Pregnancy is a phase where the woman’s complete family travels through an emotional phase. At such delicate times, caring for the mother to be is what every family member tries to do.

In this process of caring and protecting, we tend to listen to every possible source and follow the instructions without questioning. Even if someone questions, ‘what’s the harm? It’s not harmful, so why not?’ is what we settle on.

Let us try to debug some of the popular myths and try to convince you otherwise.

1. A pregnant woman should eat for two

All the loving elderly ladies often ask a pregnant woman to eat more as she must provide nutrition to two lives. With all their love and concerns considered, pregnancy is not about eating more but eating right. Right in the context of amount, right in the context of nutrition, and right in the context of timings.

On average a woman needs only 300 extra calories per day when she is pregnant, so avoid doubling the quantity of every meal. Instead, focus on quality. If the urge of hunger is more, eat more. To summarize, eat according to hunger, eat according to your comfort, eat in moderation, and choose healthy whenever you eat.

2. Eating papaya will cause miscarriage

Raw papaya contains a milky liquid called latex which contains the enzyme papain and chymopapain. Enzyme papain may stimulate contractions which can cause abortion. Also, it hinders the production of progesterone hormone which is significant for a healthy pregnancy. Latex acts like oxytocin and prostaglandin which are the hormones that start labor. Latex is found in unripe and semi-ripe papaya and papaya leaves. Hence, it is better to avoid it in pregnancy.

As the fruit ripens the proportion of latex decreases so ripe papaya can be eaten in pregnancy.  It is a rich source of antioxidants, Beta carotene, minerals like potassium, iron, folic acid, vitamin A, C, etc. so ripe papaya when eaten in moderation provides a lot of nutrition to the pregnant woman.

3. The shape of the belly can reveal the baby’s gender

Predicting the gender of a fetus depending on the shape of the abdomen of an expectant mother is an age-old practice. If the stomach of a pregnant woman is carrying the baby low, then it’s a baby boy and if she is carrying it high then it will be a girl. This practice has no scientific base and is total faux.

The shape of the growing abdomen depends on several factors like the original shape of the mother’s abdomen, the uterine muscle tone, the strength of abdominal muscles, the number of babies conceived, the position of the baby, etc.

Also, in the last month, the baby starts dropping down near the pelvis making you look like you are carrying a baby low.