Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a Pregnancy Bible. Though there is generally a set of pregnancy “rules” to abide by, lots of these rules — yes, even the ones passed along by your OB — can vary from culture to culture or region to region. These include things you “should” do during your pregnancy to ensure a healthy baby, and also taboo things that women are generally expected to avoid.

There are commonalities, of course. Most doctors will agree on things like avoiding drinking and doing drugs while pregnant, for example. However, some women decide to push the limits on what they do during pregnancy and what they are (or are not!) willing to give up. And depending on the doctor, some may even support certain unconventional and taboo behaviors during pregnancy.

Some of these taboos are mild, like choosing to partake in certain questionable foods, and others are things that have been proven to have the potential to injure a growing fetus. And yet still, for various reasons, women make personal decisions each and every day about how they choose to live their lives while pregnant.

However mundane or wild, women have been partaking in pregnancy taboos since the beginning of time, and plenty have gone on to deliver perfectly healthy babies. Would you risk it? Let’s take a look at 15 of some of the riskiest things women have done while pregnant and see how they stack up.

15 Making Questionable Food Choices

Indulging in the occasional medium-rare burger or soft cheese might seem like the most mild taboo out there, but as it turns out, rolling the dice when it comes to under-cooked or unpasteurized foods while pregnant can be incredibly dangerous.

Under-cooked meat carries the risk of salmonella, toxoplasmosis, and other bacterias, while soft cheeses and deli meats can contain listeria (a bacteria that can be particularly harmful for the fetus). When you start tossing around scary bacteria terms, a simple meal becomes a lot more intimidating. Considering the “best” case scenario when it comes to these bacterias is food poisoning, which is especially dangerous when pregnant, the worst case could mean miscarrying your fetus.

On one hand, the effects of these potential bacterias on a growing baby are very much real and dangerous. But on the other hand, some women choose to take this gamble every single day. When you consider, for example, the long list of foods that listeria has been found lurking in during the past 10 years or so (including stereotypically safe and healthy foods during pregnancy, like ice cream, cantaloupe, and bagged salad mixes), avoiding the bacteria altogether seems like an impossible feat.

As taboo as it sounds, most women operate under the assumption that moderation is key when it comes to risky foods during pregnancy, and many (if not most) will have perfectly healthy babies.

14 Getting A Tattoo

Considering that getting inked at any point in your life carries a heavy risk of potential infection (from Hepatitis to HIV), taking that risk while pregnant is definitely especially taboo. Most OBs won’t necessarily recommend that you pop by the tattoo parlor for a permanent skin memento after your next appointment.

However, despite it being a taboo, plenty of women go through with their tattoo appointments even after discovering they’ve got a bun in the oven.

How risky is it, really? Well, besides the typical risks that come along with getting a tattoo, there’s no studies to prove that getting fresh ink is necessarily harmful to your baby. The same rules apply to any tattoo experience — choose a reputable, trustworthy (and registered!) artist with a clean, sterile shop, and ensure only new and disposable needles are being used.

Plenty of women have done it, but if you’re looking for some body art without the potential risk, you could always opt for henna until your little one is done sharing your blood supply.

13 Smoking Cigarettes

This is a taboo behavior pretty much across the board. No doctor would ever encourage you to smoke, even in moderation, during your pregnancy. It has been linked to all sorts of harmful effects on unborn babies — low birth weight, birth defects, premature birth, and even SIDS after they’re born.

However, I bet we’ve all witnessed a woman choosing to light up during her pregnancy like she DGAF. Fortunately though, despite studies showing that smoking absolutely increases the risk of these detrimental things, some women who have smoked occasionally during pregnancy do have perfectly healthy babies.

Is this a reason to partake in such a risky taboo? Absolutely not! But for some women, the intense withdrawal symptoms that come from quitting smoking cold turkey after finding out they’re pregnant might actually be more dangerous than weaning off cigarettes slowly but surely. And unfortunately, despite the risks, plenty of women choose to puff along for their entire pregnancies.

12 Taking Various Medications

Here’s a taboo that seems to differ from doctor to doctor. There are somewhat universal truths, like Tylenol tending to be considered a safe medication to take for relief from a mild fever or a headache during pregnancy, for example, and most doctors will agree that the less medication taken during pregnancy, the better.

However, that seems to be where the similarities end (and even then, ask around a bit and I’m sure you’ll find a doctor who advises against Tylenol, too). Every woman has different medical needs, along with a unique medical history, which means not every woman can simply go off all medications when she finds out she’s pregnant (and not every doctor will necessarily advise her too, either).

Some women need their prescribed medications for depression, ADHD, or anxiety, and it could actually be unsafe to them and their babies to go off of them despite the potential risks. Taboo as it may seem, even something like a terrible migraine could lead a woman to weigh the risks involved and choose to take a stronger medication than is typically advised.

In this case, remember that a happy mom equals a happy baby, so even if it’s not a decision you would make, some mothers will make an informed decision to take certain medications throughout their pregnancies despite the proposed risks.

11 Drinking Copious Amounts Of Caffeine

Here’s something most doctors can agree upon: pregnant women should try not to consume more than 200mg of caffeine per day, which is the equivalent of about 12 oz. of coffee.

