Filipino Myths About Pregnancy

Filipino Myths About Pregnancy

I am three-months pregnant for my second child. I have regular check-ups with my OB, I eat healthy food and take vitamins. But there are times I'm bugged by these misconceptions about pregnancy; in spite of being a registered nurse and besides my knowledge in science and health, I even partly believe some of these myths. This may be due to the Filipino mentality of walang mawawala sayo kung maniwala ka (you have nothing to lose if you believe) or out of respect for the elders, especially our grandmothers who are very superstitious.

Filipinos as are have a wide range of myths and misconceptions. These myths have been a part of our inherited traditions being passed down from our ancestors to the present generation. Besides the high-tech gadgets that we have and easy access to the Internet, these myths are still present in the young Filipino minds, among these are pregnancy myths and misconceptions our mothers may have practiced while they were carrying us.

Among these myths are as follows:

1. Pregnancy Cravings or Paglilihi

Many Filipinos believe that what you eat and crave during pregnancy will have a direct effect to the unborn’s physical appearance. For example, eating charred or grilled foods will result to dark-complexioned baby, while eating young coconut will result to having a fair-skinned one.

2. Witnessing an Eclipse

Expectant mothers staring at an eclipse will have babies with visual problems like squinting and blinking abnormally. I’m sorry for the personal preference, but during my first pregnancy, my grandmother walked around our house for three times and suddenly throws gumamela (hibiscus) on my belly. According to her, this is to stop or rid my baby of having visual problems when born.

3. Denying a Pregnant Woman Foods She Likes

This myth has many variations throughout the country. Many believe that expectant mother denied of the food she craves or likes will result to miscarriage, or when born, the baby will salivate profusely or will be prone to vomiting.

4. Sharing Food from a Pregnant Woman

Single ladies who shares food from a pregnant will get pregnant next even before marriage. They believe that pregnancy is contagious.

5. Abdominal Massage from a Hilot or Traditional Birth Attendant

Expectant mothers who have small bellies are asked to consult traditional birth attendants, also known as hilot or midwife. This myth states that the unborn child is lying low on the uterus, and the midwife has to massage the belly bringing the baby up, so the baby will grow at a faster rate.

6. Post-Labor Stomach Binding

This is a common misconception among pregnant Filipino women. They believe that binding the abdomen as tight as possible will hasten the involution of the uterus, or the return of the uterus from its pregnant to pre-pregnancy state.

7. Eating Twin Bananas

Eating twin bananas is a no-no for pregnant Filipinas. They claim that this will result to having regular twins or conjoined twins.

8. Rubbing the Pregnant Belly of Homemade Snake Oil

During labor, the pregnant belly should be rubbed with a homemade snake oil to shorten the length of labor similar to an effortless and painless shedding of snake skin.

9. Eating for Two

Although weight gain during pregnancy is important, eating for two is a myth. Filipinos believe that pregnant mothers should eat for two to gain more weight and to have a bigger baby.

10. Sitting or Standing on the Ladder or at the Door

Visitors must enter the house immediately when there’s a pregnant living in the house so that labor and delivery will not be hard. One variation is to avoid babies in breech position, in which the baby comes out with either the feet or buttocks first as opposed to the head-first delivery.

Some of these myths are harmless, but from the moment you realized you are carrying that “gift” extreme caution should be exercised, but this does not mean avoiding nutritious foods like crabs because you don’t like to have a baby with crab-like extremities. A visit to your OB and asking clarifications regarding these myths can clear our minds from these long-held myths.