The Worst Pregnancy Advice on Social Media

Hold the pregnancy advice.

You’re newly pregnant…

You’ve done all the research…

You think you know all there is to know…

(Yes, this was me 11 years ago. Don’t forget I laminated my birthplace.)

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, you don’t know what you think you know.

As someone who has “been there, done that”, as a mom and a professional, here’s what I can say with confidence. 

1- There’s no right answer. Just because you aren’t experiencing a symptom now doesn’t mean you won’t later. You have to take things how and when they come. It will even be different from one pregnancy to the next. 

2- STOP WITH THE KEGELS. There are so many more things that are more important than kegels. What about your hip openers and pelvic floor relaxation? Your tight hip muscles could be the thing causing your hip pain, not your pelvic floor.

Your uterus contracts during labor, not your pelvic floor. 

3- It’s okay to lay on your back. If your baby is positioned in a way that it’s compressing your aorta or vena cava, laying on your back won’t be comfortable and you won’t want to do it. And that goes for any activity. If you were doing an activity before, it’s probably okay to do it during pregnancy. You will naturally modify something that isn’t comfortable. 

I caution you as a provider or influencer, just because you’re experiencing pregnancy doesn’t mean your advice is the end all be all. We don’t know the outcome yet. You don’t have to process it while you’re going through it. Save the pregnancy advice for the wisdom of hindsight. 

What are you seeing for pregnancy advice on social media? Have you seen anything useful or is it all terrible?