And yet, we’ve all seen a pregnant woman waddle up to the Starbucks barista and order a triple shot of espresso with no shame whatsoever. What makes these women so willing to engage in such a pregnancy faux pas? Well, like most taboos on this list, though there are some correlations between them and things like premature birth, low-weight babies, and birth defects, there have not been enough studies done to show that something like caffeine will cause these things.

So although some women will play it safe by sticking to her 1-cup-a-day allotment, others will merrily go through their whole pregnancy indulging in several cups a day and feeling just fine. However, due to the inconclusive nature of the subject, caffeine still very much remains a pregnancy taboo.

10 Smoking MJ

This is yet another controversial topic, and yet it tends to be considered taboo across the board. Though very few studies have been done on the effects of marijuana on a fetus, most doctors won’t advise you to partake while pregnant — even if you live in a state where it’s legal, or have previously been approved to use it medically.

However, there are some women who swear by its positive effects and have continued to use it while pregnant. Smoking marijuana while pregnant has been suspected to cause low birthweight and premature birth, not unlike smoking cigarettes while pregnant, but some women have found it helpful for their constant morning sickness or debilitating aches and pains.

There are cultures in India, Africa, and Southeast Asia that use cannabis freely for all sorts of pregnancy ailments and complications, and have been for thousands of years, but we are still a long way from having the studies and data to get to the bottom of what the actual effects are on growing babies. For this reason, lighting up during pregnancy is likely to remain taboo for a long time to come.

9 Changing The Kitty Litter

Pregnant women with cats at home get pretty used to having people ask, “You’re not changing the kitty litter are you?!” Odds are, if they’ve got someone else at home who can take over this less-than-pleasant chore for 9 months, they’ve already gladly handed it over.

What’s with the obsession over cat poop? Cats can carry an infection called Toxoplasmosis, which humans can easily contract through the cats feces if they’re not careful. It’s usually pretty harmless, but it can be dangerous to a pregnant woman, which is why all that cat maintenance is so taboo during pregnancy.

However, the next time you see a pregnant woman willingly picking up that pooper scooper and heading for the cat box, don’t freak out just yet. Plenty of women hold onto this chore throughout pregnancy and remain perfectly safe. If you’ve had your feline companion for a long time, a simple blood test in early pregnancy (or even before) can determine if you’re carrying the toxic parasite, and if you’re all clear, so is Fluffy. Using a mask and gloves and making sure you thoroughly wash your hands and any surfaces that could potentially come in contact with both your food and your cat can help ensure you and your baby remain safe.

8 Sleeping On Their Backs

Though a slightly lesser-known taboo, if you’ve read any of the classic pregnancy literature, you may have come across the advice that sleeping on your back after a certain point in pregnancy can be dangerous for your baby.

The idea is that lying flat on your back has the potential to cut off the blood flow to certain veins, effecting blood flow to both mother and baby. It’s been said that in some cases, even if the mother can’t feel a difference, the baby could still be losing oxygen if not sleeping in the correct position.

And yet some moms continue to sleep on their back for their entire pregnancy, so what gives? Well, despite the rumors, studies have proven that sleeping on your back might actually not be as dangerous as was previously believed.

For starters, your body will let you know if your sleeping position is harming you or the baby — increased heart rate and shortness of breath would become so uncomfortable that you’d likely switch positions long before any harm could come to either of you. And even in these cases, other studies have proven that there was still little to no effect on the baby either way.

7 Drinking Throughout Pregnancy

No amount of alcohol has been proven safe for your baby while pregnant, which is why imbibing during pregnancy is such a taboo. This is because there is a risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome no matter how much you drink, and the risk increases if you drink heavily or frequently.

However, there are plenty of women who have chosen to indulge in the occasional glass of wine throughout their pregnancies and have gone on to have no complications at all. Certainly they can’t all just be willing to toss the dice in regards to their baby’s health, so what makes them so confident in their decisions?

This is another area where studies are lacking. It’s not exactly ethical to pump a pregnant woman full of something that could potentially harm her fetus (like booze) and then test the results, so most studies are done on women who have drank heavily during pregnancy and given birth to babies who have suffered ill-effects.

This means the women who may have nursed a glass of wine here and there later in their pregnancies and go on to have healthy babies tend to fly right under the radar, so we may never know what qualifies as a “safe” amount of alcohol during pregnancy. Occasionally though, OBs will ok a small glass of wine late in pregnancy in order to relax, so this is yet another taboo that is up to the mother’s discretion.

6 Taking Hot Baths

Hot baths might be one of the more lesser-known taboos, which may be why so many pregnant women choose to indulge. The idea of a bath tends to conjure up an image of relaxation, which sounds like just what the doctor ordered for any pregnant woman, right?

In actuality, especially in early pregnancy, soaking for too long in water that is too hot can raise your body temperature up, which is dangerous for your fetus when maintained for too long. This is why hot tubs are generally well-known for being off-limits while pregnant, but not every woman knows that her own, trusty bathtub can be just as dangerous.

