Is it true? I should avoid cold drinks during pregnancy?
- Thread starter Jas Han
- Start date
2010-NewDad
Registered User
It is complete rubbish.
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Posted via Mobile Device
howardcoombs
Registered User
Its not rubbish 
Its just old wives tales and has a lot of humour value...
Every culture have them in various forms; my favorite from my grandmother was : "Dont open multiple windows of the house. It will create cross drafts and you will get sick".
The Chinese have a set of their own. Some are mentioned in the 2 links below:
http://www.hawcc.hawaii.edu/nursing/RNChinese08.html
http://radio86.com/lifestyle/family/traditional-chinese-beliefs-about-pregnancy-and-childbirth
Its just old wives tales and has a lot of humour value...Every culture have them in various forms; my favorite from my grandmother was : "Dont open multiple windows of the house. It will create cross drafts and you will get sick".
The Chinese have a set of their own. Some are mentioned in the 2 links below:
http://www.hawcc.hawaii.edu/nursing/RNChinese08.html
http://radio86.com/lifestyle/family/traditional-chinese-beliefs-about-pregnancy-and-childbirth
nicolejoy
Registered User
I drank cold and iced drinks all through both pregnancies and never suffered any ill effects. Local Chinese were always telling me off though as cold drinks are meant to be "weakening". In fact, some of my local friends don't even drink cold drinks at that time of the month as well. They say that they can "feel" the weakening affect but I think if they are expecting it to be weakening, of course they will "feel" weakened by it. I'd never heard of such a thing before I moved here and all I felt was refreshed.
erina320
Registered User
Its not rubbish
Every culture have them in various forms; my favorite from my grandmother was : "Dont open multiple windows of the house. It will create cross drafts and you will get sick".
The Chinese have a set of their own. Some are mentioned in the 2 links below:
http://www.hawcc.hawaii.edu/nursing/RNChinese08.html
http://radio86.com/lifestyle/family/traditional-chinese-beliefs-about-pregnancy-and-childbirth
Have you herd this one?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_death
It's particularly amusing.
EarlyYears
Registered User
I had iced tea just about every other day during my pregnancy. Couldn't resist Starbucks ;-) My son popped out at a healthy 7.5 pounds. There were no complications during the pregnancy.
I was told off daily by my local friends and colleagues though. They also advised me not to use scissors and sew I believe in Chinese herbal remedies but not the old wives' tales. They're just silly.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using GeoClicks Mobile
I was told off daily by my local friends and colleagues though. They also advised me not to use scissors and sew
I believe in Chinese herbal remedies but not the old wives' tales. They're just silly. Sent from my GT-I9100 using GeoClicks Mobile
howardcoombs
Registered User
FanDeath : hilarious! Thank you very much for that one although the Chinese Banana one is still one of my favorites.
I have heard of Aircon = all kinds of sicknesses. Many people believe aircon gives you colds. My grandparents believed aircons would give you arthritis (it wont, but it may make it more painful for those that have it).
I have heard of Aircon = all kinds of sicknesses. Many people believe aircon gives you colds. My grandparents believed aircons would give you arthritis (it wont, but it may make it more painful for those that have it).
2010-NewDad
Registered User
Could be derived from the water-borne diseases maybe - better to drink boiled or hot drinks where sanitation is poor and you run a risk of catching a disease. In modern Hong Kong though, it's complete rubbish... and given the climate here not availing yourself of a cool refreshing drink during pregnancy is pretty silly.
it's rubbish.
i drank cold drinks during pregnancy. it was 32 degrees everyday, i had to go for outdoor photo shoots and recee. nothing else could cool me down other than a bottle of chilled water! in fact i was murderous if i had no chilled water haha!
no scissors and cutting? apparently, if you use them, the babies will have cleft lips. my job required me to mount visuals, do prototypes, keep the design studio suitably decorated. i used scissors, penknife everyday, many times a day. my kids look normal.
i drank cold drinks during pregnancy. it was 32 degrees everyday, i had to go for outdoor photo shoots and recee. nothing else could cool me down other than a bottle of chilled water! in fact i was murderous if i had no chilled water haha!
no scissors and cutting? apparently, if you use them, the babies will have cleft lips. my job required me to mount visuals, do prototypes, keep the design studio suitably decorated. i used scissors, penknife everyday, many times a day. my kids look normal.
The cold drinks will supposedly stimulate your body to prepare for birth...so, watermelon is OUT of the picture as well as green bean soup (which are both "cold" foods) are out until the last couple weeks so that it can "help" with your birth. Don't want the baby to come out sooner than necessary!
One old wives tale I thought I didn't believe but do now is that whilst you are pregnant you shouldn't move houses! My 3rd came three weeks early...I was in the middle of moving houses ( though I didn't lift a single finger, or hammer anything- as those are big no-nos)...the baby came early...actually 2 days after my check up with my doctor and he said things were fine and my due date was unchanged. So, now I am a believer! Think the pressure and tension of all the thinking had something to do with it...not really scientific, but some things shouldn't be taken too lightly.
I had my ice tea too...not on a daily basis and definitely not several times a day, I just think everything in moderation is good, pregnant or not...
One old wives tale I thought I didn't believe but do now is that whilst you are pregnant you shouldn't move houses! My 3rd came three weeks early...I was in the middle of moving houses ( though I didn't lift a single finger, or hammer anything- as those are big no-nos)...the baby came early...actually 2 days after my check up with my doctor and he said things were fine and my due date was unchanged. So, now I am a believer! Think the pressure and tension of all the thinking had something to do with it...not really scientific, but some things shouldn't be taken too lightly.
