Having a child is one of the most wonderful things that can happen to a person. When a mother receives the great news, it is when she immediately begins a process of changing her eating habits and lifestyle to guarantee the health of her baby.
We currently know that eating sausage without previously freezing it or eating raw meat is not recommended since the baby can become infected with toxoplasmosis, but, in the past, there were numerous practices that women had to carry out so that their babies were born healthy.
These are the 8 strangest practices that women carried out to guarantee the health of their babies
1- Wear corsets
Before lingerie existed, corsets were the only thing women could wear under their clothes. These designs tailored for pregnant women would surely be much more comfortable for moms-to-be, but I don’t think we would choose to wear them today.
2- Smoking cigarettes
Today we are well aware of all the adverse effects that tobacco has on our health and, above all, on the health of the fetus, but for many years, doctors recommended that women smoke cigarettes to regulate the weight of the baby and the movements from the mother’s belly.
3- Take chloroform
Long before epidurals existed, mothers were put to sleep with “healthy” doses of chloroform. Although the goal was not to completely put them to sleep to protect the baby, this practice could cause severe damage to mothers during childbirth.
4- Carry out artistic activities
According to old legends, having your mind distracted by an artistic activity during pregnancy would ensure that the baby was born healthy. Obviously there is no scientific evidence but it is something that doctors used to recommend.
5- Drink red wine
In the past, doctors claimed that drinking a little red wine every day during pregnancy ensured the health of the baby. Subsequently, many studies confirmed that the little ones would be much better if the mother refrained from drinking.
6- Always travel by train
Many years ago pregnant women never traveled by car, they always traveled by train because doctors assured that the movement of the car could directly affect the fetus.
7- Do not worry about cravings
In the past, it was believed that the diet of pregnant women did not affect the growth of the baby in the belly, so they were advised not to deprive themselves of any food that they craved.
8- Avoid sunlight
Obviously, prolonged exposure to UV rays has adverse effects on our health and can be especially harmful to a baby in the womb. However, in the past, women could hardly go out on the street because it was believed that if they were exposed to sunlight, their baby would “cook”. Currently, pregnant women are not recommended to sunbathe, but they can go outside without any problem.