However, like other pregnancy taboos, there are ways to indulge safely. It’s generally recommended that hot baths are avoided for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy to be extra safe, but after that it’s all about listening to your body. A bath that is uncomfortably hot to get into or turns your skin red is TOO hot, and raising your body temperature to above 100 degrees fahrenheit for longer than ten minutes or so can put your baby in danger.

So cool off that bathwater a bit, arm yourself with lots of ice water to stay hydrated, and keep your soaks on the shorter side if you choose to walk on the wild side and partake in this taboo.

5 Long-Distance Travel During The Third Trimester

Only crazy women would attempt to fly during their third trimester, right? Many pregnant women believe it’s even prohibited and that their OB wouldn’t even allow it. Well, that’s not necessarily always the case, which is why you may know women who have dared to try this taboo.

It is generally true across the board that it’s not recommended to fly after the 36-week mark. It’s just too close to delivery time to risk being mid-air or far away from home. However, for most of the third trimester, long-distance road trips or flying cross-country are ok as long as you keep some safety tips in mind, which makes the idea seem a lot less scary.

It’s all about keeping hydrated and keeping your circulation in check. When flying, keep those feet propped up if possible, take as many laps up and down the aisles as you can, and if you’re stuck in your seat, at least keep flexing and rotating those ankles and toes to keep the circulation moving. If on a road trip, take advantage of those frequent bathroom breaks to get a little stretching and exercise in. And no matter your method of travel, keep chugging that water. See? all that third-trimester traveling might actually not be as taboo as you may have thought.

4 Using Toxic Chemicals.

While some mothers-to-be make the switch to all-natural everything as soon as they find out they’re pregnant (like utilizing diluted white vinegar to clean countertops instead of Mr. Clean), others go about their typical, chemical-laden routines as usual, which can be seen as quite taboo.

So how taboo is it really to, say, keep cleaning your bathroom with your favorite bleach-containing products? Apparently that depends how you’re going about it. Using products chock-full of chemicals to clean, as long as you’re using them in a well-ventilated area, preferably using gloves or even a mask to do so, is relatively safe in small-doses.

Same goes for seemingly toxic beauty products like hair dye and nail polish. Getting your hair or nails done in moderation throughout pregnancy is generally considered safe, so there’s no reason to keep feeling like a gnarly woodland creature if you’re dying for a little beauty treatment. Armed with the right knowledge, you can keep yourself safe from these toxic taboos.

3 Joining In On Dangerous Activities

There are lots of physical activities that become more dangerous the further along you are in pregnancy. The bigger that baby grows inside of you, the more susceptible the both of you are to bumps and falls, so it’s generally best to avoid any activity that puts you at risk of serious injury. Considering how difficult even walking can feel when you approach the third trimester and beyond, it’s no secret that partaking in extreme sports is incredibly taboo.

And yet, many super-active women choose to continue with their extreme lifestyles as far along as possible throughout pregnancy. There are plenty of women who have rock climbed, rollerbladed, done yoga, and even ridden rollercoasters during various stages of pregnancy and been just fine, though that doesn’t necessarily make these things safe.

Though it’s pretty shocking to catch glimpses of pregnant woman doing such considerably dangerous and taboo activities, this is a strong case of “to each her own” and trust that each momma is making the right decision for their own pregnancy and baby.

2 Not Taking A Prenatal

Believe it or not, there are pregnant women out there who decide against taking a daily prenatal vitamin, or taking vitamins at all during pregnancy. This can be quite the taboo, even amongst the medical community, despite how confident certain moms are about their decision.

Why would any expecting mother choose not to load up on vitamins? There’s plenty of reasons, actually. Some have used prenatal vitamins in previous pregnancies and had less-than-stellar results — the extra iron may have made them extra constipated, or the jolt of vitamins their body wasn’t used to previously just made them feel terrible. Some of them just don’t feel the vitamins made enough of a difference at all to warrant taking them.

Other moms prefer to get their vitamins from more natural sources — mainly, through their diet. Though it can be more difficult to get all the vitamins and nutrients a pregnant body and growing baby need, with enough diligence, this can absolutely be done through a varied and plentiful diet. Even though it might sound crazy and like something you’d never do, many women have opted to follow this taboo and gone on to have healthy babies.

1 Choosing To Deliver Without A Doctor

This taboo is borderline shocking, albeit true, and growing in popularity. More and more women are choosing to give birth at home and without the presence of medical professionals. Some are even choosing to forgo prenatal care from doctors altogether.

These women have their own personal reasons for doing so, of course, and some of them claim that birth is a much more powerful experience when done in the privacy of your own home, not to mention the intimacy of having just the mother and her partner present.

This decision does come with a host of dangers and potential complications, which is why it’s so incredibly taboo. Delivering at home, even with the assistance of a certified midwife, is riskier than giving birth in a hospital, where medical intervention can happen immediately if necessary.

Women have been giving birth long before medical assistance was commonplace, however, so as taboo as it seems in modern society, it seems less crazy when thinking of our ancestors.

Sources: AmericanPregnancy.org, WebMD.com, PubMed.gov, TheBump.com, NBC.com