Myths About Childbirth
Are birthmarks an indication a woman ate or drank something harmful during pregnancy?
No, birthmarks are something that a lot of babies have that they often will grow out of. Also, they'll diminish in how dark they are as a child ages. Typically, a lot of children that are born to parents of darker skin will have birthmarks more often than children that are born to parents with lighter skin, and often if the parents have birthmarks, children will have them as well.
Can nipple stimulation bring on uterine contractions?
Absolutely. That's one of the things that prior to the use of pitocin and some of the other things that we use in labor and delivery now, nipple stimulation was a common way of inducing women. So it certainly won't guarantee that you'll go into labor, but it will guarantee contractions.
Am I more likely to go into labor during a full moon?
No, people often have contractions during a full moon for whatever reason. And they do come into Labor and Delivery with contractions, but that doesn't often lead to labor.
Will spicy foods bring on labor?
Spicy foods won't bring on labor. Women, at the end of their pregnancies when they're very uncomfortable, will try to do just about anything to put themselves into labor, and one of them has been eating spicy foods. But there's never been an association between the start of labor and eating spicy food.
If a woman swallows a man's semen after sex, will it bring on contractions?
It won't. There are prostaglandins in semen, which is why having intercourse can cause contractions. But swallowing semen gets digested in the stomach with the stomach acids and won't do anything.
Is it dangerous to take my baby outside right after birth?
Most paediatricians recommend that babies stay around family areas for four to six weeks, meaning that they're not taken to shopping centres and movie theatres and restaurants because of large amounts of viruses and bacteria that babies can contract. But taking a baby outside in your back yard is absolutely fine.
