7 Superstitions Involving Pregnancy and Motherhood

1. Expectant Mothers Should Avoid Cemeteries at All Costs

While pregnancy brings with it great joy, it does not protect the expectant mother from outside sorrows. If someone close to her passes and she is asked to attend their funeral service, a superstitious mother-to-be knows to respectfully decline. If she chooses to attend the service, she runs the risk of having the soul of her unborn child switched with that of an unscrupulous spirit.

According to this piece of lore, unbeknownst to the living, displaced souls perpetually wander graveyards searching for a way back into the world they once knew. While it is nearly impossible to secure an adult form, the developing body of a child in utero is considered a perfect vehicle for a restless entity’s rebirth.

Upon sensing the pregnant woman’s presence, opportunistic spirits will vie for the soul of the fetus. The one that emerges triumphant will take the baby’s place, the mother never the wiser. From that day forward, she will carry and eventually give birth to the changeling.

This scenario, while implausible, is so disturbing that those familiar with the superstition will often warn expectant mothers to steer clear of cemeteries until after they give birth.