The Super Blood Wolf Moon Sounds *Intense,* But Here's How It Affects Pregnancy

"The kids are acting extraordinarily rambunctious. Must be the full moon." How many times have you said something along these lines? Probably once a month for a pretty long time. After all, it's common knowledge that full moons make everything go haywire, right? At least that's what everyone says. But is it true? How do these lunar events affect the general stasis of the planet and its people, and are some people more sensitive to its effects than others? Like how will the Super Blood Wolf Moon affect a pregnancy? Because a full moon is one thing that sends labor nurses into a panic, but a Super Blood Wolf Moon sounds intense.

Just after midnight Sunday, Jan. 20, heading into Monday, Jan. 21, there will be quite the lunar event, noted Space.com. The full moon will be at its perigee — the point in its orbit where it is closest to the earth — making it appear vastly larger than other full moons of the year. It will also be undergoing a total lunar eclipse just after midnight, casting it in tones of red and gold. While many believe that this has an effect on the human body, specifically causing women to go into labor and for people to act irrationally, there is no scientific basis for this assumption, according to Duke University.

So if you were hoping to give birth to your very own tiny Remus Lupin during the Super Blood Wolf Moon, you're apparently going to be quite disappointed. The term Super Blood Wolf Moon is a cobbled together mixture of the perceived size of the moon, the color cast upon its face during the eclipse, and Indigenous American names for the first full moon of the year, noted Forbes.

It could have just as easily been named the Super Blood "Sun Has Not The Strength To Thaw" Moon, which seems more appropriate given how freaking cold it's going to be during this year's full moon for much of the United States. But as far as it affecting what's happening in your uterus, the moon has no effect on your pregnancy, according to The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. Unless, of course, you stay up way past your bedtime to go look at the eclipse and end up eating a bag of flaming Doritos and a can of seltzer right before you go to sleep. That might be a pretty bad side effect. Holy lunar heartburn, mama.

The idea that lunar events can affect a pregnancy is likely tied to cultural ideas regarding the phases of the moon. Baby Center reported that some cultures believe that just looking at the lunar eclipse is dangerous, and can cause a cleft lip. It's some combination of old wives' tales and mythology that has been passed down generations. In my own Eastern European culture, I was told that if you look at the moon too long while you're pregnant, your baby will be a night owl.

My mother must have stared at that moon for hours on end while I was baking, because it takes Ambien and a lot of meditation to get me to sleep. Personally, it all sounds like something someone's Bubby made up to get the pregnant woman back indoors where it was safer for her to be all those years ago. A "for her own good" falsehood. That seems totally plausible.

We know it's safe, and we know that it's the last lunar eclipse of its kind for the next 18 years, so it might be wholly worth it to stay up late to see it. According to Space.com, it's going to be an incredible sight. You might want to consider locking up the heartburn-inducing food and beverages though.