With so many myths and old wives tales circulating, it’s difficult to know exactly what’s truth and whats not when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth.

Well I’ve been doing some research of my own and can now reveal the top pregnancy and childcare myths you may have fallen for.

 You’re eating for two.

It’s a common misconception that once we get pregnant we are actually eating for two, making it our God given right to pig out on whatever we might feel like. However, I hate to be the barer of bad news but that’s not entirely true. I mean don’t let me stop you reaching out for a second helping at dinner, but in actual fact pregnant women only actually need around 300 extra calories a day.  

Dying your hair is bad for baby

I know lots of people think that It’s completely unsafe to colour their hair whilst pregnant, although research is limited on this one. Experts say that It’s safe to colour your hair whilst pregnant. Some studies have found that very high doses of the chemicals in hair dyes may cause harm, however these doses are huge compared with the very low amount of chemicals a woman is exposed to when colouring her hair. This is the advice given over on the NHS website.

Second babies always come earlier.

Was your first born a late arrival? Well you’ll probably be hanging onto hope that this myth is true. Unfortunately it isn’t. A study has found that the average second time Mum is gives birth after 269 days, which works out at 3 days overdue.

Second labour is guaranteed to be much easier

There are no guarantees that second labour will be much easier as different women will have different experiences. Although there may be some truth in this myth. According to research, first time mothers are much more likely to have pain relief and 25% of first time mothers will need to be assisted with instruments such as forceps and ventouse, compared to just 5% of second time mums.

The shape and size of your belly can indicate your baby’s gender.

You may have heard the old wives tail that the shape and size of your belly can indicate your baby’s gender. The old story goes that if a woman is carrying a boy, she has a low belly. Women with especially large bellies are thought to be carrying a girl. However, experts have said that the shape of your belly is determined by the original shape of your abdomen, the amount and distribution of the fat, the strength of the abdominal muscles, the number of babies conceived, the presentation and the position of the baby. So that sure settles that one!

Labour begins with your water breaking.

You may have noticed that in most movies and TV shows, labour and delivery happens extremely quickly! And the waters breaking is often where it all begins. The truth is, labour usually begins with contractions, these will often be mild at first and even mistaken for cramps, however as time goes on your waters will break. Some of you might not even notice them breaking, whilst others may need them to be broken manually by the doctor. Either way, It’s unlikely you will be causing a huge scene like those in the movies.

I hope this has cleared a few things up for all of you mummies to be. Be sure to read my tips on what foods to avoid whilst breast feeding.