Birth Traditions – North America

Societies – be they regional, tribal, or religious – are steeped in cultural traditions or old wives' tales involving anything from how to choose your spouse to how to avoid bad luck. Pregnancy, in particular, has a multitude of traditions surrounding it, which can be extremely diverse or incredibly similar depending on the country or religion.

As healthcare professionals, it is important to understand the impact of these traditions – and their development – when dealing with patients of varied ethnic backgrounds. The following is one of a series of articles that focus on the birth traditions of different regions of the world. In this article, we look at North America.

I had the hiccups the other day and I couldn't for the life of me get rid of them. And, of course – as you can't hold a normal conversation while continuously being interrupted with a "hic!" – I was gradually surrounded by do-gooders shouting suggestions at me. "Put a paper bag over your head." "Drink from the opposite side of the glass." "Stand on your head." "Boo! Did I scare them away?" And, of course, each was adamant that their method was best.

Why am I relating this story in an article about birth traditions? Because my hiccup experience was similar to the experience of pregnant women across North America …. Everyone has methods with which they are able to confidently predict the sex of an unborn baby, and each one is certain that that their prediction will be proven correct.

Signs that indicate a boy:

• Mom was the aggressor when the baby was conceived. (You go girl!)

• She's carrying more in the front.

• She's dreaming of little girls. (So the opposite must be true … eh, Freud?)

• She rests lying on her left side.

• When showing her hands, she shows them palm down.

• When picking up her keys, she grabs them from the round end.

• Preschool-aged boys are completely disinterested in her pregnancy. (Although I find most preschool-aged boys are only interested in eating dirt and tasting pre-chewed gum.)

• And a gold pendant (or mom-to-be's wedding band) dangled over her hand, will swing back and forth.

Signs that indicate a girl:

• Dad was the aggressor when the baby was conceived (surprise, surprise).

• Mom is moody. (But who wouldn't be with a baby jumping on your bladder?)

• Mom has acne. (Probably from all the ice cream.)

• Mom is carrying wide (a nice way for saying fat).

• She's suddenly become all the rage with preschool-aged boys.

• She picks up her keys from the narrow end.

• She rests on her right side.

• When showing her hands, she shows them palm up (as in supplication).

• And a gold pendant (or mom-to-be's wedding band) dangled over her hand, will swing in a circular motion.

I'm not sure why North American's are so preoccupied with predetermining sex. Perhaps it's because, with our advanced medical care, we don't have to worry as much about the complications of pregnancy, so the baby's sex is the only uncertain factor. That is, of course, if the parents have chosen not to know. Or perhaps, it's because, with so many cute baby clothes on the market these days, we just want to start shopping!

Watch for additional articles in our Birth Traditions series, featuring: Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

Birth Traditions – North America

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Lee Ann McGillivray

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