By the Lalwani Mother and Child Care team, Pune | Author & medically reviewed by: Dr. Sunita Lalwani | Last reviewed: October 2026
| Quick answers
• Does saffron milk make a baby fair? No. A baby’s skin colour is decided mainly by genes, not by what the mother drinks. • Does ghee make delivery easier? There is no proof. A little is fine, but extra ghee will not guarantee a normal delivery. • Can an eclipse harm the baby? No evidence says so. Do not skip meals, and protect your eyes during a solar eclipse. • Can pregnant women eat pineapple? Yes, in normal servings. • Does carrying high or low show a boy or girl? No. Bump shape depends on muscle tone, baby position and fluid. |
In many Indian homes, pregnancy comes with advice from every side: your mother, your mother-in-law, an aunt, a neighbour. Most of it comes from love, and some of it is useful. Some of it is not backed by evidence, and a few beliefs can do harm. This guide explains the most common pregnancy myths and facts in simple language, and what to do instead. It is for health education and does not replace your own doctor’s advice.
Pregnancy myths in India: the quick verdicts
Here is how common pregnancy old wives’ tales hold up. Details for each follow below.
| Myth | Verdict | The fact in one line |
| Saffron milk makes the baby fair | Myth | Skin colour is mostly genetic. Ask your doctor before using saffron. |
| Ghee helps normal delivery | Unproven | No proof it eases labour. Excess weight gain raises risks. |
| An eclipse harms the baby | Myth | No evidence links eclipses to birth defects. |
| Pineapple causes miscarriage | Myth | Normal servings are safe. Bromelain tablets are not advised. |
| Carrying high or low shows the baby’s sex | Myth | Bump shape does not predict sex. |
| Eat for two | Myth | You need about 300 to 500 extra calories a day in later months, not double. |
| Heartburn means a hairy baby | Partly true | One small study found a link, with limits. |
| Once a C-section, always a C-section | Myth | Many women can try a normal delivery after a C-section. |
| Pregnant women should rest in bed | Myth | Most healthy women are advised to stay active. |
Does saffron milk make the baby fair?
No. Saffron milk does not change a baby’s skin colour. Complexion is determined mainly by the genes the baby inherits from both parents.
A field report from Bangalore Urban, covering routine antenatal counselling from 2016 to 2022, found that roughly one in six pregnant women drank saffron with milk, often as a family tradition, hoping it would affect the newborn’s complexion. The authors state that the evidence does not support the belief and that newborn complexion is primarily genetic. They recommend sensitive antenatal education about it.
What to do instead: treat saffron like any supplement and ask your doctor first. Healthline’s review advises avoiding it in the first trimester unless a clinician approves, and notes that doses above about 5 grams a day can stimulate the uterus. Toned milk, curd and other dairy are useful sources of calcium and protein on their own, with or without saffron.
Ghee for normal delivery: myth or fact?
It is an unproven belief. There is no good evidence that eating extra ghee makes labour easier or a normal delivery more likely.
Fernandez Hospital’s doctors describe the idea as a cultural belief, not a proven benefit, and say a small amount of ghee is unlikely to cause harm if your weight gain is on track. Doctors quoted by Business Standard make the same point for the postpartum period: ghee and traditional foods help in moderation, but too much leads to unnecessary weight gain and digestive problems.
This matters because gaining too much weight raises the chance of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure in pregnancy, preterm birth and a C-section. A teaspoon or two in your dal or roti is fine. Loading every meal with ghee in the hope of an easier delivery is not a good idea. Our guide on how to increase your chances of a normal delivery covers what does help.
Eclipse and pregnancy myth: is there any risk to the baby?
No evidence shows that an eclipse harms an unborn baby or causes birth defects such as cleft palate. Doctors treat these as beliefs without a scientific basis.
Aster Hospitals notes that the cause of a cleft palate is unknown, that no link to eclipses has been proven, and that birth defects can come from either parent’s genes and should be assessed through genetic counselling. University of Utah obstetrician Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones calls the eclipse and cleft palate idea untestable.
What matters on eclipse day:
- Do not skip meals or water. Fasting can cause dehydration and low blood sugar, which is riskier if you have diabetes. Eat before the eclipse begins.
- Protect your eyes during a solar eclipse. Looking at a solar eclipse without proper protection can seriously damage anyone’s eyes, pregnant or not. A lunar eclipse is safe to watch with bare eyes.
- Keep sharp objects and pins out of it. There is no evidence that keeping a knife, pin or metal under your pillow or belly prevents any defect.
