By Victoria Messina

We already know how crucial that it is to consume the proper foods during pregnancy in order to show your bun in the oven (and yourself, of course) some loving. But our eyes have now been opened to quite the, uhhh... most surprising and kind of strange way to get nutrition when you're expecting: by swallowing sperm.

There have been many hypotheses floating around (pun semi-intended) over the years that have shown how it certainly wouldn't hurt and could actually help you to sustain a healthy gestation, and, obviously, it has made us beyond intrigued to learn more.

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Back in 2011, Gad Saad, Ph.D. breached the subject, explaining how semen can actually help women overcome preeclampsia, a high-risk pregnancy-related condition that causes high blood pressure and an increase in the number of proteins in their urine.

Preeclampsia is known to occur in 5 to 8 of all pregnancies, and can cause some serious complications such as kidney failure, preterm delivery, placental abruption, a low birth weight baby, and fetal death. 

Saad went on to explain how a woman's risk of developing preeclampsia can be affected by her exposure to her partner's genetic cells.

He also references a 2003 study that had related a woman's length of exposure to sperm to a greater risk of possibly developing preeclampsia. So, it's kind of like a flu shot, in the sense that exposing oneself to the cause of the strange immunological reaction can potentially help build up a tolerance for it.

Although there are more complicated forms of cell transfer that are an option (such as blood transfusions), many still see swallowing sperm via some good old fashioned oral as being a more convenient solution.

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And some research even further back from 2000 had also found the similar theory that less of a risk for developing preeclampsia was correlated to swallowing sperm. 

In addition, swallowing sperm has even been said to cure morning sickness. And don't worry — the Mayo Clinic actually says that giving and receiving oral sex is A-OK during a pregnancy. So, this interesting hypothesis is just that: a hypothesis.

Now, as always, we strongly suggest consulting your doctor for any pregnancy-health-related questions like these, but it's definitely something to keep in mind if you're looking to take part in some adult fun during gestation.

However, science also somewhat recently discovered that swallowing sperm may actually help you to get pregnant and also reduce the chances of having a miscarriage. So, you know, sperm swallowing may come with its own set of benefits after all.

RELATED: Study Suggests That Women Absorb DNA From Every Man They've Ever Slept With

Victoria Messina is an associate editor for Popsugar. Check out her Twitter for more.

Editor's Note: This article was originally posted in May 2017 and was updated with the latest information.

This article was originally published at PopSugar. Reprinted with permission from the author.