The myths.
Assessed. Cited. Categorised.

""Postpartum Depression Is Just the Baby Blues""

Baby blues and postpartum depression are different conditions with different timelines, severity, and treatment needs. Conflating them de...

""You Should Sleep When the Baby Sleeps""

Biologically sound but practically impossible for many. This advice ignores household demands, other children, feeding schedules, and pos...

""You Should Be Back to Normal by Six Weeks""

The six-week check is a checkpoint, not a finish line. Full postpartum recovery — particularly pelvic floor and hormonal — takes months t...

""Breastfeeding Should Come Naturally""

Breastfeeding is a learned skill for both mother and infant. Difficulties in the early days are the norm, not the exception. Lactation su...

""Bonding Should Be Instant""

Up to 25% of new mothers report delayed bonding. It is a process, not a moment — and delayed bonding is not a predictor of long-term atta...

""People With ADHD Can't Focus on Anything""

People with ADHD can focus intensely — on the wrong things at the wrong times. The issue is regulation, not capacity.

""ADHD Only Affects Boys""

ADHD affects all genders. Women are diagnosed an average of 5 years later than men due to systemic diagnostic bias.

""Everyone Is a Little Bit ADHD""

Occasional inattention is normal. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition with measurable brain differences, not a personality quirk.

""ADHD Medication Is Addictive and Leads to Substance Abuse""

Stimulant ADHD medication does not increase substance abuse risk. The evidence suggests a protective effect.

""People With ADHD Just Need to Try Harder""

ADHD is a performance disorder, not a knowledge disorder. The problem is not effort — it is the brain's inability to deploy effort reliably.

""Children Grow Out of ADHD""

Up to 70% of children with ADHD continue to experience impairing symptoms as adults. ADHD persists.

""ADHD Is Caused by Bad Parenting""

ADHD is not caused by parenting. It is one of the most heritable conditions in psychiatry.

""ADHD Is Overdiagnosed""

The claim that ADHD is overdiagnosed is both repeated and oversimplified. What the prevalence data actually show.

""Heartburn during pregnancy means your baby will have lots of hair""

One small 2006 study found a correlation — but with only 64 women and no replication, it is far from definitive. The mechanism is plausib...

""Spicy food induces labour""

No clinical evidence supports spicy food as a labour induction method. No randomised controlled trial has shown a link between dietary ca...

""Cocoa butter prevents stretch marks""

A Cochrane Review found no topical product — cocoa butter, bio-oil, or vitamin E cream — reliably prevents stretch marks. The primary fac...

""You should only sleep on your left side during pregnancy""

The risk applies to supine (back) sleeping after 28 weeks. Left and right side are equally safe. The anxiety about sleep position may cau...

""Stress causes miscarriage""

The overwhelming majority of early miscarriages are caused by chromosomal abnormalities. ACOG is explicit: miscarriage is not caused by s...

""Morning sickness means a healthy pregnancy""

There is a statistical association between nausea and lower miscarriage risk — but 20–30% of healthy pregnancies involve no morning sickn...

""You can't exercise during pregnancy""

ACOG recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise for uncomplicated pregnancies. Exercise reduces gestational ...

""You need to eat for two during pregnancy""

ACOG recommends only 340 extra calories per day in the second trimester — about a banana with peanut butter. Not a second dinner.