http://anthrodoula.blogspot.com/2010/05/pregnancy-beliefs-around-world.html

Apparently, China has a great many odd birth customs. When a Chinese couple marry and enter their home for the first time, the husband is supposed to carry the bride over the threshold, just like the international custombut he also carries her overburning coalsto ensure that she can give birth without any problems. Then when the wife does get pregnant, she traditionally faces a host of unusual and surprising bans.She must not gossip. She must not laugh too loudly. She mustnt get angry or even think bad thoughts. Shemustnt look at colors that clash, and she should only eat light-colored food (to create a light-colored baby, of course). She must never sit on a crooked mat, else the child may be born deformed.She must sleep with a knife under her bed, so the sharp object will deter bad spirits. The house must not undergo any construction during the pregnancyand the mother can have absolutely no sex.http://listverse.com/2014/05/03/10-weirdest-birth-customs-from-around-the-world/

#20 Pregnancy superstitions around the worldAre you superstitious?

Even though I think of myself as a rational person with a scientific approach to life, I still cant help following superstitions which I know to be totally ridiculous - I admit tofeeling slightly uncomfortable if I have to walk under a ladder.And during pregnancy I probably gave in to my superstitions more than normal.

In our cultureweseem to be particularly driven bythe fear of tempting fate during pregnancy, for example not bringing the cot or pram into the house before the baby is actually born.

Would you walk under this ladder?

In the 1950s we would have followed even more;we wouldhave stopped knitting during pregnancy and we would have avoided hanging up the washing or lifting our arms above our heads for fear of the umbilical cord getting wrapped around the baby. Nowadays these old wives tales have mostly disappeared. My theory is that the number and strength of superstitious beliefs decreases with improved scientific understanding.(Mind you, few of us knit these days and most of us use a tumble dryer)

In many non-Western cultures there are still an enormous number of superstitions about what a pregnant woman should or shouldnt do. In the absence of any other knowledge, superstitions are a way of taking care of themselves and protecting their babies. In some waysit is similar to usfollowing the advice we receive from our doctors. (In fact I dothink that some dietary advice is the modern equivalent of a superstition. If something bad happens then you might blame it on that one peanut you ate, or that extra glass of wine you had once, but in reality it may be nothing more than a coincidence).

It is not surprising that pregnancy is an arearifefor superstition. Its a long old time between conception and birth (speaking from experience it can seem like an eternity waiting to know how everything is going to turn out) and our babies grow behind closed doors.

With Western medicine we do get to peep behind those doors in a manner of speaking; we see a blue line to confirm our pregnancy, we hear the reassuring woosh-woosh, woosh-woosh of our babys heartbeat, and with ultrasounds we even get to see inside maybe two or three times before the baby is born.

But without these tools,womenknowvery littleabout how their unborn babyis developing and what's going on behind those closed doors. I am sure this is why so many superstitions have devoloped. Theyare a way of explaining the complications and misfortunes or pregnancy and childbirth.

The huge number of superstitions might suggest that pregnant women live in a very fearful state trying to keep to all these rules. For some women they provide reassurance, while other women carry on as normal and these superstitions are more commonly thought about after birth to provide retrospective explanations for any problems that occurred. AMaisinwoman from Papua New Guinea whose baby is born with the cord around its neck may then remember having walked through a spiders web during her pregnancy, rather than spending the whole pregnancy trying to avoid walking through spider webs.

Here are a few common themes found around the world;

AVOIDING ACTIONS THAT MIGHT SYMBOLISE A BLOCKAGE OR GETTING STUCK

TheMinangkabauof Indonesia have a long list of actions that a woman should or shouldnt do when pregnant in order to ensure an easy birth including She shouldnt sit in a door entrance or gateway because then the baby may find it difficult to come out, if she goes down to the river to bathe she mustnt come back until she is finished, if shes forgotten something she shouldnt come back to the house for it as this could delay delivery. Similar superstitions about avoiding sitting in doorways or steps are found in Malaysia and across Indonesia, whileThaiwomeneat lotus buds which have been chanted over by a Buddhist monk so that their bodies will open up like a lotus flower and they will give birth easily, and if someone fells a tree or puts something in the path of a pregnantKarenwoman (Thailand) they must give the woman a chicken in recompense, otherwise the birth might be obstructed.

