There’s no correct way to give birth or raise a child and many people have their own preferences for how they would prefer to do things. That being said, many people around the world are influenced by traditions in their countries/culture. The way childbirth is observed around the world differs greatly, so we’ve put together this list of birth traditions spanning all different corners of the globe to give you an interesting insight.
Birth Traditions From Around the World
Painkiller Free Birth
If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that childbirth is potentially the most painful experience known to humans. Modern medicine has made it so that mothers need not feel any pain through the use of epidurals, but for women in Japan, this isn’t an option. Japanese women traditionally take approach of abstaining from pain killers during labor as it is believed that a woman must endure the pain of childbirth if she is to withstand the struggles of motherhood.
Aqeeqah
Aqeeqah is a custom that is upheld by Muslims around the world. Charity is a big part of Islam and Muslims are constantly reminded to think of the needy and less fortunate – even at the most joyous of times such as the birth of a child. Aqeeqah is the act of sacrificing an animal (or commonly making a monetary charity donation that is enough to purchase an animal for sacrifice) following the birth of a child. The sacrificed animal is then used to feed the needy and the hungry. This is a nice sentiment when you consider the joy that a family has knowing they’ve not only brought a new life into the world, but that they’ve helped to feed someone in need elsewhere, too.
Home Birth
For women around the world – at least in developed countries – a hospital birth is often seen as the safest option, with the trend of home births only recently slowly starting to increase in popularity. This, however, is not the case in the Netherlands where all pregnant women are given a medical pack that contains all of the equipment they will need to have a home birth. Pregnant women rarely see a midwife or an obstetrician gynaecologist if their pregnancies are considered high risk. It seems the Dutch like to do things the way mother nature intended!
Baby Box
Having a baby is expensive and not everyone has the means to support a baby off the bat, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be good parents. To help ease the burden on new parents and ensure every child – no matter their creed or background – has an equal start in life, the Finnish government issue every mother with a baby box. It’s a complete starter kit that comprises of everything a new born baby needs, including clothes, winter clothes, toiletries and toys. The cardboard box the supplies come in doubles up as a crib, and as such, a mattress and bedding is supplied, too. As a result, the infant mortality rate in Finland is extremely low, and many speculate it has something to do with the comprehensive starter boxes each baby gets.
Burying the Placenta
Bali is a predominantly Hindu country, and in Hinduism they consider the placenta to be as alive as the baby itself. It is often likened to a twin or a sibling of the baby, and so it is treated with the utmost respect following the birth. It is customary for the placenta to be cleaned and carefully placed in a container. It then buried outside of the home of the new parents in a special ceremony. And to think in some parts of the world, women eat their placentas for nutrients!
Omugwo
The final birth tradition on this list comes in the form of Omugwo. When a new child is born, the parents need all the help they can get, but in some cultures around the world, rather than ask for help, help is presented. This is the case in Nigeria where the tradition of Omugwo is observed. This entails the grandmother giving the baby its first bath. In cases where the grandmother is not around, an aunt or friend may take her place. The aim of this seemingly small and insignificant gesture is to indicate to the parents that they are not alone and that should they need it, help is always readily available.
