• The Ugly Stick Trick
  If a pregnant woman sees something ugly or horrible, her baby will be ugly. "That one's wrong on two counts — one is there's no scientific evidence, but number two is that there's no such thing as an ugly baby," says Dr. Eddleman.
• The Old Java Jive
  A baby born with light brown birthmarks (known as cafe au lait spots), the mother drank too much coffee or had unfulfilled cravings during her pregnancy. Again, a myth!
• The Gender Bender
  If a pregnant woman's face breaks out, she is carrying a girl who will steal all of her mother's beauty. Says Dr. Stone: "The thing about it is that it's so chauvinistic — why is it that a girl's going to steal her mother's beauty? — anyway, it's not true, it's ridiculous.
• The Poor Complexion Connection
  A woman who carries wide, is having a girl. A woman who carried forward, is having a boy. "It's a common myth, but it's not true," says Dr. Eddleman.

During pregnancy, the best strategy is to "take advice from friends with a grain of salt," says Dr. Eddleman, who adds, "but when it comes to the advice from your doctor you should really listen up."

Keith Eddleman, M.D., is director of prenatal diagnosis in the division of maternal-fetal at Mount Sinai. He teaches medical students, residents and fellows and lectures throughout the world. His areas of expertise are ultrasound and reproductive genetics.

Joanne Stone, M.D., is director of the perinatal ultrasound unit at Mount Sinai and cares for patients with problem pregnancies.