$Unique_ID{PAR00412}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Pregnancy:  The Third Month:  Ask The Doctor}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{
Editors of Consumer Guide
Ellis, Jeffrey W
Ellis, Maria}
$Subject{wive's tales tale pregnancy myths myth diet diets dieting activity
tip tips Heartburn strawberries eat eating salt toxemia preeclampsia pneumonia
wash hair bath bathe swim swimming umbilical cord emotions music sex gender
weight gain Mopping spicy food Visit blood pressure sugar protein urine
doppler heartbeat pelvic exam examination}
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Miracle of Birth


The Third Month:  Ask The Doctor


Will Heartburn Make My Baby's Hair Grow?


     Now that you are pregnant, well-meaning individuals are probably giving
you advice about things you must do and things you must avoid.  There are a
great number of "wive's tales" that you may hear during your pregnancy.
Although many of these tales have been passed down from generation to
generation, most of them are simply not true.
     The following are some of the common myths of pregnancy--and the medical
reasons why you shouldn't believe them.  If you've been given advice about
diet, activity, or any other aspect of pregnancy from a relative, friend, or
acquaintance, or if you've read or heard a pregnancy "tip" that you're not
sure is correct, be certain to discuss it with your doctor.

If you have heartburn, your baby will have a lot of hair when she is born.
     NOT TRUE:  Heartburn during pregnancy is usually caused by the uterus
pushing up on your stomach.  Nothing you do can affect the growth of your
baby's hair.  Some babies are born with a full head of hair while others are
born nearly bald.

If you eat strawberries, your baby will develop a strawberry birthmark on her
face.
     NOT TRUE:  These birthmarks may develop in some babies, but the reason is
not known.

During pregnancy, you must eat a great deal more food because you're "eating
for two."
     NOT TRUE:  Eat according to your appetite.  Remember that the "other
person" you're eating for is a tiny being.  Gaining too much weight will
increase your aches and pains and will make getting back in shape after
delivery more difficult.  Concentrate, instead, on providing both you and your
baby with the nutrients you both need for a healthy pregnancy.  Your doctor
will watch your weight and advise you if you are gaining too much or too
little.

Do not eat salt because you will develop toxemia (preeclampsia).
     NOT TRUE:  Your intake of salt does not cause toxemia (a serious
condition marked by very high blood pressure).  The cause of toxemia is not
known.

If you wash your hair, your baby will develop pneumonia.
     NOT TRUE:  You may continue to wash your hair, shower, and bathe as
usual.  Even if you do develop a "cold," this cannot be transmitted to your
baby.

If you take a bath or swim, your baby will drown.
     NOT TRUE:  The baby is already floating around in the amniotic fluid:
she will not drown.  Furthermore, water does not enter the vagina, even when
you bathe or swim.

Lifting your arms above your head will cause your baby to be strangled by the
umbilical cord.
     NOT TRUE:  Some babies do wrap themselves in the umbilical cord as they
twist and turn in the uterus, but this has nothing to do with your arms.
Stretching your arms above your head is actually a good exercise during
pregnancy.

If you become mean or angry, your baby will have a bad disposition.
     NOT TRUE:  Your emotions will not affect your baby while she is still in
your uterus.

If you play classical music during your pregnancy, your baby will grow up to
be an artist.
     NOT TRUE:  Your baby may become an artist, but not because you played
certain types of music during pregnancy.  Soft music will, however, be
soothing to the baby:  you may even notice that her kicking slows down in
response to the music.

You can predict the baby's sex by the way you carry the baby and by the rate
of the baby's heartbeat.
     NOT TRUE:  The way you will carry your baby--far in front or close to
your body--is related to your baby's position and size and the strength of
your abdominal muscles--not to his or her sex.  The baby's heart rate may vary
from day to day, but on average, the heart rate is the same for boys and
girls.

It is best for you and your baby if you gain very little weight during
pregnancy.
     NOT TRUE:  Too little weight gain may retard your baby's growth and may
cause other serious problems after birth.  You should normally gain about 24
to 30 pounds during pregnancy (see The Second Month:  Ask The Doctor, How Much
Weight Should I Gain?).

Mopping the floor or eating spicy food will make you go into labor.
     NOT TRUE:  If you go into labor after doing either of these two, it is
purely coincidence.  There is nothing that you can do to start your labor.

     Once again, if you ever have questions about what you have heard, ask
your doctor.


This Month's Visit

     During this month's office visit, your doctor will probably:

  -  Check your weight.  By now, you will have gained about two to four
     pounds.
  -  Check your blood pressure.  This should be the same as it was before
     pregnancy.
  -  Check your urine for sugar and protein.  There should normally be neither
     in your urine.
  -  Ask about symptoms of pregnancy.  By now, most of the discomforts of
     early pregnancy will be subsiding:  however, you may now have
     constipation and an increased vaginal discharge.
  -  Ask about how you are feeling.  Inform your doctor of any physical or
     emotional feelings that you are having.
  -  Check the growth of the uterus by either a pelvic examination or by
     feeling your lower abdomen.  By the end of the third month, the top of
     your uterus will be slightly above the pubic bone.
  -  Check for your baby's heartbeat.  Close to the end of the third month,
     you and your doctor will be able to hear the heartbeat with an instrument
     called a doppler.  This device uses sound waves to detect faint sounds
     such as the baby's heartbeat.
  -  Give you practical advice about the second trimester of pregnancy.  Your
     doctor will probably discuss proper exercise and tell you what types of
     activities to avoid.  This is a good time to ask about how long you can
     expect to work and how long you can travel.
  -  Prescribe medications for discomforts such as constipation.
  -  Perform no new tests.