Pregnancy myths uncovered

Does life as one knows it have to end when a woman becomes pregnant? With one in 33 babies born with a birth defect in the U.S., paranoia is understandable.

However, moms-to-be can take lifestyle restrictions too far.

Remember the scene in Gone with the Wind when Prissy cries, “I don’t know nothing about birthin’ babies”? Well, things have come along way since Scarlett O’Hara sent Prissy running for twine and towels.

People can now know the sex of their babies before they are born, plan their delivery dates and get up-to-date checkups on what's happening inside the womb.

Many expectant moms think they know what's best when it comes to the dos and don'ts of pregnancy, including Dorina Thomas and Valeria Conshafter.

Thomas said she is trying to make the best choices for her baby, but they're very different from when her mother was pregnant.

“My mom's a lot older," she said. "So, she's in that time where for everything, you stayed in bed. You’re pregnant, you're bedridden."

Both women said they don’t take pills for allergies, didn’t work out for months and don't drink wine or coffee.

“Women just stop living their lives, and they need to go forward and be normal,” said Dr. Frances Crites, ObGyn at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. Dr. Crites has delivered a lot of babies and said what women who stop living life can actually harm their pregnancies.

“There's almost no activity that a woman cannot continue once she gets pregnant," she said. "Keep active and stay active. If they don’t, they sit around and get fat.”

That, she said, can lead to gestational diabetes and high blood pressure—and can also endanger the baby. In fact, the old adage "eating for two” requires only 300 extra calories a day for a baby.

However, many soon-to-be moms are unsure what exactly they can or cannot eat.

“It's hard to know,” Thomas said. “Can I eat this fish, can I not? I've heard salmon is good. So, I eat that.”

Some experts, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, even say pregnant women can eat salmon raw, suggesting the benefits outweigh the risk of e-coli and salmonella poisoning.

“There is new evidence that EPA and DHA, which is the omega 3 fatty acids, actually may help in brain and eye and fetal development,” Dr. Crites said.

So, what's bad? Dr. Crites said anything over 12 ounces a week, and large, predatory fish like shark, albacore tuna and swordfish, which may harbor large amounts of mercury. Raw shellfish should also be avoided.

As long as they're pasteurized, soft cheeses can be eaten as well.

Pregnant women also face the X-ray concern.

“I don't know what I would do if I broke a bone," Taylor said. "I would maybe tough it out.”

However Dr. Crites said it can be safe.

“Those pose virtually no risk at all; and the risk is the problem they're X-raying may go unattended,” she said.

So, avoiding trips to the dentist or trying to ignore pain can do more harm than good.

And while taking every precaution to take care of one's unborn child is the right idea, taking care of oneself is also very important. Experts say a woman should always ask her doctor before making a decision that -- while designed to protect her child -- could end up hurting the mom-to-be.

Caffeine is still one of the most debated topics related to pregnancy. The March of Dimes suggests one to two 8-ounce cups of coffee a day can be okay, but said no amount of alcohol has been proven safe.

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