Pregnancy Myths Around the World

With the sheer number of friends and co-workers that are turning up pregnant, I thought I would take a look at pregnancy myths and advise from around the world. Here are some of the more flavorful words of wisdom:

* Many Japanese women are told not to look at fire while pregnant, or their child will be born with a birthmark

* A tip of a rainbow upon your house foretells the impending birth of a baby boy

* If you're Portuguese, you may be advised to eat cucumbers if you want a boy, and an apple if you want a girl. The trick is in the shape of the food.

* But if you're Spanish, don't eat cucumbers, or you could give your child a healthy dose of "the wind"

* In Ancient Egypt, most women delivered their babies by kneeling or squatting on the ground

* In many African cultures, you don't want anyone rubbing your stomach, it's akin to someone trying to steal your baby

* Australian aborigines believed that if you stood under mistletoe, a child's spirit would drop into you and you would become pregnant