I had my ice tea too...not on a daily basis and definitely not several times a day, I just think everything in moderation is good, pregnant or not...
Some sensible answers to the cold drinks dilemma. On lesliefu's note about not moving houses during pregnancy, I moved 2 countries while pregnant with my 2nd child. First move was when I was 1 month pregnant. Second move was when I was 8 months pregnant. And the 2nd move was very stressful. My daughter arrived one day earlier than due date and was a very healthy 3.75kg baby. So, I'm one to bust the old wives tale.
Gataloca
Registered User
I moved out to another apartment while we got our old one renovated when I was around 5 month pregnant, and then moved back when I was around 7 or 8 month pregnant (my dad actually almost killed me when I told him that we wanted to do that). During that time, we frequently came back to the place to check out that everything was smooth and monitor the progress.... I also was present during the moving to make sure that everything went to their places. Baby didn't come earlier, and I had a C-section at week 40+3days
About drinking cold stuff, I've never been a fan or that, but I couldn't avoid it when my pregnancy progressed since it was summer and I felt quite hot most of the time. My sister in law (a confinement lady, by the way) would tell me that I should drink cold stuff, but I just ignored her. I think your body knows what you want, so just listen to it....it your feel craving toward something cold cause you are hot and unconfortable, just take it... as long as it is not too much, it should be fine.
About drinking cold stuff, I've never been a fan or that, but I couldn't avoid it when my pregnancy progressed since it was summer and I felt quite hot most of the time. My sister in law (a confinement lady, by the way) would tell me that I should drink cold stuff, but I just ignored her. I think your body knows what you want, so just listen to it....it your feel craving toward something cold cause you are hot and unconfortable, just take it... as long as it is not too much, it should be fine.
Since I moved to Hk and discovered the fascinating habit people here have of drinking warm/hot water, I've come to realise it is good for digestion and health generally. However, I don't think drinking cold water is as dire during pregnancy as HKers make it out to be. I drank cold water, juice and iced tea (though just one glass of iced tea a day max because of caffeine) throughout both my pregnancies, particularly during summer. During pregnancy you tend to feel hotter than normal and warm water wasn't doing it.
You'll find your Chinese friends giving you plenty of advice about what to eat and what to do during pregnancy because there are lots of traditions here that people follow. Some are so illogical like the "don't hammer a nail or your child will get a mark" but even the young educated people follow them, either "just to be safe" or to shut up their own relatives and friends. I saw this advice from my friends as an expression of their genuine concern for me and my baby (it if was raining they'd pick a restaurant close by for lunch even if i insisted I was fine to walk further) but not necessarily follow all the advice. Citing "cultural difference" works here.
I would also tell them my obgyn gave me just three rules to follow: 1. Cut down (but not cut out) caffeine stuff like coffee/tea 2. Cut out alcohol 3. Eat big fish like tuna which have high mercury content at most oncc week.
You'll find your Chinese friends giving you plenty of advice about what to eat and what to do during pregnancy because there are lots of traditions here that people follow. Some are so illogical like the "don't hammer a nail or your child will get a mark" but even the young educated people follow them, either "just to be safe" or to shut up their own relatives and friends. I saw this advice from my friends as an expression of their genuine concern for me and my baby (it if was raining they'd pick a restaurant close by for lunch even if i insisted I was fine to walk further) but not necessarily follow all the advice. Citing "cultural difference" works here.
I would also tell them my obgyn gave me just three rules to follow: 1. Cut down (but not cut out) caffeine stuff like coffee/tea 2. Cut out alcohol 3. Eat big fish like tuna which have high mercury content at most oncc week.
No scientific backing at all.
The anti-cold-drink thing is part of general Chinese superstition, but people get extra anxious about it during pregnancy. I had waitresses refuse to give me cold water when I was pregnant.
But, yeah. It's rubbish. I drank cold things and ate cold things -- like healthy yoghurt smoothies -- all through pregnancy, post-natal recovery and breastfeeding.
I wasn't sick through that entire year. And my baby has been perfectly healthy.
Honestly -- aside from obvious no-nos like drugs, booze and too much caffeine -- just eat and drink what you want.
BTW, I'm Chinese myself.
The anti-cold-drink thing is part of general Chinese superstition, but people get extra anxious about it during pregnancy. I had waitresses refuse to give me cold water when I was pregnant.
But, yeah. It's rubbish. I drank cold things and ate cold things -- like healthy yoghurt smoothies -- all through pregnancy, post-natal recovery and breastfeeding.
I wasn't sick through that entire year. And my baby has been perfectly healthy.
Honestly -- aside from obvious no-nos like drugs, booze and too much caffeine -- just eat and drink what you want.
BTW, I'm Chinese myself.
erina320
Registered User
Except for the other No No's like lunch meat (listeria), unpasturized cheeses and raw meats including seafood.
2010-NewDad
Registered User
Plenty of ladies eat raw seafood (Japanese), unpasteurized cheeses (French) throughout their pregnancies.
Some how I think it has more to do with what your body is used to, and so the problems are not as great. Don't know...I am sure there are certain types of raw fish they stick with and certain types they avoid...anyhow, my friend did eat everything and her son came out with a certain deficiency which made him have very little and skimpy hair...don't know if had anything to do with that or genes...but it'd be torture just thinking of the what ifs...better safe than sorry in my opinion...
Both of my children were born practically bald (boy and girl). They both now have very full heads of hair and are fine. I can't see how having very little, no hair at birth could ever possibly be seen as a side effect of any kind, or that there is something wrong with that.