes.
8- They are more sensitive because their hormones are revolutionized.
True.
"Pregnant women have
physiological changes
, such as the exacerbation of all their senses: they smell more, hear more, like flavors more, their skin responds faster to aggressive contacts in this context. As in all species, at the time it procreates and she takes care of her calf or baby, nature provides her with these resources to defend herself. That is why her sensitivity increases and her mood often becomes labile ", she says.
9- They should not dye their hair.
True, although there are options.
"The dyes have chemical elements such as ammonia that is essential for the color to last. The same, applied on the scalp, could be toxic. Only treatments could be carried out on the hair, since
the hair does not absorb
, using a cap that protects the scalp and pulling hair through it, "he says.
10- After a pregnancy the body changes forever.
False.
Although it may have occurred in the case of some women, the truth is that with adequate control and compliance with
healthy guidelines,
the changes that are generated in women when pregnant, "in general retrograde, returning their body to the state prior to pregnancy. pregnancy".
Even so, issues such as "an exaggerated weight gain" may occur, which could make "the return of the body to its previous state more difficult or delayed".
But, maintains the obstetrician, "a pregnancy with good evolution would not generate definitive changes in the body".
Of course, this vision comes from a medical point of view, but each woman will go through her puerperium in a personal and particular way, her body being obviously involved in the whole process.
11- You can not drink coffee during pregnancy.
True.
"Its consumption is not recommended because caffeine has
effects on the cardiovascular system
of the pregnant woman, accelerating the heartbeat in a heart that itself has the highest threshold, since it has to work more during pregnancy (which is why , for example, the pregnant woman sometimes feels very isolated palpitations that she had never had). In addition, caffeine passes to the baby and could also act on his cardiovascular system ", he points out.
12. If the belly is rounder, it is a male;
if it is more pointed, a girl.
False.
"That is a myth. The belly, round or pointed, only indicates a
bodily characteristic
of the mother when she is pregnant," she clarifies.
13. On rainy days more babies are born.
False.
"On rainy days there are no more deliveries. But we doctors do observe that women enter hospitals with a more advanced state and we suppose, based on our patients' comments, that couples
find it difficult to leave their home
when it rains heavily. , and wait until the contractions progress, "he details.
14. It is better not to drive.
False.
"Pregnant women
can drive
, even with advanced pregnancy. But there are two points to take into account: the first, to put on the seat belt properly. The second, to avoid driving on roads or highways, where speeds are higher, since there is a decreased reflexes that would not allow us to respond in time to emergency situations, "he says.
It is important to check that the belt is correctly fitted.
Photo Shutterstock.
15. The lips swell in the days leading up to childbirth.
False.
"In general, and particularly in the summer time, it is common for pregnant women to
retain more fluid.
For this reason, it is common for their hands or ankles to swell, but this swelling should improve after rest," says the doctor. .
And he ends: "When a pregnant woman's face swells, in addition to the rest of her body, she should
consult her obstetrician
. The proximity of delivery is not detected by the swelling of the lips, this information could require a consultation."
Look also
Everything you need to know if you decide to postpone motherhood
Respected delivery: they warn that the pandemic contributed to violating it