As I read Get me Out: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to Sperm Bank by Randi Hutter Epstein, the author mentioned a lot of myths that people used to believe in back then. The myths are quite ridiculous to hear but at that same time the people back then didn’t have a lot of knowledge.
“In France, pregnant women rarely left the house after dark because they were told that if they looked at the moon, the baby would become a lunatic or sleepwalker”
It is crazy to believe that people actually bought this stuff with no scientific facts to prove this theory, they believed everything right off of a book and actually change some things about their lifestyle so their kids wouldn’t be born crazy. I decided to research about bizarre myths that some people actually believed in/heard about.
- They thought that by having sex will help determine the gender of your baby
- Eating spicy food can kill your baby/burn their eyes
- Dying your hair could kill your baby
- Babies were made from period blood
- A way to see if you are pregnant is by peeing on wheat
- Your baby is likely to be born when there is a full moon
- Having sex during pregnancy is dangerous
- Raising your arms up high can cause harm to your baby
- The height of the women’s belly can determine the gender of the baby
- Driving on bumpy roads could lead to death
- If you eat saltier foods then that means you are going to have a boy/if you eat sugary food then you are going to have a girl
- Sleeping on your back could harm the baby
- Your 1st pregnancy will always arrive late
- People who or have experience heart burns are going to have bald babies
- Putting a sting thru a ring could help determine the gender of the baby (ring moves back and forth=boy/ moves in circles=girl)
- If your husband is gaining weight than you are going to have a girl
- If you sit down too quick then you are going to break your baby’s neck
- Storms outside can lead to labor
- Shape of tummy can predict the gender
- Eating good that contains iron will darken your baby
“They were told not to have too much sex because it wears out the baby’making machinery”
People back then had very little knowledge about pregnancy but I am still surprised that some people believed them. All these myths sound like they came from a little toddler’s mind. I remember when I was young, I used to think that a magical fairy would come along and tap your stomach so you can get pregnant. I am glad that we have expanded our knowledge and have advance in technology so people know how to take care of their babies and what they are able to do when they are pregnant.
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