In many cultures, including in Bangladesh and India, a solar or lunar eclipse is considered a bad omen and harmful for a pregnant woman.
The eclipse is believed to affect the developing baby by causing a physical deformity, cleft lip, or birthmarks.
There is no scientific proof to back this superstition but it's so firmly engraved in our culture that it can cause you or other family members to worry for the safety of your baby when an eclipse is around the corner.
The harmful effects of an eclipse are believed to affect expecting women who are in the direct rays of the sun or moon while the eclipse is happening.
That's why the most common recommendation is simply to stay indoors for the duration of the eclipse.
This is also why you certainly don't need to worry about a solar or lunar eclipse happening somewhere else in the world.
If you or your family are concerned about the effects of the eclipse on your baby, there's no harm in staying inside.
After all, it is just for a few hours and if it offers you and your family peace of mind, it's probably worth it.
But while it's easy to avoid a lunar eclipse if it happens late at night, it might be harder to protect yourself from a solar eclipse.
Know that if you cannot or don't want to stay indoors during an eclipse, it doesn't mean that your baby will come to harm or be born with a birthmark.
However, the sun's rays during a solar eclipse are indeed stronger than usual and can harm your eyesight if you look directly at the sun.
To protect your eyes, you should never look at the eclipse without special eclipse glasses. Lunar eclipses don't harm your eyesight in the same way as solar eclipses.
Besides staying indoors, there are other dos and don'ts you might hear about from friends and family to follow in the hours leading up to and during an eclipse. These change from family to family but
here are some of the most commonly followed ones:
- Don't use a sharp object such as a knife, scissors or a needle for the duration of the eclipse
- Don't eat anything during the eclipse
- Rest as much as you can while the eclipse is on
- Cover the windows with newspaper or thick curtains so that no rays of the eclipse enter your home
- Throw away all cooked food from before the eclipse
- Take a bath after the eclipse is over
A less popular but often heard of belief, is that an expecting woman shouldn't even drink water during an eclipse.
Be careful not to go too long without food or drink. Not drinking for long can put you at risk of dehydration, especially if the eclipse is during summer.
And though the following is unlikely to happen if you're avoiding food for just two to three hours, fasting for a long time can cause headaches, fatigue, acidity or even fainting. If you have any of these symptoms talk to your doctor right away.