AVOIDANCE OF ECLIPSES

In Latin America it is said that the sun and the moon, particularly when eclipsed, can deform an unborn child. InGuatemalaexpectant mothers shouldnt go outside at midday when the sun is at its highest, nor should they look at an eclipsed moon, or point at a rainbow as doing any of these could cause abnormalities in the baby. TheTarahumara, one of the largest indigenous groups of Mexico, believe that deformities such as cleft lip or club foot are caused by the expectant mother looking at an eclipsed sun or moon their explanation being that the sun or moon is annoyed at being eclipsed, and eats part of the foetus in revenge. InMalaysiapregnant women supposedly lived in fear of a lunar eclipse which brings unnamed terrors in its wake, and inThailandwomen believed that if they saw an eclipse the child might be born with a squint or to have a misshapen mouth resembling the eclipsed sun or moon.

PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD CONTROL THEIR EMOTIONS, REMAINING CALM AND GENTLE AT ALL TIMES

This superstition may actually be medically beneficial as research supports the idea that a mothers emotions can affect the babys environment, and that in particular stress and trauma increase the mothers heart rate as well as affecting blood flow to the placenta and hormone production, all of which can negatively affect foetal functioning.

An expectantBalinesewoman should behave with a pure heart at all times, a pregnantGuatemalanis required to avoid all strong negative emotions such as anger, fright or sadness and to maintain an emotional equilibrium to avoid a miscarriage, aBengwoman (West Africa) is told that her actions during pregnancy will affect her babys character so that if she is good her baby will be good, but if she steals something, then her baby will be become a thief. InEgyptthis ideal is advantageous to women as the general belief is that the mothers emotional state affects the babys comfort in her womb, and that if she is unhappy she may suffer a miscarriage and so husbands are expected to treat their wives especially well during pregnancy. InThailandit is believed that every sound, sight, touch, taste, smell, thought and action experienced by the mother will have some reaction on the child so she takes every opportunity to associate herself with objects and people which have a positive effect on the child and with words and actions which imply success giving birth.

PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD NOT LOOK AT UGLY OR DEFORMED PEOPLE OR ANIMALSAND THEY SHOULD AVOID ILLNESS OR DEATH, INSTEAD THEY SHOULD SURROUND THEMSELVES BY BEAUTY AND LIFE

Akanexpectant mothers from Ghana must avoid looking at blood, monkeys, other ugly animals and even ugly carvings, and along withJamaicanandBengmothers must avoid seeing a human or animal corpse, and manyNorth American Indianmothers were meant to avoid seeing any ugly or dead animals.ANigerianmother is encouraged to avoid places where people fight and quarrel so that her baby is peace-loving, and no ugly or wicked person should walk behind a pregnant women. A pregnantSaami(Lapland) woman is not meant to see anything ugly or be startled, and no one is supposed to even talk about deformed children, childbirth or reindeer calving in her presence.http://pregnancyandchildbirtharoundtheworld.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/20-pregnancy-superstitions.html

