Pregnancy Myths Busted: THESE are all blindly followed pregnancy myths we should stop considering

Pregnancy comes with lots of responsibilities when you have to take care of yourself and the baby growing within you as well. One of the most important things is to follow a healthy diet plan which will be rich in all essential vitamins and nutrients. But when it comes to talking about staying healthy during pregnancy, it is often associated with several myths that have been followed since ages. Some of them are pregnant women have to eat for two, you can eat anything, weight gain is not good, indigestion is normal, etc. But women would be surprised to know that these all are myths that we have been followed blindly. It's time to break all the myths and follow a truly healthy diet plan for the baby's healthy growth.

These are the myths associated with pregnancy that have been followed since ages. They all have been busted.

Eating for two
There has been a saying that in pregnancy, you have to eat for two. But the actual truth is that you don't need to have extra calories rather pregnant women should maintain a healthy diet plan. You can have grains for energy; legumes, nuts and seeds for plant protein; egg, meat, fish for animal-based protein; milk for calcium; and lots of fruits and veggies for vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. To control the portion of your food, consult a nutritionist.

Maintaining weight
Gaining weight is not good because it's difficult to shed. So, pregnant women should maintain weight. But this may have a negative impact on the baby's growth. But the reality is that 11-12 kilos of weight gain is normal. This weight gain generally happens for the baby's development and blood pressure for the delivery. Before getting tensed about your weight gain, consult your gynaecologist.

 
Meals skipping
Skipping meals can reduce the symptoms of nausea and indigestion. But skipping meals can weaken the mother. If your nausea is getting worse, then consult your doctor but don't start skipping meals. Having jam on toast, vanilla ice-cream, fresh lemon water can reduce the symptoms of nausea.

Having lots of sweets
Having more sugary foods like chocolates, sweets, juices, etc. do nothing except providing some empty calories without any nutrients. The traditional pinni and panjiri are healthy but don't forget to stay within a limit while having them.

Stop drinking tea
We might have heard that pregnant women should not drink tea because it's harmful for the baby. Tea is a great source of antioxidants needed for a healthy body. So, it can be consumed but of course, within a limit. Excessive consumption of tea may cause acidity.

Gut health
It's normal to have a disturbed digestion process during pregnancy but that's totally a myth. A healthy gut is equivalent to having better absorption of nutrients, better protection from infections and better health. Digestion problems can be caused due to the stressful physiological changes in the body during pregnancy. So, having fibre-rich foods like whole grains, fruits, legumes will promote a healthy digestion process during this phase. Eat curd and kanji to take care of your gut health.