Today I’m sharing with you 3 common misunderstandings about sex, pregnancy, and birth.
So, you may not know this, but being wrong kinda feels awful. I was wrong about sex, pregnancy, and birth; now, that life has slapped me across the face, I can see a bit clearly and I have a newfound appreciation for female reproduction.
I’ll explain what I’m talking about by breaking down a few common myths about baby-making.
Myth #1: Sex leads to pregnancy
I was told that if women had unprotected sex, they’d get pregnant. You too?
I have since come to learn that sex doesn’t lead to pregnancy for every woman (even if she desperately wants it to).
Many women struggle with infertility and questions that we think are harmless like…”When are you having a baby?” can be insensitive.
The truth is that sex leads to pregnancy for some women.
And…
While I don’t know the path that led to your pregnancy, I take your desire to learn about pregnancy and prepare for birth seriously because having a baby is a transformational experience that isn’t possible for every woman who wants it.
Resource: A Comprehensive Look at Infertility
Myth #2: Pregnancy=Baby Coming Home
When we hear that a woman is pregnant, we automatically assume a baby is going home with his/her parents in ~9 months.
I learned to stop making this assumption when I was sixteen because I had the unfortunate experience of standing in the hallway as I listened to my sister (two years older than me) give birth to my stillborn nephew.
I was reminded of this myth again after I experienced my own miscarriage.
So…
In reality, not every pregnancy means a baby is going home.
Too many women experience pregnancy loss and more conversations and education should be had about this topic. It shouldn’t be a taboo subject.
Resource: Types of Miscarriages and Statistics
Myth #3: Birth=Media Birth
Birth portrayed in the media is often shown with women in hospital beds, on their backs, sweating profusely, and screaming in intense pain.
Some women have births like that but that doesn’t have to be what your birth looks like and it shouldn’t need to appear as the standard.
I’m not here to try and tell you what kind of birth to have; however, I will encourage you to explore your options.
Whether you want a hospital birth, birth center birth, or home birth, there is value in knowing what is available to you (given your own specific needs and circumstances).
I had a natural birth in a hospital setting (it’s possible) and it wasn’t like what I had seen in the media. Yours may not look like that either.
If you have no idea what kind of birth you want, put together a birth plan.
Birth is unpredictable but how you approach birth doesn’t need to be. A good plan for birth helps you decide what you want but is flexible enough to be open to changes in your circumstances that you can’t control.
Resource: Labor & Delivery Birth Options
Why The Truth Matters
You may be wondering, how does this information serve me?
Well…
These myths come from misinformation and lack of information.
I’m not the only one who has once held these beliefs about sex, pregnancy, and birth.
But…
My newfound clarity allows me to show up each day to serve my audience with more truth, more authenticity, and more compassion. It’s the reason I show up dedicated to helping you get the knowledge you need to make informed decisions.
Each time I made the realization that I wasn’t given the full truth on sex, pregnancy, and birth, it was hard and it hurt. Now, I use this platform and my products to educate about pregnancy and birth so that women can be informed.
What myths about sex, pregnancy, and birth have you had to learn?