- You can eat food cooked before the eclipse. It has not been shown to be harmful.
If you want to rest or stay at home for comfort, that is harmless. The problem only begins when a belief makes you fast, panic or feel guilty.
Can pregnant women eat pineapple?
Yes. Pineapple is safe to eat in pregnancy in normal servings. The idea that it causes miscarriage or brings on labour is anecdotal, with very little evidence behind it.
The worry comes from bromelain, an enzyme in pineapple that breaks down protein. Bromelain tablets and supplements are not recommended in pregnancy. But the fruit flesh contains only a small amount, mostly concentrated in the core, and a normal serving is unlikely to affect pregnancy. Very large amounts may cause stomach ache, nausea or diarrhoea. Pineapple also supplies vitamin C, fibre and other nutrients.
What to do: have a normal portion, not a whole fruit in one go. If you have heartburn, an allergy or gestational diabetes, ask your doctor or dietitian how much fruit suits you. Our guides on nutrition during pregnancy and mangoes in pregnancy cover fruit more broadly.
Is it true that carrying high or low means boy or girl?
No. Whether you carry high or low does not predict the baby’s sex. Doctors say belly shape and height do not reveal whether you are having a boy or a girl, and the same goes for fetal heart rate.
What does shape the bump: your abdominal muscle tone, the baby’s position and size, and the amount of amniotic fluid. Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones of University of Utah Health explains that a first pregnancy often looks higher because the abdominal wall has not been stretched before. The bump can also change from one trimester, and one pregnancy, to the next.
In India, the PCPNDT Act, 1994 prohibits determining the sex of a fetus, including by ultrasound. So your doctor cannot confirm or deny a family guess, and the baby’s sex is not something your scan report will tell you. What your scans do tell you is whether the baby is growing well, which is what matters.
Do you need to eat for two during pregnancy?
No. You need only a little more food, not double. In the first trimester, a woman of healthy weight needs no extra calories. In the second trimester she needs roughly 200 to 400 extra calories a day, and in the third about 500, according to Dr. Maria Montoya of UNM Health. University of Utah’s Dr. Parker Jones puts it at about 300 extra calories a day.
Eating twice as much can raise the risk of gestational diabetes with a larger baby, high blood pressure or preeclampsia, preterm birth and a C-section. For a woman of healthy pre-pregnancy weight, the recommended total weight gain in the guidance quoted is 25 to 35 pounds (about 11 to 16 kg). Your own target depends on your starting weight and health, so ask your doctor.
Quality matters more than quantity: protein, dals, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, fruit and enough water. See our guide on what to eat and avoid in pregnancy.
Does heartburn mean the baby will have hair?
This one is partly true, which makes it unusual among pregnancy old wives’ tales. A 2006 Johns Hopkins study published in the journal Birth asked 64 pregnant women about their heartburn, and an independent observer graded the hair on their newborns. More heartburn went with more hair, and the link was statistically significant.
The caveats: it was a small study, about 90% of the women were Caucasian, and no clear biological reason was found. The author described it as “partial confirmation”. Treat it as an interesting finding, not a prediction. If heartburn bothers you, read our tips on managing common pregnancy discomforts and speak to your doctor.
Myths about normal delivery
Myth: once you have had a C-section, every delivery must be a C-section
Not always. Many women can attempt a normal delivery after a C-section, known as VBAC. Dr. Mukta Kapila, quoted in a 2018 IANS report, said any woman with a previous C-section can attempt a VBAC, after her doctor reviews why the first C-section was done and the type of scar. Doctors usually advise a gap of at least two years between births.
The same report quoted success rates of about 85% in women of normal BMI, against 61% in women with a BMI of 40 or more. Labour can still end in an emergency C-section, and the decision depends on your own history, so it needs a doctor who can monitor you closely.
Myth: a C-section means you did not try hard enough
A C-section is not a failure. It is the safer choice when a normal delivery carries significant risk, for example because of the baby’s position or the placenta’s position. Read more in our guides on whether every woman can have a normal delivery and normal delivery versus C-section.
Myth: a special diet, ghee or herbal drink guarantees a normal delivery
No food or drink can guarantee how you will deliver. Healthy habits, such as staying active, eating well and attending antenatal visits, support your health and your chances, but your baby’s position, your health and how labour progresses decide the rest. If you are worried about pain, ask about options such as painless delivery.
Should pregnant women rest in bed and avoid exercise?
No. Most healthy pregnant women are advised to stay active. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking, in sessions of 20 to 30 minutes on most days, for healthy women with an uncomplicated pregnancy. Women who were not active before should start gently and build up.
