With spring time being the time of birth and rebirth, it’s a great time to reflect on all the new things happening in our lives. Both actual and expectant. Often caught up looking too far into the future for jobs love and things like that, we overlook the most obvious of births in our lives. In the most literal of terms, the expectant mother. Let’s take some time to look away from outside influences of the world, a look at some of the superstitions surrounding maternity.

Heartburn is a sign of a hairy baby

This superstition has been studied and considered by many an accurate way to judge if your baby will be born bald or with a full head of hear. John Hopkins University did a study on 64 women. 28 reported heartburn and of that 28 23 had babies born with hair. On the other hand of the 12 women who did not have heartburn 10 had babies with less hair than average newborns.

Full moons and pregnancy

There are a number of pregnancy superstitions surrounding the full moon. So if you’re expecting here’s what to and not to watch out for under the full moon. Scientific research has debunked the superstitions that babies are more likely to be born under a full moon. It is believed that walking around under a full moon is dangerous for your unborn. Especially in Hispanic cultures it’s held as a truth that doing so will increase your risk of having a baby born with a cleft lip. Have no fear if you enjoy your evening strolls just wear something reflective around your neck to deflect the moons rays. Avoid eclipses also. They are viewed as a bad omen. Some cultured even go as far as to cover windows with fabric and newspapers to prevent the rays of a lunar eclipse from entering the home.

Funerals and Weddings

Most people are aware of the superstitions surrounding funerals and the unborn. From the fear of the lingering spirit clinging to the unborn. To the fear that the spirit of the unborn may accompany the beloved deceased to the spirit world. However most people are unaware that you are also supposed to avoid weddings. This is not just about the risk of out shining the bride on her special day, but also about luck. Having a pregnant woman and a bride and groom in the same room is a clash of luck which can cause misfortune to reign down upon the unborn.

Don’t touch the bump

If you needed a reason other than just because you don’t want total strangers rubbing your body to avoid having your baby bump touched here it is. Expectant mothers should not be touched by strangers. It is believed that evil spirits can steal the baby from the womb. Other cultures believe that rubbing the belly can lead to a child being spoiled before they are even born.