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A Man’s Role

If a woman struggled during labour she was dressed in her husband’s shirt or shoes or sat down on his lap.
To protect a woman against bad afterpains, some would hang up the husband’s trousers at the bed.

Popular Belief Said …

… Sunday’s child is happy and gay,
… Monday’s child is wise,
… Tuesday’s child is rich,
… Wednesday’s child chatters away,
… Thursday’s child is full of anger,
… Friday’s child is full of woe,
… And fey is the child that is born on Saturday.

What Popular Medicine Has to Offer to Make Birth Easier

Camomile tea, ergot kernel, almonds, raisins, caraway seed, spirit of Melissa, creeping thyme, onions, or brandy and coffee. Another woman’s breast milk is also attributed an effect facilitating birth.

Popular Belief Claimed …

… A child will be born blind, if the delivering woman closes her eyes during labour.
… Birth will be eased if all apron strings, garters and shoe laces are undone and all locks in the house opened.
… Coming across an expecting woman on the first morning of the New Year brings good luck.

A custom

The custom to have the mother lying down on the ground or on a floor strewn with earth, was motivated by the belief the earth as mother to us all and the goddess of childbirth would give the mother-to-be strength.

A Man’s Role

If a woman struggled during labour she was dressed in her husband’s shirt or
shoes or sat down on his lap.
To protect a woman against bad afterpains, some would hang up the husband’s trousers at the bed.

Customs Around Birth

A knife was put into the door, childbed or the cradle, or scissors put on the bed, to ward off evil spirits.
The “blessed event” was welcomed by loud gun salutes, said to scare off demons.
Though, if the event should be “less bessed or joyful”, for instance if a baby girl had arrived, there were fewer salutes or flower bouquets.

Popular Terms for Pregnancy

A woman is with child, expectant, caught, troubled, she is in the family way, carrying, or has a bun in the oven, a bacon in the drawer or a bat in the cave, is gravid, was stung by a serpent or knocked up.
She is in a delicate situation, in an interesting condition in the pudding club or enceinte, up the duff or up the pole, wears the bustle wrong, or called mambäres/mobäres (Jiddish).

Pregnancy, a dangerous state

Throughout the world people were convinced that pregnancy was a dangerous and abnormal state. Pregnancy was associated with impurity, danger or ominous and magical powers.
Catholicism regards women as impure due to the sin committed in conception on the one hand, while on the other holding the belief that the expecting woman, as the symbol of fecundity, had particular curative or beneficent power. Her blessing was said to bring fertility for newlyweds.

Unsatisfied cravings and prohibited food

Children’s birthmarks were interpreted as unsatisfied cravings the mother had had during pregnancy. So, these needs should be pleased absolutely, eating green fruit for instance, cherries or berries.
However, certain food is taboo and certain prohibitions existed: do no wrong (or your child will, too), do not swear or steel nor peep through keyholes (or your child will be nosey or have a squint).
What Popular Belief Recommends a Pregnant Woman Should Do: Give the parlour a sweep three times a day or throw the broomstick up the stairs twenty times a day.

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