Get Your Facts Right

Are you looking for apt advice about what you can and can’t do, during pregnancy? We will help you find the right answers and debunk some of the common myths surrounding those nine months.

- Kritika Pushkarna

YOU ARE expecting and the good news has, most obviously, elated everyone around you. But all this enthusiasm may, in the process, lead to something you don’t particularly want: All your well-wishers suddenly turning into medical experts. Chances are high that you are bombarded with tips and suggestions from them that are unmanageably diverse. You may even end up with a stranger advising you on what is safe and what is not. While everybody means well, the barrage of advice and information you keep getting, can be conflicting and confusing at a time. We have sorted out the flood of information for you and spoken to top experts to help you separate fact from fiction.

MYTH: You will hurt Baby if you sleep on the left.

FACT: It’s actually good to sleep on the left lateral position as it increases the amount of blood and nutrients to the placenta and to your baby. “The foetus inside the womb starts gaining weight significantly in second and third trimesters. So it’s advised to avoid lying in the supine position during this phase. This posture makes the weight of the uterus come down on the spine, back muscles, intestines, and blood vessels, causing problems and discomfort to the mother and the baby,” says Dr. Sheetal Aggarwal, consultant gynaecologist, Apollo Spectra Hospital, Delhi. Sleeping on your left has two benefits: It will keep the uterus away from liver, which is on the right side; the blood circulation to Baby’s heart will improve.

MYTH: Seafood is good for your newborn’s health.