As soon as your relatives and friends find out that you are pregnant, you will get a lot of advice from them - including some rather strange ones.

Of course, among these tips you will find a lot of useful and practical ones, but in most cases they will not have any scientific basis.

Let's take a look at three of the most enduring myths.

Myth 1: Now you have to eat for two

A fetus growing inside a woman does not need many additional calories. nine0011

Even in the final, third trimester of pregnancy, in addition to the usual recommendation of 2,000 calories per day, a woman needs only another 200 calories (the equivalent of a tablespoon of mayonnaise or donut).

At the same time, you can even stick to a diet - without the risk of harming the developing fetus. Healthy diets that are not aimed at weight loss are beneficial for both mother and child.

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A meta-analysis of 44 randomized controlled trials (data from more than 7,000 women) found that those who adhered to a certain diet, on average, gained 3. 84 kg less by the end of pregnancy than women from control groups.

During the study, some were on a regular balanced diet, others were on a low-glucose diet. nine0011

All this had no effect on their child's birth weight, but - very importantly - reduced the risk of pre-eclampsia (a complicated degree of toxicosis, a pathological condition that occurs during pregnancy).

Myth 2: After childbirth, menstrual pain will disappear

After giving birth, you will no longer spend one day a month holding a heating pad or a bottle of warm water to your stomach. At least that's what they tell us.

Menstrual cramps can vary, but the happy half of all women rarely, if ever, experience them. nine0011

For those who suffer from them, the words of acquaintances sound very reassuring that when you give birth, there will be no more pain. However, not all so simple.

Over the years, the severity of these pains really gradually disappears. Often this is associated with the birth of children.

But in 2006, a group of scientists from Taiwan conducted a study of women over the age of 40 and found that pain during menstruation does decrease with age - despite the fact that none of these women had children. nine0011

To fully understand what is happening, the same group of scientists followed more than 3.5 thousand women for eight years.

During this period, some gave birth, and for many menstrual pains were significantly relieved after childbirth. But far from everyone.

Among those who had a cesarean section, 51% continued to suffer from these pains, and of those who gave birth in the usual way, 35% experienced the same pain.

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As it turned out, one of the factors is the duration of pregnancy. 77% of mothers whose children were born prematurely continued to experience pain during menstruation.

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Having a baby doesn't help all women get rid of period pain

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Thus, having a baby helps many women get rid of pain during menstruation, but not all.

Researchers suggest that vaginal delivery is more effective in relieving these pains because pelvic floor muscle injuries damage the nerves that connect the uterus to the brain and the pain is no longer felt.

Scientists also don't rule out that vaginal delivery may cause uterine tissue to produce fewer, potentially pain-increasing prostaglandins. nine0011

The authors of the study suggest that those women who continue to experience pain during menstruation, even if they gave birth vaginally, may have specific reasons for this - for example, such a gynecological disease as endometriosis.

However, the first study using a genome-wide screening technique, conducted in 2016, showed that there may be another factor that was not considered before. If your period pain is unbearable, you may have to blame your genes.

Myth 3: It's better not to fly

Airlines do not allow women in the final stages of pregnancy to fly. But not because it is dangerous for the fetus or for his mother, but because the possible birth on board the aircraft will not bring much joy to either the passengers, or the crew, or the mother herself.

As for the early stages of pregnancy, the main data comes from flight attendants and other crew members, and not from passengers. So, held at 19In 1999, the Finnish study caused alarm at first.

It examined data over many years and concluded that flight attendants who worked in the air between 1978 and 1994 were at a slightly higher risk of miscarriage than usual.

At the same time, in a strange way, for those who flew between 1973 and 1977, on the contrary, the risk factor decreased slightly.

But even in those years when the risk of miscarriage increased, it was not clear whether it was the flights that influenced her, or the general working conditions, her tension. nine0011

And indeed, when a large group of female flight attendants were compared with the same group of teachers in 2015, the risk of miscarriage was the same there and there.

When the researchers studied the records of two million flights made by 673 flight attendants and sorted out their work schedule, it became clear to them that those pregnant women who were subjected (in connection with work) to the greatest sleep disturbances were those most at risk of miscarriage.

It seems that it's not about flights as such, but about the disruption of the so-called circadian rhythms (cyclical fluctuations in the intensity of various biological processes associated with the change of day and night - translator's note). nine0011

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Many women are afraid of flying in the later stages of pregnancy

Of course, the vast majority of women don't fly as often as flight attendants. And scientists believe that flying during pregnancy is not dangerous.

In 2002, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists published guidelines that said exactly that. In addition, it added that those women whose pregnancy caused an increase in blood pressure, with poorly controlled diabetes, as well as those who are at increased risk of preterm birth, should consult their doctor before flying. nine0011

For those whose medical condition may be aggravated by low oxygen content in the cabin, it is better to take an oxygen tank with you.

In the UK, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends walking regularly and drinking plenty of water while flying to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis.

However, the recommendation emphasizes that there is no evidence that aircraft can cause miscarriage or premature birth. nine0011

Apparently, some of the advice that pregnant women usually hear is not as useful as it seems.

