What's the stupidest advice/comments you have received about pregnancy or childrearing

[Garliccheesechips]

Sorry if this has been done lots of times before (had a search to no avail) but I'm wondering if anyone had encountered jaw-droppingly ridiculous advice from medics/family/friends/colleagues etc when they were up the duff?

A (slightly batty and worryingly skinny) colleague told me that throwing up was a great way to lose the baby weight postpartum so long as you don't 'rely on it too much'.

MIL told me I should file my nipples to prepare for breastfeeding...

Yikes! Keep shuddering reliving thought of NIPPING FILING?!!!!

Ooooooooooo. Noooooooooooooooo. Filing nipples? why? why? Noooooooooooooo

One of the women at work told me to use a nailbrush on my nipples to 'toughen them up' in preparation for breastfeeding. Not as bad a as file, but still not a treat!

Ouch on the nipples!

My OH told me that if I scratched my itchy belly it would cause stretch marks.

When DS was a week old MIL told me to be sure to give him at least 3pz of sugar water a day to prevent constipation.

When BFing DD and feeling really happy in my little baby bubble FIL popped round, stood in the door for ten minutes making boob jokes (including 'did you bring enough for everyone?'). I was mortified and it really shook my confidence.

How's about "dont' stress about it, it's just blood"...advice from a male manager as I was having a rather controlled (I didn't cry ON the shop floor) meltdown having found yet another early bleed...

My mum kept insisting that if I raised my arms above my head I would miscarry.

I didn't realise people were that stupid!

My grandmother tells me i cant eat spicy food in case it "heats your body up too much"
also that if i raise my arms above my head the cord will get tangled...

My grandma always told me not to lift my arms above my head too. Said I shouldn't peg my washing out whilst pregnant.

Not during pregnancy but I got shouted at, yes, shouted at by DH's grandma for tickling 3mo old DS feet because 'he'll end up with a stutter when he grows up'

women fainted a lot while pregnant and pegging out their washing (a daily chore in the old days) becuase their bp was wonky, so that was excellent advice. likewise the sugar water for constipation, albeit not as a precaution, it's all lactulose is.

Just told my mum I was pg. It was completely unplanned, I was 20, in shock, etc. Had been engaged to DH for only a few months and have epilepsy, with regular seizures at the time.

In summary, I was in shock, and wasn't sure what to do, whether to keep "it" or not, or even if it was even safe for me to be pg at all.

Mum's response? She printed out a whole load of guff about foods to eat and avoid, and tells me "spiritually, having an abortion would be murder."

My stepfather (who I actually rather dislike) was the one of them who offered unconditional support, no matter what we chose to do.

(And yes, kept the baby, and DS will be 4 in April. He's a wonder, but my mum has been just as crap, in a lot of ways, ever since.)

'Trust your instincts.'

Aitch, why was their bp wonky?

lots of people get wonky bp in pregnancy, because they are running two separate circulatory systems at the same time (theirs and the baby's). as someone with high bp generally, if i have my arms above my head for any length of time i start to see stars.

Health visitor told me to stop with my "ridiculous and frankly unrealistic idea of exclusively breastfeeding" my DS1. "Can't you see you are STARVING your child?"
DS1 had been 9lb 1oz when born and lost weight straight away. Had ventouse delivery and he was quite sore, I had problems with him latching on but was really determined to breastfeed. He had begun gaining weight again but not as quickly as she wanted according to her charts. (Didn't know they were for bottle fed babies at the time).

So .... I listen to her, switch to formula and then DS1 gets reflux.

Second pregnancy, she comes to the house, sees DS2 and asks how I'm feeding him. I say breast. She weighs him, says he has lost weight. I tell her that's normal for a baby. She suggests a top up bottle. I tell her if she doesn't want to support MY decision on how I feed MY baby she can leave. Silly bat.

Can't WAIT to see her with DS3 ... Not!

Have 4 dc's and was never mentioned by any hcp at any time though. If its that common wouldn't it be more routine information?

I got mastitis at around 8 weeks and had to go to the OOH doctor. He was about 70 & I had to ask all the questions. I asked about carrying on feeding my baby while on antibiotics. He replied "oh no, you must stop feeding, only feed from the uninfected breast. You must express until you feel better." I looked at my mother who was with me and has had 4 children in shock. This didn't add up, be her clearly didn't know what he was talking about. I left and called one of the le leche advisors to get some real advice!

the fact that you didn't receive it doesn't make it 'stupid advice' though, does it? back in the day when women pegged washing out every day there would have been more episodes to warrant it being mentioned.

i take it you did get your bp checked, btw? pre-NHS that wasn't available, so as a precaution telling pregnant women not to peg out washing is a brilliant piece of preventative folk wisdom.