When it comes to Filipino pregnancy superstitions, the list is endless. If I write all of it, it should cover an entire book. It always annoyed me when elders would caution me to do this and not to do that because Im pregnant.

Then if you say no, theyd tell you na “wala namang mawawala”. And for some reason, that annoyed me more. In hindsight, its funny now. But here are my top 10 (un)funny Filipino pregnancy superstition.

1. Don’t wear a necklace because you might end up having a hard time giving birth because the umbilical cord will wrap on the baby’s neck. 
2. Don’t go to the cemetery because you will have a hard time giving birth. Or another one in the same vein, if going to cemetery to bury someone, pregnant women should be there ahead of the dead so the child will not follow the dead. 
3. Dont sleep in the afternoon or you will end up with a “suhi” pregnancy -where the baby’s feet will be the first to go out of the mother’s womb. 
4. Do not stay by the door or by the window when pregnant because the baby will be confused on whether to stay or go out.
5. Do not go out very early in the morning or  dusk to avoid the moisture in the air. Or else the baby will be hard headed. 
6. Do not sew while pregnant.
7. Do not let anyone eat your leftover or they will become sleepy. 
8. Do not eat fruits that look weird or you baby will be like the fruit. Example – eating twin bananas will cause you to have twins, mango will make your babys face be shaped like a mango, eating duhat will make your baby black skinned, Santol will cause the baby to have goiter, or mabolo, which will make the baby hairy. 
9. Bawal tumingin sa pangit or else, your baby will end up ugly too. 
10. And finally, my favorite, your baby will look like what you crave for while pregnant. As crazy as that sounds, a lot believe that if you crave for bananas, your baby will be fair or if you like a certain person, your baby will inherit their physical characteristics. 

See! I told you, they’re crazy. And annoying sometimes. Because if I’m craving for chocolate, I definitely want to eat chocolate. And my baby’s color will be the result of my and my husband genes. And you should stop me not because of the pregnancy superstition but because it’s not healthy. Haha!

Speaking of which, do you think pregnancy cravings is just a superstition too? My husband went thru a whole lot of research just to prove that my pregnancy cravings were just a result of mass hallucination. To this day, it is still a sore point. Because depending on which science fence you sit on, it’s debatable. Besides, what sane husband would debate their pregnant wife’s wishes? 

I do agree that those movies and dramas where women wake up at 2 am to get their husband to look for wild mangosteen and fresh green mangoes are crazy. It’s totally blown out of proportion and these might be the cause of half of these pregnant women hankering for things that are out of this world. Like strawberries from Mars. Ha ha!

I will not debate on the psychological reasons, except to say that as a mother, I have experienced these myself. For some reason, pregnant women are always craving for snacks. Depending on what culture you’re on, you might be craving for something sweet, salty, or spicy. These cravings are no joke — and they really hit 50 to 90 percent of pregnant women according to this paper. 

Its a good thing that Unilab are taking care of us and acknowledging at least, that pregnancy craving is for real! And look, they made it healthier! I wish I have known this earlier. When I was pregnant I kind of wished that I’m snacking on something healthier. 

Healthy Pregnancy Snacks

If you’re looking for a healthy pregnancy snack, try Crave Healthy. Crave Healthy is the first healthy pregnancy snack product in the Philippines that is specifically designed for the pregnant woman by doctors and nutritionists.

• It’s NUTRITIOUS because it contains essential nutrients – Folic Acid, Iron, and Calcium that are critical for both the mom and her growing baby. It also has reduced salt and just the right amount of calories that give the pregnant woman that extra energy she needs daily.
• It’s DELICIOUS because it tastes just like her regular snack. Crave Healthy is currently available in Sweet Corn flavor and does not have any aftertaste of nutrient fortifications. It helps support the nutritional needs of pregnant women and their developing fetus.

A healthy way to satisfy hunger and food cravings of pregnant women!

A pack of Crave is worth Php 25.00 at 30 grams each. It’s available online at www.cravehealthysnacks.com, select Med Express branches, and select Robinsons Supermarket outlets.