Superstitions and Old Wives' Tails

[twinmamma2b]

OWT have always made me chuckle, but being pregnant and in a mixed-race relationship has introduced me to a whole world of new ones.

My MIL and SIL have told me that once the baby arrives I "won't be allowed to" wash my hair and we "won't be allowed to" leave the house under any circumstances. Both of these embargoes last a full month!

I'm currently wearing a whole range of lucky jewellery and have the most random bunch of lucky objects by my bed.

Any other amusing ones you've heard of or been subjected to?

I had terrible heartburn and everyone said That means the baby will have hair. Nope, she was bald until she was 1!

That you shouldn't go into a graveyard when you're pregnant.

Sorry OP but it's tales 😂

OMG I am so ashamed, Cath! I think that's my first encounter with the dreaded baby brain!

You can't have a hot bath :- I needed a hot bath to help my SPD so had them at least 4 times a day

You must eat what you crave or your baby will be born with a birthmark in the shape of the food you craved:- well I used that as an excuse to eat McDonald's several times a week

The heartburn thing worked with me. Both of mine were born with a head of hair but I know it was just coincidence

I have had two with full heads of hair, no heartburn in either pregnancy!

I'm 10 months on and still suffer from it!

I'm intrigued about the lucky objects

I never knew my Dad was superstitious until it was time to shop for a pram and he nearly had kittens when I said I'd keep it in the back bedroom boxed up. Absolutely not! He's paid for storage so it doesn't cross the threshold until baby is born and then he will go and collect it.

That the difference is weight gain and bump shape means I'm having a girl this time, 3 scans have shown hes a boy obviously I can't say 100% until he comes but my 9 year old niece could point his willy out on the scan do pretty damn sure.

The objects are mostly charms. There's also a few pieces of jade and an ornamental pineapple.

At least an ornamental pineapple will be useful

I find that fascinating, op. Is it cultural? Do you mind me asking which culture? I have a friend who has to use certain letters in the names of her dc according to traditional. My mil told me if I had a shock whilst pregnant I must not touch my face or the baby would have a birthmark on its face! That isn't cultural though, my mil is just bat shit!

My mil tells me to stay away from anyone wearing black whilst I'm pregnant as it means they wish you harm. i can't help but laugh!

Oh and to avoid owls as they're bad luck for the baby 😂

Having known several women from Somalia/Somaliland they told me it was common to be in bed for (I think) 40 days after having a baby so they could recover and they did nothing except have a female relative pick up the baby from the nearby cot and bring them to the Mother for breastfeeding. Female relatives brought them meals and drinks but they obviously got up to go to the toilet/wash.

I don't know how widespread that is in those communities but I heard it several times. Depending on the woman, I think that could be their idea of heaven or hell!.

My mil told me if I had a shock whilst pregnant I must not touch my face or the baby would have a birthmark on its face! That isn't cultural though, my mil is just bat shit!

That's an old English/ British superstition (so yes, it's cultural! 'Cultural' doesn't mean 'foreign' ). You've got to love the batshittery

I never knew it was a real thing! My mil serves mushy peas with Sunday dinner and tells me it is tradition - it's hard to tell her batshittery from reality!

Oh one of those MILs. With you

My mother told my sister in law not to rub her belly as she would make the baby inside her dizzy. My mother was a maternity nurse.

AudreyBradshaw my mum bought my pram for me. DP thought it hilarious that the pram couldn't come to ours till after the baby was here. Most people I know have this superstition

My magpie superstition got worse since having DD but I think I'm just weird

peppa mine too! Apparently that's traditional in our family too! Then my dm went completely bonkers and bought a second pram to live at their house

This fascinates me - am also in mixed-race relationship, so am also hearing some new ones. However, I think what's interesting is when they contain as-yet-scientifically-undiscovered truths. An older woman in my DH's family told me that their culture has alwaysalways always banned pregnant woman from wine, coffee and raw meats - it's only in recent years that women in Britain have been told to avoid them.

It seems as though the stay-in-bed-for-first-months rule is common throughout the Global South. Maybe it's a nice way to protect women who would otherwise be catapulted back into caring for large families or back to heavy manual jobs?

There's so really interesting ones, isn't there! I think I have heard the pram one before also.

Ereni - my DP is SE Asian and he has said that he thinks the 'sitting month' tradition is as you said. He comes from a farming background where the women took the month away from the fields and then returned with the baby strapped to their backs.