Old Wife's Tale

Read on the New York Times that pregnant women should avoid cats. The article was saying that while it sounds like one of those old wife's tale, this claim is actually scientific because cats can carry a disease that pregnant women are exceptionally susceptible to. I got a bit curious and decided to hunt around for other old wife's tale.

And here, in exact replication, are some of the more interesting ones I've found. According to the mole one, I'm supposed to have a "warm, enthusiastic temperament" and I'll also be prosperous with a happy marriage.

Excerpts from Old Wife's Tale regarding pregnancy

Another old wives tale was that a woman could expect to lose a tooth for each child born. Today's hygiene and dietary thoughts help to forestall this possible dental problem. Yet even today, it is known that pregnancy does affect and weakens women's teeth and so this old wives tale is not mere child's play but has some basis in truth.

One peculiar superstitious thought was that a pregnant woman should not look at a hare. This chance meeting could have the child risk being born with a deformity. Yes, it is not a pun but hair lip was felt to be one of the deformities that could result. The Elephant Man's grossly deformed body had originally been diagnosed to been a result of his mother being frightened by an elephant at a zoo during her pregnancy; hence his nickname.

Edit: Old Wife's Tale info regarding divination significance of moles, which was replicated here has been removeded due to kill the spaminess it resulted. Go to the link to read the specifics :)