Unique Old Wives Tales, Myths and Superstitions About Conceiving

When my husband and I first began simply thinking about getting pregnant, one would have assumed that we never had the "talk" with our parents. There was an onslaught of advice on what we should wear, the positions we should be in, food we should eat, and things that we should have under our pillows. It was just the beginning of a long period of time where I would just nod and smile at the given advice. When we finally became pregnant and decided to opt out of finding out the sex of the baby, you would think that we had just announced that we were quitting our jobs to join the circus. No one could stand the thought of not knowing whether we were having a boy or girl. When I came in contact with people, whether it was family, friend, or stranger, everyone had a comment to make. "You are carrying high, it must be a girl!" "You are carrying low, it must be a boy!" "You have morning sickness, it must be a girl!" I must admit, I became caught up in the myths and attempted to predict what I was having. Although there were some standard superstitions, here are some that are quite unique.

1. Don't Mend or Hem Clothes While They are on your Body if you don't want to bear a Child without an Anus.

This is a Filipino superstition that is not well known among pregnancy tales. It is uncertain as to whether you are not supposed to hem clothes only while you are pregnant with a child or at any time in your life. It is probably safe to assume it is valid only when you are pregnant. If this is the case, however, I can attest to the fact that I often had to move buttons on my pants while I was pregnant and my son has all his parts in working order!

2. Wear a Silver Pendant to Ward of Evil.

There is a Mexican superstition that involves the pregnant woman wearing a silver Bola pregnancy pendant. It is believed that the Bola, which is worn around or over the bump, is soothing to the baby and wards of danger. If a pregnant woman goes outside during an eclipse or full moon, the Bola will deflect the light, thereby ensuring that the child is not born looking like a wolf. The Bola also serves as a protection from illness and evil. I never wore a Bola per se, but I did wear a silver necklace with a baby booties charm during my pregnancy. My son is quite hairy, so I do not know how well it worked!

3. Avoid Intercourse Commencing from the Seventh-Month Pregnancy as this Would Cause the Child to be Unfaithful and Disrespectful Towards the Parents.

Although no pregnant woman really needs a superstition to tell her not to have intercourse late in pregnancy, this one from Indonesia might help her with a reason why when defending her choice to her significant other. Women often feel unsightly as their pregnancies progress and do not always desire intimacy. Perhaps Indonesian women found out a way to expand upon the "Honey, I have a headache" scenario with this superstition. Thus far, my kid is quite respectful to his parents!

Pregnancy and even the time leading up to conception can be a joyous period of time. When people offer their suggestions on how to make pregnancy better, how to choose the sex of the baby, or how to ensure your baby will not look like a monster, just smile and nod. Soon, it will be your turn to pass on the myths, superstitions, and old wives' tales to the pregnant lady in the grocery store line.