There is an old wives’ tale that papaya, pineapple or mango can cause you to miscarry. This is absolutely untrue. Your friend must have had a delayed period but not due to a pregnancy. It was just coincidence that she got her periods after eating papaya. If she had just waited, she would have got her periods anyway!

You can eat papaya, pineapples or mangos. They will not cause your pregnancy any harm. Some people even think that sesame seed (til or ellu) can cause a miscarriage. Again, not true!

My grandmother says I should not eat cold food like curds, cool drinks and ice cream because then my baby will catch a cold. Is this true?

I am always amused by the number of myths surrounding food! There is no basis for what your grandmother says. Curds are a great source of protein and calcium. Eating or drinking cold stuff does not cause cold, a virus does. And anyway, the baby is safe inside the womb. It cannot catch a cold whatever you eat! Having said that, I would avoid ice creams and cool drinks because they are just empty calories and will make you put on unnecessary weight.