Pregnancy Myths

MYTH: The way you "carry" the baby gives a clue as to its gender.
Shawn A. Tassone, M.D. (OB/GYN)

The origin of this myth remains a mystery. How many women have heard that if you carry the baby high then you're having a boy and if you carry the baby in your pelvis it's a girl? Anatomically, the factors that affect how the uterus sits in the pelvis and abdomen are fetal size, maternal height, maternal weight, pelvic bony structure, position of the uterus, and the number of babies in the uterus. Assume that the baby is a boy. Would the fact that the baby has a penis affect the way in which the mother carries it? Many men might argue that the penis is the cause for the earth's rotation but are not as likely to think that a penis would influence the way a mother carries her baby.

Maternal height, on the other hand, affects the contour of the pregnant abdomen. A woman who is five feet tall may show signs of pregnancy earlier than a woman who is six feet tall. A taller woman has more vertical space for the uterus, which may enable her to hide her pregnancy for a few more weeks. Maternal weight can also mask the signs of pregnancy. An obese woman, for instance, would not show signs of pregnancy until her later trimesters. Shawn A. Tassone, M.D. author of "Hands Off My Belly! The Pregnant Woman's Guide to Surviving Myths, Mothers, and Moods" Other Myths:

• Pregnancy Myths: Once a preterm delivery, always a preterm delivery.
• Pregnancy Myths: Cramping in early pregnancy is a sign of miscarriage.

Comment from miniray » Posted Sep. 29, 2015 7:58am I'm 5"1' with a BMI of around 35, so technically I'm obese - This is my first real pregnancy and I haven't been able to hide it since I was 10 weeks, it was really obvious.