Philippine Beliefs on Pregnancy

Ron SiojoFOLLOWThe Philippines is a country of many superstitions and beliefs. These was handed down from ancient forefathers and still practice as of today. These notions are part of the Philippine culture, for one derives their beliefs from the influence of what their traditions, customs and culture have prescribed to explicate certain phenomena or just simply to put a scare to people. Some of these superstitions are practiced mainly because Filipinos believe there is nothing to lose if they abide with these beliefs.PHILIPPINE BELIEFS ON PREGNANCYPhilippine beliefs and superstitions throughout the various regions and countryside in the country have acquired in numbers. And even at urban abodes, where advance lifestyles and inhibited technology still talks about these customs. These beliefs have been handed down from ancestors aiming to prevent danger from happening or to make a person abstain from doing something in particular. These notions are part of the Philippine culture, for one derives their beliefs from the influence of what their traditions, customs and culture have prescribed to explicate certain phenomena or just simply to put a scare to people. Some of these superstitions are practiced mainly because Filipinos believe there is nothing to lose if they abide with these beliefs.I was inspired to write about superstitions and beliefs about pregnancy after reading the article Food Cravings and other Strange Changes in Pregnancy (and Why?), written by Bethany Marsh. The article was well-composed and detailed the condition of a woman as being pregnant. The cravings, weight gain, getting sick, the psychological burden and of course the hormones were all explained very well.The following are some of the different Philippine beliefs on pregnancy.It is a common saying here in the Philippines, that when a woman is pregnant her one foot is confine to a hospital while the other foot is bound six-feet below the ground. This is an emphasis to the dangers of giving birth where the life of the mother and the baby is at stake.At the first symptom of pregnancy, morning sickness is upfront, and the cravings start. This sound strange but this is very true here. Have you ever seen an infant who profusely salivate? It is believed that when an expectant mother asks for a certain food but was denied; her child will salivate abundantly and will be prone to vomiting.The most common food cravings here are green mangoes or raw mangoes, the sour the better withbagoong- a paste made from fish or small shrimps that are salted and fermented for several weeks. See picture below.

Green Mangoes andbagoongImage Source:http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6770581121_5d3582d90b.jpgNaglilihi,a Filipino word which describes the symptoms of early pregnancy, strange or too much liking or hate on food cravings or even a person, animals or even places. If a pregnant woman craves to eat too muchbalut- afertilizedduckembryothat's boiled alive and eaten in the shell her child will becomes hairy."Balut"Image Source:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/BALUT.jpg/200px-BALUT.jpgIf a kid sees another hairy kid, he may say that,Pinaglihi ka sa balutmeaning your mother atebalutwhen she was pregnant. There are instances that when one kid have a face that resembles like a monkey, all his/her playmates will tease him, Pinaglihi ka sa unggoy meaning her mother had a great liking on monkeys when she was pregnant or a kid with a wide spread legs like a frog, the same will be claim.This is the reason why pregnant mothers are not allowed to go near to people, animals or things with unpleasant look cause it is believe that the baby will inherits its figure.A pregnant mother must finish all the food on her plate so that when she delivers all will come out.Old folks submerged a comb in coconut milk to make the mothers breast abundant with milk.Partaking food with an expectant mother will result to sleepiness, drowsy or even sick.Visitors are not allowed to stand-by or sit at threshold of the house by a pregnant woman will result to difficult delivery or long labor. Same as the windows and doors must be kept wide open for an easy delivery of the infant.Pregnant mother are not allowed to cry for they will suffer hard delivery and the infant will turn to a crybaby.An expectant mother is forbidden to eat shellfish which are slippery and the baby might be expelling out of the womb.Pregnant woman are not allowed to view an eclipse, so that when the baby is born, it will not have the habit of winking the eyes incessantly.The Philippine contains innumerable superstitions and beliefs on different factors such as health, on death, wedding, body marks and pregnancy. These are just a few.Thanks Bethany Marsh.https://philippines-events-culture.knoji.com/philippine-beliefs-on-pregnancy/

Traditional culture in the Philippines puts a very high value on the family -- and motherhood in particular. The birth of a baby is not just a private affair for one couple or family; it is a culturally significant event to be celebrated by the whole community. In the Philippines, pregnancy, birth and the time period after is surrounded by a wide variety of beliefs, traditional practices and rituals that involve both mother and infant.Birthing Beliefs in the Philippinesby Amy Wilde, Demand MediaPregnancyAccording to Filipino beliefs, how a pregnant woman acts, the things that happen to her and even what she thinks can all have a major impact on her growing baby. Pregnant Filipino women have a long list of recommendations, warnings and taboos that restrict their behavior until they give birth. For example, a pregnant woman's food cravings must be fulfilled promptly or she may suffer a miscarriage. A pregnant women should not wear anything around her neck or the baby may get strangled by his umbilical cord. A pregnant woman should also avoid looking at anything ugly, scary or blemished, because that could cause the baby to be born disfigured.BirthThere are many Filipino cultural beliefs that apply to the birth of the baby as well. Guests at the birth standing too near the door could create complications in labor. A laboring women should place squash leaves on her abdomen and hold onto hard objects to lessen labor pains. Coconut water can also lessen labor pain. The mother should avoid touching others while in labor or her pain may be transferred to them. It is common for many people to attend the birth, particularly female family members.http://classroom.synonym.com/birthing-beliefs-philippines-9141.html

