Do you believe in it? Our parents and grandparents have been talking about it for generations. In the end, its up to you if you choose to believe in it or not. For me, I am 50/50.

1. Don't drink any dark liquids.  Eg. soy sauce, chocolate, cola, coffee, tea will make your baby dark.

Does that mean our child will turn black if my partner drinks coffee everyday? I do kinda want my child to make it to the NBA *lol* I don`t think this is true, however, its probably not advisable for your partner to consume too much caffeine anyways.

2. Using scissors will cause baby to have harelip.

Who doesn't use scissors nowadays to cut open tightly sealed packages? Or use scissors to cut food to smaller bits for other children or prepare food.  Does that mean all hairdressers children have them?  I haven't really seen many people with them.  And harelip is a symptom of fetal alcohol syndrome.  Perhaps some parents didn't want to be blamed 'ahem'.

3. Moving things such as heavy furniture will cause miscarriage.

I believe in this as it could be dangerous for our partner to carry things over 20 lbs.

4. Hammering will cause baby to have pockmarks or spots.

Why would your partner be hammering things anyways? It should be our job for doing the physical work.

5. Going to a funeral is bad luck and can cause miscarriage.

I believe in spirits, hence I would not encourage my partner to go to a funeral or cemetery. 

6. Holding someone else’s baby will make your baby jealous and angry when he or she grows up.

Nonsense. How would your baby know what you're doing outside the womb. I guess this one is one of those myths that you could choose to believe or not.

7. Going out after dark conjures bad spirits.

Who doesn't go out at night nowadays?  What happens with people in Alaska when it's always dark?  I guess that's why most vampire movies take place there?

8. Seeing ugly or frightening things may “mark” the baby.

Well, I wouldn't want my partner to see scary things anyways. And what is considered ugly?  Some people believe all creatures are beautiful.

9. Bathing during the first month postpartum is dangerous and should be avoided.

There is no way a modern woman will not shower for that long. I've also heard about the no washing hair thing. My mother suggested that too. I guess dry shampoo is an alternative but no way Monica will go over a week. I think it's more like the body is weak and your partner can catch a cold easier after getting out of the shower/bath. Also, postpartum depression is very common and we should be supportive of our partner regardless if she showers or not.

10. Eating lamb will cause your baby to suffer from epilepsy.  Pregnant women were told not to eat lamb because of an old Cantonese saying: “Faat yeung deu.” Faat means “to break out in acne or measles.” Yeung is the Cantonese word for lamb. Deu means “craziness” or “having seizures.”

There are other types of meat we can eat. Monica avoids eating lamb which isn't a big deal, she doesn't even like eating baby animals anyways. Ironically, Monica only craved fruit during our first trimester until the later half of the pregnancy.  She found meat made her nauseous in the first trimester.

11. It is unhealthy to ingest cold food or drinks or any fruits that have a “cooling” effect on the body, including pineapples, watermelon, lychees and mangoes. 

This is a pretty common belief. I think it's more important that your partner doesn't over indulge on fruit as they are high in sugar. Small amounts is fine. I would not suggest too much of it because Asians are more prone to gestational diabetes. Fruit in general have lots of natural sugars and is released slower in preggos which causes a spike in sugar levels since they are only producing enough insulin for one. I felt like I made the mistake by letting Monica eat entire cantaloupes in one session on numerous occasions and buying her watermelon slush with pearls everyday in the first trimester. The nutritionist said it was inevitable as it's mostly genetic but I don't know if I believe that.

12. Seafood is said to cause your baby to develop rashes and other skin problems.

I don't know about this one. I am kinda split in between as Asians do eat a lot of shrimp, like during dim sum. My siblings have previous history of eczema, however my parents do not have that issue. I wonder if my mother was eating a lot of seafood. I would not take that risk or over consume seafood.  It could also be the fact that our seafood is mostly farmed nowadays which have lots more toxins in them, not to mention more pollution in our waters.

I think low mercury fish is fine to eat as doctors tell Monica to always take her omegas, but they do have to be from smaller fish. Monica also opts for the wild fish as opposed to the farmed stuff. Seafood in general is a great source of protein, iron and zinc, crucial nutrients for your baby’s growth and development. In addition, the omega-3 fatty acids in many fish can promote your baby’s brain development.  Omegas can also be found in nuts and avocados.


Any other myths or traditions that you want to share with us? Leave your comments below.