Pregnancy Myths and My "Paglilihi"

My hubby and I were invited to attend a party at LGV. It's the birthday celebration of my husband's sister's partner's mother (whew! What a mouthful!) and the theme was "fiesta", complete with banderitas, ice cream carts, videoke and a buffet table worthy of a king's meal. Anyway, the reason why I'm blogging about this is because #1, I ate too much avocado ice cream and I know I'll be the one to blame if my baby weighs a whopping 8 kilos and #2, I kept getting pregnancy advices that made me (in no particular order) giggly, thankful, weak in the knees, scared, and frightened to death.

The funny thing is, they kept telling me that my baby might be a girl because I look pretty and has no skin discoloration. Some say  it's a girl because my tummy is too round and not "patusok". I'm not sure what a triangular tummy looks like but thank God mine's not.

One advice that really caught my attention was to eat RAW EGGS during the month I'm about to give birth. It would help in labor and I would have an easy childbirth, Uhm, I'm not sure what to say actually because I was thinking of salmonella and E. coli at that time that I didn't trust my lips so I kept them shut that whole time.

One co-worker told me to avoid sitting with my legs too far apart because the baby's head will grow big. Then, she also warned me not to look at ugly people or else my baby will be ugly too. I mean, seriously?

Honestly, if I follow everything they say, I might end up stressing myself more than necessary! I mean, I know they're only worried about me but somehow, it got me thinking, how many of these advices are actually true?

Here's other myths that you might find helpful (or funny) when you get pregnant. It's up to you if you want to follow them or not:

• Do not take a bath or even wash hands. (Mymy: how about washing my private part, does that count?)
• Do not watch TV, read or use the computer. (Mymy: Err, I might have broken this once... or twice... or COMPLETELY!)
• Don’t drink cold beverages or eat cold food. (Mymy: Even a glass of iced water on a hot day? C'mon!)
• Have plenty of soups such as tinola to increase milk supply. (Mymy: Yes, I'm gullible. I am following this! Hah. )
• Wearing accessories around your neck will cause the umbilical cord to be wrapped around your baby’s neck.
• When walking outdoors at night, cover your head with a piece of cloth so that the “tik-tik” will not find you. (Mymy: My mum said this is to avoid the "hamog" too, whatever that is.)
• Give in to all your food cravings to prevent miscarriage. (Mymy: My hubby's the one who's afraid of this so he keeps getting me what I want during the "paglilihi" months, even the weird ones like ice cream as viand, hah.)

Let's see what the experts say ("Common pregnancy myths exposed" from ABS-CBN ):

MANILA, Philippines - Several myths about pregnancy just won't go away. For instance, most people continue to believe that having sex while pregnant harms the baby when medical studies have shown otherwise.
Dr. Phil McGraw, popular author and television personality, tells us what's true and what's not when it comes to pregnancy.
In his website, Dr.Phil.com, McGraw lists common myths and truths involving pregnant women with the help of Yfat Reiss, co-author of How to Make A Pregnant Woman Happy:
MYTHS
Pregnant women crave pickles and ice cream. Not all women crave pickles and ice cream, but McGraw said food cravings such as these are based in fact. In general, he said food cravings can be very helpful in determining what a pregnant woman's body needs. For instance, some women may crave pickles because they are sodium deficient, while others want ice cream for comfort.
Pregnant women who carry low = boy, or pregnancy acne = girl. The shape and the height of the belly cannot indicate a baby's sex, McGraw said. Instead, women tend to carry lower or higher depending on their body type. He added that pregnancy acne has nothing to do with a baby's sex -- it's only a result of natural hormonal changes.
Pregnant women must eat for two; they must gain 25 pounds. As long as a pregnant woman eats properly -- and as long as her doctor is not concerned -- McGraw said there is no set formula on how much she must gain.
Pregnant women shouldn't take baths. They can, but McGraw said they should stay away from hot baths because water over 98 degrees Fahrenheit (or 37 degrees celsius) is unfavorable to the pregnancy.
Pregnant women shouldn't eat fish. Although women are told not to eat fresh fish due to mercury levels and fears of food poisoning, McGraw said women can choose fresh fish with low mercury levels. After all, he said women in Japan don't stop eating sushi.
All pregnant women have morning sickness. McGraw said the feeling of morning sickness is often caused by a rise in the female hormone estrogen during pregnancy. If the pregnant woman's body already produced a high level of estrogen prior to her pregnancy, McGraw said additional estrogen may cause morning sickness in the first trimester.
TRUTHS
Pregnant women shouldn't change cat litter. Toxoplasmosis, a virus in cat feces, can be very harmful to the pregnancy, according to McGraw. Given this, he said all contact with cat litter must be limited and the house must be kept extra clean.
Pregnant women should not carry heavy items. Specifically, McGraw said a pregnant woman must not carry things weighing more than 25 pounds since her body is already burdened by additional weight.
Pregnant women shouldn't drink alcohol. McGraw said alcohol is "feto-toxic," which means it is poisonous to the growing baby -- one drink a day can create a noticeable problem in the pregnancy.

Hmmm, I think I'd better stick to what my OB-GYNE says and stop believing all these myths that I keep on hearing.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Anyway, since we're on the topic of myths, the "paglilihi" or cravings will surely be brought up. And even though most people don't bother believing in such nonsense, I am attesting to everyone that yes, it could happen. Not all-throughout the pregnancy though, just during the early months. Mine happened the same time I'm having "night sickness" (yes, I'm not part of the typical pregnant women who vomits early in the morning. I often get nausea at night, before I go to bed). It's between my second and third months.

#1 I craved for one particular burger and that is, a Jollibee Yum with TLC.

I don't usually eat Jollibee products because I find them too sweet but there I was, eating these burgers as if there's no tomorrow. I'd favor McDonald's cheeseburger or Burger King's Whopper Jr. or even a Wendy's Bacon Mushroom Melt any day but during my second month, THIS was what my taste buds wanted.

#2 Like a typical pregnant woman, I craved for sour fruits and yes, I fell prey for the ticklish taste of kamias and green mangoes. I eat them fresh out of the tree with salt as my partner in crime.

#3 The one craving that definitely made me gained weight is ripe mangoes. It doesn't matter if it's in shake-form, sliced, scooped, whatever. I ate them like popcorn, haha.

These babies are the reason why I would get up in the middle of the night, rummage the chiller and yes, eat them like an underfed savage. My husband caught me once and never mentioned the incident. That's when I knew he would love me for better or worst.

#4 I lam totally in love with this next craving ever since I can remember but I was particularly HUNGRY for Fruitas' Watermelon Shake. And to think that it was in the middle of the cold months! I'd rather drink this cold beverage than take a bath (and yes, I am serious).

#5 This is the weirdest craving I've ever had. I know it's usual for pregnant women to crave for something out of the ordinary but heck, I don't know what I was thinking when I ate this, for A WEEK! You've heard of ice cream on stick, ice cream on a bun but how about, ice cream on top of a bowl of steaming rice?

And yes, it's not only strawberry. I ate rice with vanilla ice cream and mango ice cream. Well, at least I got sick of it after a week.


So baby, after you read this, don't judge mommy. I'd eat anything, do anything, and yes, even experience anything just to see you developing properly.