pregnancy in other cultures

8/13/2019 Pregnancy in Other Cultures

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Pregnancy in other cultures


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Pregnancy is celebrated in many parts of theworld. In African cultures, because of many

superstitious beliefs, many families will performdifferent rituals to safeguard the pregnancyPregnancy is acknowledged but not celebrated.It is believed that witches and evil spirits are

capable of stealing the pregnancy or interferingwith it. So the pregnant woman is not allowed tomix with the known witches in the neighborhoodor allow strangers to rub her stomach.

Furthermore, the woman is not allowed toattend some social functions, or perform somesocial tasks. For instance the woman may not beallowed to go to some funerals or involve withany morbid social issues.


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Unlike the western countries, there are nobaby showers. The pregnant woman willnot accept any gifts, or celebrate the

infant until the birth of the infant. It isbelieved that to accept gifts and tocelebrate the infant before the birth will

incur the angers of the gods and theancestors. As a result, the child will eitherbe born dead or deformed.


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In African countries, pregnancy can be awonderful experience depending on the statusof the mother-to-be. The whole family isincluded in the pregnancy period. The bestoutcome of the pregnancy is the goal of everyfamily member. Pregnancy is a time of joy andpampering for the married women. It is a timeof rest for the mother-to-be, and anticipation

and preparation for the new addition to thefamily. As for the unmarried woman, it could benightmare.


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In African culture, pregnancy is not only seen asprocreation of future generations, but also asign of reincarnation of ancestors. Africans

believe that ancestors return to their loved onesthrough the birth of new infants. It is also seenas a way that men and women prove theirmasculinity and femininity. Childless couples are

seen as selfish. In some cases, they are ridiculedand insulted by their peers and families.


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During the pregnancy, the best foods are reserved forthe woman. She is encouraged to rest as often aspossible. It is believed that the woman needs to eat fortwo. The woman is usually assisted with housework andday to day activities by her mother, mother in law or

family members. The pregnant woman will receivespecial attention from the husband especially if it is apolygamous marriage. The husband will ensure that allher wants and needs are met first before the otherwives. Additionally, strangers tend to do favors for the

pregnant woman. It is believed that the womansstrength is like an old persons, and that helping thepregnant woman will bring blessingshence theassistance with anything strenuous or otherwise.


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As for the non-married pregnant woman, life canbe unbearable. These pregnancies are notcelebrated. There is a repulsive stigma attached

to unmarried pregnancies. Since, pregnancybefore marriage is considered a taboo; thesewomen are taunted not only by strangers, butby their own families and friends. Sometimes, to

avoid the stigma associated with thesepregnancies, the families may disown thepregnant woman


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The products of these pregnancies are consideredbastards. The unmarried woman is seen as a prostituteand a loose woman. The lucky ones are either forced tomarry the father of the fetus ( if known); get married

into a polygamous marriage; forced to marry very oldmen; or are sent away to distant relatives for theduration of the pregnancy. The babies are either raisedby the grandparents or by other relatives. Most womenwill illegally abort the pregnancy (abortion is illegal in

some African countries). Some of these abortions endwith disastrous effects such as infections and evendeaths.


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With the infiltration and adoption ofwestern cultures, some of these beliefsare no longer widely practiced or hold true

today. Most families will support theirunmarried relatives. Whats more, Africansare now beginning to celebrate their

pregnancies before the birth of theirbabies by having baby showers.


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In our Western, modern culture, childbirth is

often viewed as a highly medical event. Manywomen, be they educated or not, have littleunderstanding of the process of pregnancy anddelivery and tend to regard it in fear. When aWestern woman finds herself expecting, she

often has mixed thoughts of joy concerningchildbirth. In total contrast, the rest of the worldhas a surprisingly different take on childbirth.Even in equally civilized countries such asHolland and Sweden, childbirth is considered a

natural, coming-of-age occurrence and is rarelyinterfered-with medically. Interventions are doneon an emergency basis, and things such aselective cesareans are unheard of.


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Lets take a look at howdifferent cultures

traditionally treat pregnancyand birth, and compare it to

our own understandings.


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The home is the primary place of birth worldwide. Thesecond most common place is the birthing hut, orcenter. 80% of the newborns worldwide are deliveredwith midwives, and 98% of the people alive today wereborn at home!

In Sweden, birth is seen as a womans accomplishment.

Pain medication is available, but not encouraged. Theinstance of epidural is lower in Sweden, most likely dueto the fact that even hospital births are managed byhighly trained midwives, not doctors. Prenatal care isfree and the absence of it is unheard of.

Women in Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula still regularly usemidwives. In fact, they traditionally deliver in thematrimonial hammock, which they receive when theyare married.


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In Holland, pain relief during childbirth is managedentirely through breathing and relaxation techniques.

Medication is strongly discouraged in the hospital, butthe majority of women in Holland still give birth at homewith midwives.

In Mayan communities, those attending a birth will often

talk to a laboring woman to help her relax, and toencourage and reassure her. If she seems to be tiring,attendants cheer her on with a repetitive chant.According to tradition, women sleep with their newbornsin their arms and will not be separated from them after

delivering for a period of twenty days, which is whenthey resume their normal activities.

To the Jarara of South America, childbirth is such anormal event that it traditionally takes place in a locationthat is easily viewed by everyone in the village!


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Many cultures consider fasting during pregnancytradition, including the Pawnee Indians of North

America. Still, many others keep laboring women fed sothat they are strong. Ideally, it should be up to thewoman whether she wants to eat or not.

The women of the traditional Navajo of the AmericanSouthwest, music is played throughout the labor to calm

the mother. In the United States, most women lie with their

shoulders propped up and on their backs during laborand delivery. However, most women in other culturesgive birth in vertical positions such as kneeling,

squatting, sitting, standing or even hanging. Beingupright has the advantage of working with the force ofgravity, thus speeding labor and reducing the pain onthe sacrum.


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An expectant mother in the Ainu tribe of Japan will exercise duringpregnancy, because she knows that her reward will be a shorterlabor.

The Chagga of Tanzania having a saying, which is Pay attention tothe pregnant woman, for there is no one more important than she.

In America, women are usually given about six weeks of rest post-partum. The amount of recuperation time varies considerablyamong different cultures. A well-to-do Gaojiro Indian woman of

Colombia is given a month of bed rest after delivery. But among theYaghan of Tierra del Fuego, a new mother is expected to be backgathering shellfish by the end of the day she gave birth. The Alorwomen of Indonesia traditionally return to the fields after ten days.They leave their babies in the care of relatives and come home tosleep with them, allowing them to suckle all night.

In most cultures, mothers are encouraged to breastfeed their babiesimmediately after birth. America is one of the only countries inwhich it isnt readily encouraged, and often is discouraged by thehanding out of formula samples.


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pregnancy in other cultures

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