While some of these buzz-worthy baby-related ideas may turn out to be great solutions / additions to your world, many will be time or financial wasters that are likely better off ignored. Take it from parents who have been there with our list of pregnancy and parenting fads we are glad we skipped.
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The Classic Pregnancy
Classical music awakens the mind and senses and, if you are a true fan, can soothe the soul so it makes sense that exposing yourself to a little Mozart music appreciation during pregnancy is a wonderful idea. The concept of doing so, to birth an exceptionally bright baby, is yet to be proven, however. There’s no reason not to spend hours listening to ‘The Marriage of Figaro’ if you enjoy it. But forcing yourself (and your unborn babe) into a daily regime of listing to hours of classical compositions versus taking a walk or visiting with friends won’t get your baby a scholarship to their school of choice in the future. Promise.
Eating For Two
In your non-pregnant life, a little indulgence on occasion shouldn’t be shied away, and the same goes during your pregnancy. But as your OBGYN or family doctor will have shared, overall you – and your partner – should generally eat as you normally do, assuming you have a healthy diet to start with (and of course the added vitamins and nutrients as directed by your physician.) As tempting as it is to feel additional freedom on the food front, don’t let your healthy habits take a backseat to binge eating and succumbing to every craving, every time. Your post-baby body will thank you.
Craving Categories
Listening to the old-school theories provided by past generations is something we enjoy, but no matter what your nonna, grandmother, bubbe or grandpop says, heavy morning sickness does not mean you are having a boy and craving sweet foods (vs sour or salty) won’t guarantee the delivery of a baby girl. Listening to every myth and preconceived notion of gender indicators can have you convinced you know the sex of your baby but really, only the ultrasound tech at your last appointment holds the key. If you can’t wait to know the gender of your babe, find it out the old-fashioned way (via modern technology) and put all the speculation to rest.
Spicy Advice
At a certain point (depending on how well your pregnancy is going) you’re simply over it already, and just want to meet the tiny human being you’ve been curating for the last nine months. This is when you’re most susceptible to following any theory that will kick start the arrival of the guest of honour assuming the time is ripe. From eating spicy food (it gave us heartburn), to foot massages and raspberry tea (felt great but did nothing), it’s unlikely anything will work, except good old fashioned patience, though a long evening walk with your partner is never a bad idea.
The ‘Push’ Present
Don’t get us wrong, there’s nothing (absolutely nothing) wrong with the notion of being spoiled or, spoiling your beloved, with a meaningful memento or activity to celebrate the life you have brought into this world together. It’s the terminology that has coined said practice – especially when babies can arrive in a multitude of ways from c-section, via surrogate or adoption to start – that we object to. Bottom line: Yes, to a token that celebrates our babies’ birth, no to the marketing language that focuses on only one way of achieving it.
All Dolled Up
Babies are natural beauties, from their perfect little cheeks to their exquisitely cute tiny feet. Somehow the fad to entice new parents or doting family members to invest hundreds of dollars on beauty items (yes, baby perfume is an actual thing) or products (kneepads for early crawlers, or ‘pee pee’ preventers for little boys) still hasn’t stopped. You’ll have enough useful things to spend your money on, like diapers and a good under eye concealer to hide those first few weeks of limited sleep, so skip the seriously unnecessary stuff.
Smart Screens
Your newborn is already an Einstein, she or he picked you for parents, didn’t they? While we all want our kids to reach their fullest possible potential, getting them hooked on screens early in life via ‘educational videos or apps’ is rarely, if ever, recommended. Take your babe out into the world and watch them explore real life – which is always better than anything you see on a screen anyway (except maybe anything we’ve watched on Cake Boss.)
As you’ve likely already experienced, the pregnancy phase of life is an incredible time, filled with anticipation, excitement (and the occasional bout of exhaustion and morning sickness.) Advice will be plentiful, take it in stride and choose your own path, which is good preparation for actual parenting in the long run.
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