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ARCHIVED ISSUE
March Issue 3
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| INFORMATION
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Childbirth International provides training programs for doulas & antenatal teachers. The leading provider of home
based learning across the world, Childbirth International provides you with this free newsletter to keep you up to date and help you develop your
skills and knowledge.
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BELLY UP - Culture Vulture
The placenta is crucial to the baby during pregnancy.
Many cultures treat the placenta with great reverence
after the birth. In this issue we look at some of the
traditional practices that involve placentas. |
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Placenta - throw it away or honor it?
Western
culture tends to view the placenta as a waste product to be disposed of after
the birth. In many cultures though important ceremonies takes place involving
the placenta.
It is common to find the placenta being buried in or near the child's home,
believing that the placenta binds a child to his or her ancestral beginnings. As
we discovered in our last newsletter, the Hmong communities in Asia call the
placenta the "black jacket" - a child's finest clothing that will be carried
with them after death. Balinese fathers are responsible for washing and
preparing the placenta, and subsequently burying it by the front door of the
family home. Maori's of New Zealand also bury the placenta - the same word is
used in the Maori language for placenta and land, "whenua". The Sundanese bury
the placenta under a window at the back of the family home.
Navajo parents bury the placenta and the umbilical cord in a place that
represents their dreams for their child. Thai parents also bury the placenta. It
is first salted to preserve it, then it is placed in an earthenware pot, before
being buried on an auspicious day. The location is chosen depending on when the
child is born, with a site chosen where a plant that represents the child's year
of birth is grown. For example, the coconut tree watches over the placentas of
babies born in the year of the rat, the dragon or the rabbit, while the lotus
protects babies born in the year of the tiger and dog.
Many cultures believe the placenta has its own spirit. Aymara and Quecha fathers
from Bolivia wash and bury the placenta in a secret shady place to protect the
mother and baby. The Ibo people of Ghana and Nigeria give the placenta a
traditional burial as the twin of the child.
Traditional Turkish families believe that the way the placenta and umbilical
cord are treated can influence the child's future. The umbilical cord will be
buried in a place that then determines the child's characteristics as an adult.
Burying the cord in the courtyard of a mosque ensures they will become devout,
while throwing it into the water means the child will seek their destiny away
from the family home. The placenta is believed to be a part of the child and,
like the Ibo, it is wrapped and buried.
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Childbirth International and cultural
diversity
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Childbirth
International is a truly diverse international
training organisation. With students in
53 countries, from every corner of the globe, we
celebrate the differences, similarities and
uniqueness of each culture, religion and race.
We believe that with knowledge of different
cultural groups, particularly in the field of
pregnancy, childbirth and parenting, we can all
learn from each other and eliminate intolerance
and prejudice.
In Culture Vulture
we seek to explore different birthing practices
and beliefs from around the world, opening up
our understanding and bringing the rest of the
world a little closer.
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Childbirth
International courses explore cultural
differences and different value systems,
enabling students to become more aware of the
rich variety of women and families that they
will be working with. For more information on
training with Childbirth International, take a
look at our
website,
or
contact us.
Childbirth International
offers training programs for Birth Doulas,
Postnatal Doulas and
Antenatal Teachers. From September 2008 we will
also be launching a Breastfeeding Counselling
course.
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Information
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