Superstitions during pregnancy.

What are the main signs and superstitions you should pay attention to when you are pregnant? What are the most popular pregnancy superstitions in different countries? What a mother-to-be should and shouldn’t do during pregnancy?

Among the people, pregnancy has always been surrounded by many superstitions and signs, most of them were an attempt to explain at least somehow something that was impossible to understand in the pre-scientific era. Why does an umbilical cord entanglement happen? How to explain congenital anomalies? How to guess whether a boy or a girl will be born?

It is enough to take a closer look at the behavior of any future mother and it immediately becomes clear: on the eve of the most important and responsible event in her life, she not only "inadvertently" learns all the folk signs and omens, but also strictly adheres to them. The explanation for this is very simple: on a subconscious level, a woman wants to do everything so that childbirth is easy, and the baby is born healthy.

What should not be done by pregnant women: 15 popular superstitions and signs

• According to the long-term observations of our ancestors, there was a sign that while carrying a child, a woman should not sew, embroider and knit. Allegedly doing needlework during pregnancy, she runs the risk of "tangling" the baby's umbilical cord.

• Also, in the old days, the expectant mother should not have bought clothes for her future child in advance, since it was believed that evil spirits would have time to "borrow" these things and this would serve as an obstacle to the birth of a child

• It is believed that a pregnant woman should not look at various deformities; otherwise the child will be born the same. Whether this is true or not is unknown, but the fact that the emotions of a pregnant woman are directly projected onto the child is true, therefore it is necessary to contemplate beauty as often as possible and avoid negative emotions.

• An unusual and eerie superstition is that a pregnant woman should not step over fruits "born" in the ground (potatoes, carrots, beets, etc.) This was justified by the fact that the dead are buried into the ground, which means that it can take the baby as well.

• Future mothers are advised to hide their pregnancy as long as possible, since possible negative energy, for example, envy, can harm not only the mother, but also the unborn baby. From a scientific point of view, this is explained by the fact that a pregnant woman is extremely susceptible to all negative factors.

• The question: "Why shouldn't pregnant women cut their hair?" is a point of interest for many people now. Not really knowing the truth, only some women do not adhere to this superstition. And the fact is that since ancient times it was believed that it is in the hair that the vital force of a person is located, and to the very "ends" they are saturated with useful substances, therefore, by cutting off even a little hair, a pregnant woman was deprived of additional "nourishment" of the body.

• It was also strictly forbidden for expectant mothers to dye their hair: they were afraid that the child would be born with a spot on the body. Most likely, they simply intimidated young beauties who did not want to stop looking nice during pregnancy. But in fact, it has been scientifically proven that the chemical elements in the hair dye penetrate the mother's body and can contribute to the manifestations of allergies after the birth of the baby.

• Another sign that has come to us from ancient times, but has a completely scientific justification: a pregnant woman should not sleep on her back. In the old days they said - otherwise the child will be born dead. In fact, in this position, compression of the inferior vena cava, on which the uterus presses, can occur. At the same time, the blood supply to the baby slows down, and the consequences of this can be different: placental abruption, fetal hypoxia, etc.

• The sign that a pregnant woman should not sit on the doorstep was explained by our ancestors as follows: the threshold is a kind of border between the alien world and the home, and some even considered the threshold to be the border between our world and the other world. That is why in many countries it is considered a bad omen to even step on the threshold, not just sit on it. Whether this is really so, it is difficult to say, but you really should not sit on the threshold, if only because it is blowing there and such a position is completely unfavorable for a pregnant woman.

• The sign: “Pregnant women should not overstep a log” (this also applies to various sticks, ropes, and any other obstacles) speaks about difficult childbirth. Perhaps, in this way, our ancestors warned pregnant women against wide, sharp steps that are contraindicated for them.

• The popular belief that a mom who consumes red berries at the time of pregnancy will give birth to a ruddy baby may have previously caused affection, but now we all understand that the child was born with a clear diathesis, and this is quite dangerous for the baby, so everything is fine in moderation ...

• There is one more sign for pregnant women: "You cannot take a cat in your hands - there will be many enemies." Maybe the child will have some enemies in the future, but modern practice shows that the main enemy for a pregnant woman is toxoplasmosis, and it is the cat that can cause this.

• “A pregnant woman should not sit cross-legged - otherwise the baby will be born clubfoot.” The child's clubfoot hardly depends on the position of the mother's legs during pregnancy, but the condition of her legs from such a position can really worsen, since blood circulation is impaired, which entails a rather unpleasant disease - varicose veins.

• In the old days, the sex of the unborn child was determined by the shape of the mother’s belly: if it is sharp and protruding, this means she will have a boy, if her stomach is round and wide, a girl will certainly be born. According to long-term observations, in most cases, this is true. Although in our time, the sex of the unborn child is mainly recognized on scheduled ultrasound.

• Also, the gender of the child can be determined by the presence or absence of hairs on the belly of the expectant mother - if there is a lot of hair on your belly, this means you are expecting a boy. This sign may well have a scientific basis, since during pregnancy in a woman's body, the content of the male hormone testosterone increases, which causes such a reaction.

Superstitions and myths about pregnancy

Here is the list of some unexpected signs and myths about pregnancy you might not have heard about:
• If a pregnant woman gives bread to the cow, it will calve soon.
• You should not say no to a pregnant woman if she asks something. Otherwise you will have mice or rats.
• A pregnant woman should not mention the term of her pregnancy even when one can see the belly clearly.
• A pregnant woman should not have her belly nude in public.
• You should not take photos of a pregnant woman and pregnancy photo shoots are also forbidden. If you do a photoshoot, you should not show the pictures to anyone up to 40 days after the childbirth.
• If a pregnant woman says some number to you before your exam, it will be the number of the test ticket you will get.
• If a woman wants to get pregnant faster, someone should present her a pacifier.
• There was a folk belief that if a woman wanted to get pregnant, she should have taken some potion from cherry blossom roots. (NB! Please be sure not to take any medication, even herbs, until you consult your doctor!)
• During childbirth, a woman should let her hair down; the rings and chains should be removed. This should help avoid any obstacles on the way of the energies.
• A pregnant woman should not rock an empty cradle. This way she may show the universe that she is already busy enough and a child might bother her.
• A pregnant woman should not hang baby clothes dry at night.
• A pregnant woman should not eat in the darkness (otherwise her baby may become a coward or a thief).
• A pregnant woman should not swear and curse; otherwise her baby might have many childbirth marks.

Actually, there are many more signs concerning pregnancy. But we will say the main thing - love your unborn child, and be attentive to your body! We wish you happy childbirth and a strong healthy baby!