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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

People who take old wives tales seriously...

116 replies

lagertops · 24/09/2013 01:32

Especially RE pregnancy. Ive been asked a couple of times if ive 'found out' the sex of my baby by doing the ring on a string thing by people with a serious face. Also had a friend tell me that she just couldn't understand why her baby was born without loads of hair as she had really bad heartburn throughout pregnancy...

And today was the icing on the cake. My OHs step-grandmother absolutely demanded that I was in no uncertain terms to buy my babys pram until after he was born. I didnt bother asking why as she talks crap a lot until the third time she had said "Buy the cot, but do not get the baby's pushchair!!" and her reply was simply 'Its an old wives tale.'

Im sorry, but I cant be bothered with superstition to the point where it's affecting my practical choices. I know for most people its a bit of fun, but does anyone actually take this nonsense as gospel?

OP posts:

DaleyBump · 24/09/2013 01:33

God no. Smile, nod, do your own thing. 30+3 and totally get where you're coming from.

MrsMongoose · 24/09/2013 01:44

Respond with 'haha, don't tell me you're actually so dim you believe that crap' and then do what you want.

Fozziebearmum2be · 24/09/2013 01:59

Omg yes! It's driven me mad!!! I'm 39 weeks pg and its been an almost daily conversation with people.....

People keep walking up to me and saying 'I know what you're having' (we didn't find out the sex).

Followed by....

'You're carrying low/high so must be....' I could be told by one person it was 'high' and that's a girl, and the next it's 'low' and that means a girl.... The classic is a friend of mine who changed her mind that it was a boy as my bump has dropped as its now engaged....

'What was babies heart rate? MUST be a boy/girl'

'You're all baby (rather than fat all over) so must be a ....'

The list goes on...

At one point I googled all the gender wives tales and am 50/50 for a boy/girl, so despite knowing they were ridiculous I needed a comeback to shut people up...

The other ridiculous one was someone who was actually quite confused/put out as a friend of ours had a sister who carried all her babies the same but had 3 boys and a girl!!

I can't believe people put so much effort into this tosh and completely believe it....

Whowouldfardelsbear · 24/09/2013 02:48

Just reply that you've heard it's unlucky to be superstitious, do you don't bother.

AGnu · 24/09/2013 03:03

The most amusing are the mis-remembered dos/don'ts... When I announced my first pregnancy I had a relative very concerned about my diet. She who had no children insisted I shouldn't eat raspberries. Not raspberry leaf, actual raspberries. She couldn't quite remember why though, something to do with miscarriages apparently!

She also insists she always knows when someone's pregnant before they announce it... Sixth sense, dontcha know?! Of course, she wouldn't want to steal anyone's thunder by mentioning their pregnancy before they announce it... Didn't notice her own pregnancy though!

ZingWantsCake · 24/09/2013 03:30

how can any "rules" about buying a pram be old wives tales?
I never knew those medival witches were quite concerned about bugaboos v Mclarens!

I had 6 kids and I thought I had heard them all - turns out I know fuck all.
I want to know about the pushchair superstition!

ZingWantsCake · 24/09/2013 03:35

I think we should make some up.

I vote for "eating tiramisu will make your waters break!"

(because that's what happened when I was overdue with DD.
I ate 3 spoonfuls of tiramisu and the waters broke 5 minutes later.
it was not a coincidence!
)

Fozziebearmum2be · 24/09/2013 03:40

A friend of mines mum came and collected her pushchair after she'd bought it to 'store'. Apparently it was bad luck for my pg friend to keep in the house..

My mum also kept her pram in the loft after having me/my brother as she didn't want anymore children... Hmmm... 'Heard of contraception?' cant see how storing a pram helps

ZingWantsCake · 24/09/2013 04:00

fozzie
if storing a pram stops women from getting pg then we live in some sort of a Bermuda triangle of old wives' tales - what with owning 2 or 3 pushchairs constantly in the last 12 years didn't stop us from having 6 children!

Whowouldfardelsbear · 24/09/2013 04:02

I had some "new wives' tales" advice including balancing a lap top on my bump will harm my baby (haven't noticed that it did).

I was also advised not to hang out washing as the umbilical cord will strangle the foetus. (How? How? How?)

AngryGnome · 24/09/2013 04:30

I had the one about hanging up washing too - apparently it is because putting your arms above your head whilst pregnant will somehow wrap the umbilical cord around the unborn baby's neck and strangle it.