Most likely, it is better not to overeat, and if you need to fly somewhere - fly, do not be afraid. And don't get your hopes up that your menstrual cramps will magically disappear after the baby is born. Maybe they disappear, maybe they don't.

Read the original English version of this article at BBC Future .

The reason for the food whims of pregnant women: it's not because their body lacks something

• Veronica Greenwood
• BBC Future

25 July 2020

Image copyright Getty Images

What's behind pregnancy's weird eating habits? Most likely, not at all what we are used to thinking about.

We have all heard stories a thousand times about a pregnant woman who, in the middle of the night, wanted a pickled cucumber with ice cream so much that she sent her husband in search of the desired products. Or who passionately wants chocolate - but not any, namely one that cannot be found in stores nearby. nine0011

However, why "heard"? Perhaps you yourself experienced an inexplicable desire to eat something special when you were pregnant.

Often they try to explain this by saying that the food whims of pregnant women occur due to the fact that their body (or the body of a developing fetus) suddenly needed certain nutrients, and there is even something attractive, touching in such an explanation.

In the end, bearing a child is a difficult, long, not always pleasant and sometimes mysterious process. And if a burning desire to urgently eat a burger, or even two, has such a good reason - well, so be it. nine0011

However, if you look at the scientific studies of this phenomenon, everything turns out to be much more complex and fascinating.

Researchers have found that the food whims of pregnancy (as a concept) did not exist in all cultures.

And in those non-English speaking countries where pregnant women sometimes report their sudden food cravings, they want something completely different than, for example, women in the US and the UK. For example, in Japan, most often they want such a prosaic thing as rice. nine0011

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Going further: studies that have tried to find out whether the body gets the special nutrients it needs from the foods that pregnant women most often want to eat have found no evidence of this. nine0011

In fact, women who reported cravings for food ended up gaining much more weight than is considered healthy during pregnancy as a result, which could lead to more complications.

This, however, does not mean that women invent all their desires. And the fact that the reasons for their whims are completely different, they are not dictated by biochemical need.

Understanding why people suddenly crave certain foods in the first place can help, says Julia Hormes, a professor of psychology at the State University of New York at Albany, who studies food cravings in a variety of ways. nine0011

For example, she says that about 50% of women in the US report craving chocolate during the week leading up to their period.

The scientists decided to investigate whether this craving is due to certain nutrients in chocolate that are important for menstruation, or whether it reflects hormonal changes.

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Food cravings may be related to the psychology or cultural traditions of a particular society

In one experiment, a psychologist gave women a box and asked them to eat its contents when they suddenly felt like eating something . nine0011

Some of the boxes contained milk chocolate, which had all the usual chocolate ingredients and also had a nice melt-in-the-mouth sweetness.

In others, white chocolate that does not contain cocoa solids (which give milk and dark chocolate its dark color) but still has a pleasant texture.

Third, cocoa candies with all the nutrients of cocoa, but without the mouthfeel that chocolate does. nine0011

It turned out that white chocolate had the greatest success in satisfying desires, which suggests that whims are not spurred on by any particularly useful cocoa ingredients.

Other studies of "chocolate whims" have not found an association with hormone levels.

In fact, even during menopause, women continued to feel the desire to eat chocolate, Horms emphasizes, they simply began to attribute it to other reasons.

All this brings us to the conclusion that the source of food vagaries is in psychology or in cultural traditions. A craving for a cookie, a chocolate bar, or a bag of chips can start as a simple thought and then grow bigger and bigger, becoming an obsession that is hard to resist. nine0011

At the same time, thoughts of something delicious can coexist with feelings of guilt.

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  In particular, if you hold yourself back for a long time and a barrier has already formed in your head (you are not allowed to eat this food!), it will be extremely difficult to resist and not lose control of your desires when you reach for a forbidden treat.

  And then, after eating a piece of cake, instead of feeling satisfied and doing something else, you eat three more pieces.

  Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that women during pregnancy can limit themselves to certain foods - either by following a healthier diet or following the recommendations of a doctor. nine0011

  Image copyright, Getty Images

  Image caption,

  Eating a piece of chocolate regularly can keep you from falling into uncontrollable devouring of tiles

  All of these circumstances give rise - at least in some countries of the world - to situations in which food cravings are more frequent and more likely to occur and are harder to control, which can lead to, say, weight gain.

  In addition, during pregnancy, a woman's whims in eating are not customary to condemn. nine0011

  "There are certain moments and situations in our culture where women are not judged for eating foods that are normally supposed to be avoided," says Horms. "PMS and pregnancy are considered such situations in society."

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  Understanding what leads to a craving to eat something can prevent the transition from just thinking about cake to eating cake, Hormes emphasizes. nine0011

  One way is to use distractions, both visual and, for example, olfactory. The other is, with the help of self-contemplation and awareness achieved in meditation, to recognize the presence of desire and let it go, let it go.

  Professor Hormes also recommends that if you have a craving for chocolate, for example, buy a very high quality bar and eat a couple of pieces every day, thus preventing the food whim from turning into an obsession and subjugating you.

  As for food whims during pregnancy, the cultural factor can play an additional role here: pregnancy for a woman is a very stressful time, and it can be difficult to go through it without someone's help.

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