ACOG’s opinion also states that bed rest is not effective for preventing preterm birth and should not be routinely recommended. Doctors do advise rest or activity limits in some pregnancies, such as with bleeding, a low-lying placenta or preeclampsia, so follow your own doctor’s instructions.
Stop and call your doctor if you have vaginal bleeding, regular painful contractions, leaking fluid, dizziness, headache, chest pain or calf pain or swelling. Our guides on prenatal yoga and physiotherapy in pregnancy cover gentle ways to stay active.
How to talk to family elders about pregnancy myths
You do not have to choose between respecting your elders and following your doctor. These steps help:
- Start with their care. Thank them. Most advice comes from wanting what is good for you and the baby.
- Bring them to a checkup. Hearing it from the doctor often settles a debate more gently than you can.
- Separate harmless from harmful. A blessing, a prayer or a favourite family recipe does no harm. Fasting, skipping medicines, or extra-rich food in large amounts can.
- Ask your doctor before you change anything, especially anything you eat, drink or take as a supplement.
- Keep one source of truth. If advice conflicts, your treating doctor’s plan for your pregnancy comes first.
Pregnancy care in Pune: Lalwani Mother and Child Care
If you are looking for pregnancy care in Pune, or a gynecologist in Pune for pregnancy care, our maternity and obstetrics service covers confirmation of pregnancy, regular antenatal checkups, pregnancy scans and tests, sonography, nutrition and lifestyle counselling, antenatal and childbirth education classes, and high risk pregnancy care. Delivery planning for normal delivery and C-section, labour support and pain relief options, a NICU and 24-hour emergency services are available at the same maternity hospital in Pune.
You can read about our obstetricians and gynecologists on the doctors page, and see what our maternity packages include. Bring your questions, including the ones your family has asked, to your next visit.
| Address | Pune Satara Road, Opposite NEXA Showroom, Near Chandukaka Saraf, Pune 411 009 |
| Phone | 020 68686868 |
| Hours | Monday to Sunday, 8:00 am to 9:00 pm. 24-hour emergency services available |
When to call your doctor
Never wait on a myth, a home remedy or advice from family if you notice:
- Vaginal bleeding or leaking of fluid
- Regular, painful contractions before your due date
- Your baby moving much less than usual
- A severe headache or sudden swelling of the face and hands
- Dizziness, chest pain, or pain or swelling in one calf
- Fever, or burning when you pass urine
Frequently asked questions
1. What are the most common pregnancy myths in India?
Common ones include saffron milk making a baby fair, ghee easing delivery, eclipses harming the baby, carrying high or low showing the baby’s sex, and eating for two. None of these is supported by good evidence. Ask your doctor about any belief that changes what you eat, drink or do.
2. Does saffron milk make the baby fair?
No. Skin colour is mostly decided by the genes passed on by both parents. Saffron is not proven to change it. Ask your doctor before using saffron, and avoid it in the first trimester unless your doctor approves.
3. Does ghee help normal delivery?
There is no proof that ghee makes labour easier. A small amount is fine if your weight gain is on track, but extra ghee can add unneeded weight and raise risks such as gestational diabetes.
4. Can pregnant women eat pineapple?
Yes, in normal servings. The belief that pineapple causes miscarriage has very little evidence. Avoid bromelain tablets and supplements, and very large amounts, which can upset the stomach. Ask your doctor if you have gestational diabetes.
5. Is it true that carrying high or low means boy or girl?
No. Bump shape depends on muscle tone, the baby’s position and amniotic fluid, not the baby’s sex. In India, fetal sex determination is prohibited under the PCPNDT Act, so your doctor cannot confirm a guess.
6. Can an eclipse harm my baby?
No evidence shows that an eclipse harms an unborn baby or causes birth defects. Eat normally and drink water. Do not look at a solar eclipse without proper eye protection.
7. Do I need to eat for two when pregnant?
No. You need about 300 to 500 extra calories a day in the second and third trimesters, and none extra in the first if you are of healthy weight. Eating double raises the risk of gestational diabetes and complications.
8. Can I have a normal delivery after a C-section?
Often yes. Many women can attempt a vaginal birth after a C-section, depending on why the first C-section was done, the scar type and the gap between births. Your obstetrician will review your history to advise you.
9. Should I rest in bed throughout pregnancy?
Usually not. Most healthy women are advised about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking. Bed rest is not routinely recommended. Follow your doctor’s instructions if you have bleeding or another complication.