People are superstitious because that is just how we are… even those of us who say that we are not superstitious still find ourselves throwing salt over our left shoulder or cursing the bad luck that is sure to follow breaking a mirror.
Birth is no different. People all over the world have #superstitions surrounding #pregnancy and #birth. I have collected some of them here in three lists: good luck, bad luck, and other superstitions.
Good Luck
a #baby that is born in the #caul (they are said to have a sixth sense)
rubbing money on a baby’s head (or hiding money under their bedding)
making a baby sneeze
kissing a baby (though, I believe that this one is suppose to bring good luck to the kisser, not the baby)
giving a new baby the gift of bread and salt
spitting on a newborn (yep, that’s right!)
hanging a baby through a window or carrying it UP (NEVER DOWN) stairs the first time it leaves its home
being born one hour before sunrise on a Thursday (apparently, this is the only time to be born on a Thursday — sorry, Elijah, I didn’t know!)
Bad Luck
weighing a newborn (which is why some folks prefer to weigh them the day after birth)
carry a baby or child on ones left side
letting a cat in the same room with a baby (you know, because they will steal the baby’s soul & breath!)
wash a baby’s hands or cut their nails before they are one year old
weaning a baby in the Spring
to follow behind a hearse when pregnant
wear a necklace when pregnant (you will cause the baby to strangle on its cord)
changing a baby’s official name (nicknames are okay)
wearing red or pink to a birth will cause postpartum hemorrhage
Other
your firstborn is safe from #witchcraft & babies born on Saturday are safe from evil spirits
#breech babies will grow up to be healers
if a baby is born with teeth it might be a vampire
labour will be faster & birth easier if all the locks in the house are open and a axe or hatchet is under the bed
no one should sit on stairs or block doorways during labour or it will be prolonged (you are psychically blocking the birth canal)
rubbing a pregnant belly too much will spoil a child
buying baby clothes (and other baby things) before the birth is tempting the fate of miscarriage
a baby’s skin tone can be effected by the light/dark colour of foods/beverages eaten while pregnant
dressing a newborn in a red outfit will keep bad spirits and the “evil eye” away
a baby who is born bald has no past life negativity (shaving a baby with hair will rid any negativity from a past life)
#hazel twigs formed into a cross and put under the bed or on top of an open bible will ensure a safe delivery
all knots in a house where labour is occurring should be untied, else the baby’s cord will have knots
These are just a smattering of the many superstitions that I have come across over the years. If you know of any more, please leave them in the comments.
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