I don't know why the midwife didn't inform me of the invisible marionette string linking my wrists and the umbilical cord. Thank god for my next door neighbour and her inexhaustable supply of pregnancy facts and advice .

eosmum · 24/09/2013 08:17

I believe the pram thing is only as in the past there would be a high mortality rate in newborns, and really to come home and see a pram without a baby is difficult.

Most of them are crap but I never had to hang out washing for my whole pregnancy, DH rushed to do it so I chose to believe the ones that suit me.

Sizzlesthedog · 24/09/2013 08:23

I was told by several people about the hanging washing one.

The pram shop told me they would look after the pram for me until baby was born, but I could take the car seat home..............

juniper9 · 24/09/2013 08:35

Not heard of the washing line one! I've spent the last few weeks painting walls, doing all the gloss work, pulling up and refitting underlay, sanding and putting up curtain rails.

My baby is still booting me hard enough to make me double over or is this labour? so I reckon it's ok.

As for the heartburn, I've drank so much gaviscon that I must be expecting a yeti (with a galloping horse heart)

Sunnymeg · 24/09/2013 08:37

The pram thing definitely related to high infant mortality. They were very expensive compared to an average wage, and can still be! I was in a special care unit when I was born and my parents didn't buy anything until the morning of the day I came home.

Sparrowfarts · 24/09/2013 08:38

I think the size (and possibly the expense) of the old Silver Cross pram might have something to do with that tale - imagine squeezing past it in the hall if you didn't have the baby it was bought for.

My waters broke during the Archers and DD was born 24 hours later (I was beyond listening by that point, but I noted the time and thought 'The Archers is on' while the baby was surrounded by medics on the resuscitaire ).

So Radio 4 obviously stimulates labour.

mrsjay · 24/09/2013 08:40

I didnt have a pram in the house before my babies came call me a witch if you like I do think you are mocking the grandmother i it isn't superstition people were genuinely worried in case something happened to the baby not that the pram would cause harm or was unlucky, just smile and nod at her and then do what you want

roundtable · 24/09/2013 08:46

Isn't the washing one to do with low blood pressure and fainting or something along those lines? Back when washing wasn't done by machines? I think I might be making that up but I could be wrong.

It doesn't stop after birth, annoyingly. Be prepared for advice based on thin air in regards to feeding, sleeping, holding babies, actually basically anything to do with a baby.

Congratulations by the way!

mrsjay · 24/09/2013 08:50

Isn't the washing one to do with low blood pressure and fainting or something along those lines? Back when washing wasn't done by machines? I think I might be making that up but I could be wrong.

I think so I wonderwhat old wives tales we will be telling our grandchildren

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 24/09/2013 08:52

It's worse when you are overdue.

Have you tried sex, pineapples, walking, drinking tea, farting, driving over bumps, a curry, singing mama mia whilst doing the hula?

mrsjay · 24/09/2013 08:54

listen to radio 4 it workd for a poster upthread miswives used to advise sex to get things going

goldenlula · 24/09/2013 08:54

I used to enjoy doing the old wives tales gender predictors online, each month mine changed the percentage they were boy compared to girl! We didn't store the pram here, but we only got it a few days before I went into hospital anyway as I had to go in 3 weeks early.
I always laughed at the 'I am never wrong, I get it right every time you are having a ...' This happened at my brother's wedding, 2 different people insisted they were always right, one said girl, 1 said boy. As I wasn't expecting twins one was definitely wrong, apparently for the first time ever!
Sil was pregnant and a family member, straight faced and totally serious, said I know what you are having, do you want me to tell you? I can if you want up to you, but I do KNOW what you are having, it came to me in a dream. Sil said go ahead, given me a 'look' that said it all. She was a having a little girl that looked just like mil as a child etc etc. That was that. She was having a girl, no arguments. Her little boy is gorgeous!

purrpurr · 24/09/2013 08:54

We had the pram one, erm, my husband managed to nip it in the bud by saying 'but we're Jewish' and people would go 'oh okay'. I know already that we live in a little pocket of weirdness so maybe this superstition has a weird religious undertone here only, but maybe it was simply the act of countering rubbish with rubbish.

If I was going to avoid buying something in case I came home with no baby, it would be the cot, surely. The cot and the bedding and the matching curtains, in my case. The room would break my heart. But you can't live like that.

ILetHimKeep20Quid · 24/09/2013 08:56

I think sex is the only thing with an ounce of credibility in terms of getting Labour going. Worked twice for me!

GroupieGirl · 24/09/2013 08:57

I went into labour after having a massage. Thus, every pregnant woman must have regular massages after 38 weeks. Sound fair?

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