Posted by Signature Medical Group on Monday, May 15, 2017 in Obstetrics/Gynecology
Pregnancy is a special time in a woman's life and we treat it that way at Signature Medical Group.
Our OB-GYNs offer the most up-to-date and personal care for you. The fact that we deliver 3,000 babies a year is a testament to how our patients feel about us.
Although pregnancy is generally considered safe, a lot of myths surround it.
Recently, The Washington Post published an article from Dr. Amy Tuteur, an OB-GYN and former clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Tuteur cited five common myths surrounding pregnancy:
MYTH NO. 1: Prenatal vitamins are necessary for healthy pregnancies.
For women who are malnourished, these vitamins may be essential. But for women who aren't malnourished, the vitamins appear to have no impact on pregnancy outcomes.
MYTH NO. 2: Pregnant women must monitor their diets carefully.
Despite alarming articles warning against foods from coffee to chicken wings, elaborate dietary rules aren't necessary. Many studies show that nutritional changes can help women who are malnourished, but eating specific foods in specific quantities appears to have no effect on pregnancy outcomes in industrialized nations.
MYTH NO. 3: Bed rest can prevent miscarriage.
Miscarriage is not rare: Up to 20 percent of pregnancies will naturally end that way. The most common cause is a serious genetic abnormality. So nothing can prevent most miscarriages. More broadly, studies have found that bed rest does not change a woman's chances of having a miscarriage.
MYTH NO. 4: Pregnant women should not have X-rays.
Like any medical procedure, X-rays carry risks, whether or not your're pregnant. But as the Mayo Clinic notes, having an X-ray while pregnant usually poses no danger to the developing fetus.
MYTH NO. 5: Pregnant women should avoid vaccinations.
It's best to make sure you are fully up to date on your vaccinations before you become pregnant, since some vaccines (like the mumps, measles and rubella (MMR) and varicella vaccines) do pose risks during pregnancy. But others are safe, such as those for tetanus, flu and pertussis (whooping cough).
If you have other questions, our OB-GYNs are willing to help. Make an appointment today, and get the best care for you and your baby.
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- gynecology
- pregnancy