There’s nothing like being pregnant to have every old wives’ tale ever thought of or dreamed of trotted out for your edification. Some of these old wives’ tales are funny. Some are silly. Some are terrifying. Still others are hugely misleading. Here are some that I heard during my pregnancy.
- Don’t look at a mouse when you’re pregnant — if you do, your baby will be born with a hairy birthmark.
- If you get really angry, your baby will be born angry.
- If you have any desire to stuff your swollen feet in high heels, you’ll have a cross-eyed baby.
- If you eat strawberries, your baby will have giant red splotches on it.
- If you tie your wedding ring to the end of a string and hang it over your belly, you will know if your baby is a girl (the ring hangs in a straight line) or a boy (if the ring dangles in a circle.)
- If you stretch your arms over your head, you could crush/strangle/smoosh or some other way harm the baby.
- If you’re carrying high, it’s a girl.
- If you refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread, it’s a girl.
- If your hands are dry, it’s a boy.
- If your feet are cold, it’s a boy.
- If you crave orange juice, it’s a girl.
- Here’s a weird tale: if you mix your urine with Drano and pour it into a toilet, you can tell if your baby is a boy or a girl by the color of the water – blue it’s a boy and yes, pink it’s a girl. (By the way, you shouldn’t use Drano in your toilet)
- If you have a lot of heartburn, your baby will have tons of hair.
- If you take a bath, you can drown your baby (can’t drown a baby in utero, don’t worry about that – just keep the water temp down so you don’t overcook yourself or the baby)
What old wives tales have you heard?