Hello!

I was told by my midwife to stop exercising as I was diverting the blood flow away from my baby. I was so worried that I had harmed my baby. The obstetrician was shocked that a midwife told me that. What have you been told?

Have you been given some bad advice during pregnancy?


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  • I was told by an emergency dr to have some ginger tea to cure my hyperemesis gravidarum.
    The fool said it was all in my head .
    Needless to say I demanded rehydration and nausea relief and then put in a formal complaint to the hospital.


  • Undoubtedly, and probably by me mother in law. Being so much older, she did things old school that are considered improper these days. Like whisky or phergan in babies bed time bottle. Or mix a bit of formula in with their milk so they feel fuller for longer……..at 3 weeks of age!


  • I was advised to do some strange yoga-ish positions to prevent a posterior birth. Worst advice ever. Ended up with a posterior birth as well as hip and back strain from the silly exercises.


  • I was advised to drink alcohol – that a few wines would not hurt (I have been very strict on having no alcohol etc whilst pregnant and don’t plan to change). Some people still have the belief that it is fine to drink (if that were the case, why does it say no drinking during pregnancy on the alcohol bottles…?

    A friend was also advised by her doctor not to quit smoking during pregnancy as it would cause stress which isn’t good for the baby….surely a little stress is better than smoking and harming your baby


  • Are you sure she didn’t mean vigorous exercise ? I don’t think you should be jumping and doing heavy weightlifting etc , but light exercise such as walking , maybe even pilates etc is good for you . Having said that I have heard mothers who still continue to play team sports etc , but I just think you do need to take care , but use a bit of common sense as well. Ask the doctor if people confuse you as you don’t need that in your life now .


  • You can’t be serious!? Michelle Bridges is exercising flat out, I don’t think she would be risking her baby. I was told a little bit of alcohol is fine during the 2nd half of the pregnancy. As if!!!


  • Wow really? Don’t exercise during pregnancy! That’s awful. I don’t think I was given any bad advice.. Or I just didn’t pay much attention to advice!


  • Yeah I had similar ‘advice’ about exercising from s much older midwife. She was shocked that I was still exercising at 30 weeks. Obviously I had my doctors approval and was taking it easy but i wasn’t going to just sit on the couch all day.


  • i was told during my first pregnancy to take the last month easy and to stop exercising so i sat on the couch for the last 4 weeks. worst birth i ever had! for the next 4 kids i made sure i got exercise every day and their births were relatively easy


  • Mine was when i had my 12 week untrasound, I was told off for drinking to much water before had as there was to much fluid around baby and was made to go to the toilet three times to reduce the fluid around bubs. As it turns out bubs had issues and the extra fluid around bubs had nothing to do with how much water i drank before the ultrasound.


  • Oh my goodness, my list is so long. The advice doesn’t stop once the baby is born either.


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