Myth Busting Pregnancy Edition

MYTH BUSTING: Pregnancy Edition

It’s time to dispel some myths! Some are common misunderstandings, some are outright lies!  By bringing

light to them, we can start changing the way we view pregnancy, the way we handle being pregnant, and the

way we talk to pregnant women!

Myth #1: The baby has a “due date.”

Let’s call this what it is... a medical/man-made average, NOT a scientific reality. In fact, the percent of women

who birth on their due date NATURALLY is estimated to be less than 5%. FIVE PERCENT!! The baby isn’t DUE

on any particular date, the baby will come out when it’s good and ready. Because of this fallacy, medical

interventions are incredibly high, and when you interfere, the baby comes out before it’s done cooking! There

is no way for your doctor to know how long YOU AND YOUR BABY need. And if they try to speed along the

process, your baby is robbed of incredibly important developmental time. 

Plus, an expectant momma does NOT need a bunch of questions if she reaches that particular date and baby

hasn’t come yet. It WILL. No one stays pregnant forever. And the best thing she can do is be relaxed, not

worried. So… no more due “dates!”

Myth #2: “Well you’re eating for two now.”

No, she’s not. She’s eating for one, plus an extra 300 calories to support growing a baby. 300 calories = 1

medium apple with almond butter. That’s it. That’s all the excess she “needs.” She doesn’t need a higher

quantity of food... she needs higher quality nutrients.

Encouraging a pregnant woman to indulge and eat whatever she wants is dangerous.  Growing a human is

hard work, and you need PROPER fuel, not just an excess amount of crap. Loading up on an excess amount will

only cause lethargy, heartburn, and potentially excess weight gain. While it’s good and healthy to add some

weight in pregnancy, it is not good to encourage a pregnant mommy to eat whatever she wants now because

society deems it an acceptable social norm. It’s not. 

Myth #3: “The baby has cravings for xx.”

The baby will never make you crave a chocolate sundae. The baby will never make you crave Doritos or chips

or ice cream or chocolate or anything else for that matter. 

Babies crave LIFE. Babies crave NUTRIENTS. Unfortunately, as humans, especially in our culture, we have

learned that it’s acceptable to give into whatever we crave, whenever we crave it. But with nutrition, more

often than not, we are misinterpreting our cravings. 

Cravings might FEEL real, but your body is asking for a certain type of nutrient. If your body needs carbs (as

mine did very clearly for a 2-week period in the first trimester), your “cravings” for sweets are not for Dove

chocolate or ice cream... it’s for healthy carb sources. So fresh squeezed orange juice will do wonders. If you’re

craving 5 Guys Burgers or Steak and Shake... I promise you, your baby doesn’t want that. It wants PROTEIN, so

a PurePath protein shake will get you and babe what you need (this was a God-send for me for first trimester

nausea... kept it to a minimum. Remember… nausea is a method of communication… your body is asking you

for something).  If you’re craving Doritos or chips... I promise baby doesn’t want a chemical-laden mess... it

wants salt or electrolytes (hence the “pickle cravings”). So go ahead and eat those organic pickles, or maybe

grab a coconut water. 

Giving yourself permission to eat garbage in pregnancy just because it’s become a social norm is dangerous,

just as is the “eating for two” myth.  Together they lead to excessive weight gain, hypertension, preeclampsia,

diabetes, and many more conditions the medical system just wants to “blame” the baby for, instead of the

current cultural norms we promote.

Gardeners know you must nourish soil if you want healthy plants. Baby plants need sunlight, nutrients, water,

and oxygen. Farmers know you must nourish pregnant animals with proper food and nutrients, and enough

water and salt to give their young the best chance at survival, both in the womb and once they enter the

world. Why should nutrition matter any less for humans than it does plants or cows?? Human babies don’t

have a super natural ability to extract nutrients that the moms aren’t eating themselves. That’s not how

nature works! 

For momma’s who are currently growing a baby… Pregnancy is a wonderful time... you’re growing another

human out of the raw materials that you consume. Your innate intelligence is creating another being, who is

beginning to develop perfectly in only a way God can truly explain (even though science tries). Your body

needs nutrients and raw materials so it can do that job. So, give your body what it NEEDS, not what you think

you “crave.” And don't rush the process. Your baby has no “due date.” 

Side note… if you’ve already been pregnant and you fell into these cultural traps… don’t feel bad and

don’t live in regret. Change what you can for your family NOW, and change the way you communicate to

expecting mommas in the future. You can be a light for someone else, the way I wish someone had been a

light for you during your pregnancy.

For those of you not growing humans… This is no different for you!! Your cravings are misinterpreted just as

much as pregnant mommas!! They just get a little extra attention. Your cravings for junk are LIES!! Don’t

give in to them. When you find yourself struggling, ask yourself… what does my body need right now?? Might

you be dehydrated? Might you need some specific nutrients in your diet? Might you actually need to go for a

walk or hike in the woods to reduce some of the stress you are under?? Or this is a big one (for pregnant

women too)… what emotional situations are you working through in which you might be turning to food to

satisfy an emotional need? Your cravings may not only be physical, they might be rooted in your emotions as

well.

REGARDLESS of the cause… the craving is a liar. Get to the cause! You are stronger than your cravings! Don’t

let anyone (especially yourself) tell you otherwise!

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