Anxiety and worry is something that is quite common among moms on the planet, and one of the moments of motherhood when it truly spikes is when a woman is a new expecting mother. Oh the overwhelming overload of information! It becomes really difficult to discern what to believe and what to take with a grain of salt. This is why Huggies Philippines teamed up with Mommy Mundo to go through some common pregnancy myths with Dr. Margaret Joyce Cristi-Limson and Maoui David-Chua and help alleviate the anxiety of some of our Mommy Mundo moms!

Among the myths they covered and BUSTED are…

• Morning sickness only happens in the morning

BUSTED. Unfortunately for moms, morning sickness can happen well past the morning and way beyond the first trimester. Some moms can have it all the way up until labor and delivery. For some mothers it happens with every pregnancy, while for others it can happen only once. Every pregnancy is different, and terrible morning sickness the first time does not guarantee terrible morning sickness every time. 

• Eating peanuts and dairy can make the baby allergic to them

BUSTED. As Dr. Cristi-Limson explained, allergies are more often inherited than developed in the womb. The chances of an allergy will be better determined if there are family members with allergies, and so in this case if there are peanut and dairy allergies in the family. 

• I should be eating for 2 while pregnant.

BUSTED. This is a flat out NO, DON’T DO IT!! Women who eat for two tend to gain too much weight, and this can lead to issues during delivery (potentially leading a C-section), while also making it more difficult for mothers to go back to their pre-pregnancy weight. Moms need to remember that they only need an additional 300 calories a day throughout the entire pregnancy. 

• I shouldn’t dye my hair when pregnant

SEMI-BUSTED. While it is true that dye can be toxic and should the body absorb the toxins there is a chance that it will cross over to the placenta. However, if minimal dye is used and if the stylist is able to stay away from contact with the skin, then there shouldn’t be an issue. There is a risk, but not a big one. Dr Cristi-Limson recommends, however, not doing it in the first trimester, which is when the organs are formed. 

• If you eat any twin fruit you will likely have twin babies

BUSTED. While this is a fun little myth, the truth is that potential for twinning is completely genetic. Twins should run in a woman’s side of the family for there to be a chance of twins. The only exception to this would be if a couple undergoes in vitro fertilization or IVF.  Because several fertilised eggs are often implanted in the woman’s uterus, the chances for twins increases.

This is just a handful of myths tackled in the event. Plus, Dr Cristi-Limson deep dove into some moms’ questions of myths they heard from friends and relatives, and put some scientific basis to those that actually held water! For a complete rundown of the myths covered, watch the full video on Mommy Mundo’s Facebook LIVE!