WAKWAK AND PREGNANCYFilipinos are a funny lot (dont get me wrong, I am one).The Philippines, accordingly, is the only nation in the Southeast Asian region (I guess in the whole of Asia) whose citizens are predominantly Catholic. Yet, even with this fact, many Filipinos especially the older people never forget their pagan roots and are thus extremely superstitious people.If you are pregnant and live with your mom, expect a whole bunch of warnings for almost everything that you do. This happens more often if you live with your grandmother or your aunts. Or sometimes when you have a slightly lesser educated neighborhood friend who happens to be of same age with you but just had a baby three years ahead of you. Or if you have nosey neighbors. Or if you live in the province (but even so if you are a confessed city girl).

Aside from the superstitions, there are also those causes that I believe had no connection to their said effect.Among the things my mom warned me about:1)Do not sit with your hips (or your legs) too wide apart.It will apparently make your babys head big. Sheesh. Those things were exactly whatLamaze(introduced by the mother, by the way, but unfortunately no classes here in Cebu and not many in the entire Philippines) and pregnancy yoga taught. You had to keep exercising the muscles and the cervix area and keep it as wide as possible to help for a fast and easy delivery.2)Put garlic on your windows to ward offwhatever there was to ward off.Filipinos are often big believers of thewakwak,manananggaland other similar supernatural beings. Im not (although I wouldnt want to be given proof that they actually exist, either). But then, who was I to disappoint my mom? Each time I entered the room, it smelled like garlic and I think I reeked of one too if I spent a considerable amount of time inside. *Sigh*. The downside of being a good daughter.3)Drape a black cloth over your tummy at night to keep awaywhatever there was to keep away.Pretty similar with item two but this was told to me by my friend in the neighborhood. Apparently, the wakwaks and other supernatural beings disguised as cats keep at the roof of a pregnant womans room. Never experienced that though. I think these wakwaks and manananggals hate the city lights.4)Bathe in oil (baby oil, I hope) when going to sleep to preventpanuhot (gas and flatulence).I still could not connect the cause and effect here. All the scientific and medical literature Ive read tell me that certain foods cause gas. Swallowing air (so sleeping in front of the electric fan may not be such a good idea) and not burping them out would eventually lead to gas buildup though but the oil to prevent/treat it? Im not so sure. Does the oil give off a protective shield against air? Hmm but my partner uses the oil to massage my back (extremely painful as your belly grows) and my legs (to make sure blood circulation is perfect and prevent edema) though.5)Do not allow a visitor stay by the door of your house when you are pregnant.Because apparently it will make labor and delivery very difficult for you. Haha. Enough said. That was funny enough. I. Cant. Even.6)Do not let your child sit on your shoulder while his/her teeth are still growing.This is not, of course, applicable to a pregnant woman but to one who has already given birth. Apparently, the babys teeth will grow crooked or something. Im not sure about the effects and I dont really care because obviously, the cause and effect do not meet at any point, no matter where I start the line.Hmmm I could no longer remember otherunsolicitedadvice that had been given to me. All througout my pregnancy, I have usually made my decisions based on scientific literature. Anything science says is not good but said to be quite okay based on gut and experience is still not good for me. Even now as I try to raise my infant daughter.PS. I was planning to share the link of this post on Facebook and Id thought about how my mother might react if she reads this. Well, shes pretty much aware that I dont believe in superstitions so I guess its just fine. And, if you believe in these things then by all means, continue doing so. Yes, nothing will be taken away from you if you do.PPS. There was also this issue on getting the belly massaged during pregnancy because it was apparently a norm in our country. Thank goodness I didnt have go through it mostly because I was scared something might happen to the baby. I read about it and the literature said that babies will tend to position themselves correctly as full term approaches. There will still be cases whereoptimal fetal positioning (OFP)will be needed (or CS) such as if the baby is in a) breech or b) transverse positions. Baby was in (c) position, thank goodness.