It so happens that when you're pregnant, every second person you come across will ogle at your stretched belly and will attempt to determine the sex of the baby. The well-meaning relatives with their 'ultra vision' take it as an obligation to do so even if you don't want them to. Conclusions are made either by observing the size of your belly, what food you crave for or whether you experienced severe nausea in your first trimester.

A friend who is in her second trimester confessed that her grandmother has asked her not to raise her hands as this would cause the umbilical cord to go around the baby's neck and strangle her. That was the oddest of the myths I've heard so far.

On seeing the first of my young daughter's teeth growing, my sister-in-law warned me in an alarming voice, “Never feel the teeth with your fingers because they say that the mother's touch will make them grow painfully; others, however, can touch them without any worries.” I was so overwhelmed by this foreboding that I dared not to touch her tiny teeth. The other day, my nephew was playfully moving our baby's swing — empty at the time — when his mother suddenly asked him not to do so as it would upset the baby's stomach. A confused “Huh?!” was all I could manage in response to the seemingly inexplicable logic.

Another acquaintance confided that the shape of the mother's face during pregnancy is actually an indicator of the baby's sex rosy and plump goes for girls. Weeks ago, a friend called, bursting with delight at the news that she'll have a son. I enquired, “So the doctor finally told you?” “No”, she answered matter-of-factly, “we checked the foetal heart rate; it was less than 140 and, of course, slower is for boys”. I grew silent, determined not to show my annoyance at the discovery of yet another myth. All you can do is grind your teeth and... keep doing so perhaps.

I've heard a lot of people say that the daughter's delivery type is determined by that of her mother. That is to say, if your mother had a caesarean section then you're likely to have one. Even if you fail to find any rationale in this, first-time mothers-to-be are so stressed that they believe such tales.

Though almost all pregnancy myths sound wacky and weird, there is nothing really worrying about their existence as long as they are harmless. But the moment they bend towards prenatal medicinal intake, it really is time to get the alarm bells ringing. Mothers-to-be often come across people who advise them to drop prescribed prenatal vitamins or iron, insisting that these requirements are best fulfilled through regular intake of normal food. Alternatively, people may advise pregnant women to take some sort of medication without a proper prescription from a healthcare professional, assuring them they will do no harm. Beware! Many medicines do have side effects for expectant mothers so it's much safer not to use any medication without consulting your physician.

Pregnancy myths, with all their quirks and queerness, and the nuisance which they bring to your life (especially if you have an overly superstitious mother-in-law!) are here to stay. Loath them, laugh at them or adapt to live with them, it's your call, but don't let them rule your life or direct every course of action you take during your pregnancy, as then they might prove to be emotionally or physically damaging!