“Wait, but you still run while you’re pregnant? “. “No, but you’re not going on vacation when you’re on the verge of giving birth!” “. “Don’t worry, it’s better for you to smoke every now and then than to be stressed.” » If you have ever been pregnant, you must have heard some of these phrases. Because on the subject of pregnancy, everyone has very strong beliefs.
To separate fact from fiction, we asked Anna Roy, midwife, and Arnault Pfersdorff, pediatrician, who are publishing the book this Wednesday Your pregnancy, from the desire to have a child until postpartum*, to review five clichés about pregnancy.
Misconception #1: Playing sports is dangerous for the baby
Arnault Pfersdorff : “You can do sports, whether jogging or cycling, until the end of the pregnancy without any problem. When we imagine a pregnant woman running, we visualize the baby shaking like a ball; but the uterus is well fixed and the fetus is in a liquid protecting it from shocks. Afterwards, of course, when we have gained 15 or 20 kg, we will not have the same mobility. We must therefore adapt our practice to avoid putting ourselves in danger. You must also use common sense by avoiding contact sports or sports presenting a risk of falling. And if the woman has a pathology during her pregnancy, such as blood pressure problems, or there is a risk of premature birth, she must seek the advice of her doctor.”
Anna Roy : “Not only is this idea completely false, but it is quite the opposite. Exercising is excellent for the health of the mother and fetus. This reduces the risk of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure, maintains good mobility of the pelvis and facilitates childbirth. Afterwards, as much as you can exceed your limits in your daily sporting practice, you should not do it when you are pregnant.”
Misconception #2: Traveling at the end of your pregnancy is dangerous
Arnault Pfersdorff : “Pressurization during a plane ride can affect the cardiovascular state of the mother-to-be and have an impact on the fetus, via the cervix. This is the reason why some airlines no longer take pregnant women beyond 28 weeks. Even if studies are not extensive on the subject, as a precaution, we advise against taking the plane during the last two months, from 32 weeks onwards, even more so if it is a long haul.
When it comes to traveling more generally, childbirth is completely normal. If you don’t have any particular pathology, you can give birth anywhere. There are therefore no contraindications to traveling. At least in France. I would advise locating a maternity ward in your travel location beforehand, going to see it or even getting the telephone number of the delivery room. And also to find a person who could accompany the future mother in the car. You have to take precautions to avoid any stress on the big day.”
Misconception #3: During penetration, the man can hurt the baby (or provoke childbirth)
Ana Roy : “It’s strictly impossible. The baby is in fluid, inside a sac, itself inside the uterus, which is closed by the cervix. And the penetration stops at the bottom of the vagina. It is scientifically impossible for the male to touch the baby. Men don’t have clubs. And penetration is also not likely to cause premature delivery, except in the very specific case where the cervix is receptive, that is to say at the very end of pregnancy and the prostaglandins contained in the sperm will promote childbirth. But this is only if the cervix is physiologically ready.
On the other hand, there may be contraindications to penetrative sex. This is the case when there is a risk of very severe premature birth or if one has placenta previa. [une maladie correspondant à une implantation du placenta dans la partie basse de l’utérus] bleeding. Otherwise, women can do absolutely whatever they want when it comes to sexuality.”
Misconception #4: Drinking a small glass from time to time is not bad for the baby
Arnault Pfersdorff : “As a neonatologist, I say it again: it’s zero alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol is not filtered by the pregnant woman’s placenta. Every gram passes into the body of the fetus. I would even advise stopping consuming alcohol from the moment you have a birth plan, because the effects are felt from the moment fertilization occurs. Alcohol has deleterious effects at all stages of embryogenesis. All studies carried out around the world point in this direction. There are risks of cardiac, neurological, ENT and facial malformations, insufficient brain development and intellectual delay. Without getting to the point of malformations, there are also risks of prematurity, metabolic disorders and low birth weight.”
Misconception #5: If you smoke, it is better to have a cigarette from time to time during your pregnancy than to be hyperstressed
Arnault Pfersdorff : “As a doctor, it’s complicated to say that a pregnant woman can smoke. The message is therefore: zero tobacco. That said, if she is very anxious and agitated, this can have an impact on her sleep and therefore on the fetus, which could be stressed later. This is what numerous neuroscience studies show over the first thousand days, from the start of the second trimester to the day the child turns two. If we have a child plan and the time to prepare for it, we can do some weaning in advance. But if you don’t expect to get pregnant, you have to go see a doctor to stop smoking.”
Anna Roy : “We know that the consequences of smoking depend greatly on the quantity. I shouldn’t say this, but smoking one cigarette is not the same as smoking twenty cigarettes. Although in reality, I don’t know any woman who is less stressed with a cigarette from time to time. Sometimes that’s what pregnant women make me believe. But when you dig deeper, you realize that they smoke a lot more. You should therefore not hesitate to seek help from a tobacco specialist, especially since all substitutes are supported and compatible with pregnancy.”
* Your pregnancy, from the desire to have a child until postpartum (Editions Hatier parents), Anna Roy and Arnault Pfersdorff, 384 pages.