Our parents and grandmothers are known to adhere to the customs of the beautiful time on which they were brought up, and it is one of their convictions. In the state of Saudi Arabia, certain customs and traditions are known, and among their customs in caring for women during pregnancy and after her birth is an advantage that combines experience with traditions.
As soon as the daughter-in-law is known to be pregnant, advice from the grandmother, the mother, and the husband’s mother begins to pay attention to her movement, her food, and other things until she gives birth. This generation considered these beliefs as superstitions, and with the passage of time, scientific studies have proven the validity of some of these habits.
To find out the customs of the people of Saudi Arabia in the past in dealing with pregnant women and the postpartum period, “My Lady” met with Mrs. Malak Hassan Murad, one of the experts of the people of Madinah, with these customs:
To know the gender of the fetus:
In the past, they knew its kind by several signs, including:
- If the pregnant woman feels the movement of the fetus early in the pregnancy, then this is a male, and if it is the other way around, then it is a female.
- There was an old saying that was repeated a lot by our grandmothers, which is “a boy’s burden is light and a girl’s burden is heavy.”
- If the belly of the pregnant woman is large and longitudinal, then the baby is male, and if it is less in height and in width, then it is female.
How to take care of a pregnant woman until birth:
Al-Bakriya (pregnant for the first time) was surrounded by a lot of care and pampering from her family and the husband’s family regarding her food and drink. She used to eat fresh vegetables and fruits and drink fresh milk. - Among the herbs that are recommended to be used when labor pains come (mahlab, nutmeg, olive oil, ginger, vicks) should be mixed and applied in the lower abdomen and back to help speed up labor.
- At birth, the midwife attends the house with the presence of the parents, and as soon as the baby’s voice is heard, the takbeer and tahleel begin.
Postpartum rituals:
The mother must be in a warm room and stay away from air conditioning and cold areas to prevent air from entering the uterus and body.
Wear loose clothes.
Among the foods recommended after childbirth:
Paying attention to the quality of food, as it must be fresh, such as meat broth, municipal chicken, and eggs in balls, to help in the production of breast milk. - Drinking hot drinks such as milk, anise, myrrh, and warm orange juice.
- A cup of milk mixed with egg yolk early in the morning, because it has benefits for relieving back pain.
- “Areka” is a type of food made from grain flour, municipal ghee, sugar or honey.
20’s shelves:
Sufouf is called Sufuf Al-Twenty. It is taken twenty days after giving birth. Its components (glue, cress, red seed, bagel almonds, plant sugar) help in stretching and strengthening the back after the fatigue of childbirth.
bathtub:
It is a mixture of herbs to sit in water after childbirth (such as tannery, coarse salt, pomegranate peel) to purify and help heal the wound and the uterus.
dating:
It is a type of massage that the midwife specializes in, preferably three days after giving birth, after which the abdomen is tied to the man’s aunt due to its rigidity to tighten the abdomen and uterus.
Among the caveats: - It is forbidden to drink cold water, it must be boiled, mastic is added to it, and then you drink it warm, because cold water harms the woman’s womb.
- It is not desirable for her to breastfeed her child in front of anyone. She must go to a room alone for fear of the evil eye.
- Refrain from eating some foods such as okra, molokhia, rice and watermelon because they help increase vaginal secretions.
