FILIPINO CULTURES RELATING TO CHILDBEARING

The Philippines' traditional culture places a strong emphasis on family, particularly mothers. A baby's
birth is a culturally significant event that should be celebrated by the entire community, not just by one couple
or family. Pregnancy, delivery, and the time after are surrounded in the Philippines by a broad range of beliefs,
traditional customs, and rituals involving both the mother and the newborn.

During pregnancy, how a pregnant woman does, what happens to her, and even what she thinks,
according to Filipino beliefs, can all have a significant influence on her growing kid. Pregnant Filipino women
are subjected to a slew of advice, cautions, and taboos that limit their choices until they give birth. A pregnant
woman's dietary desires, for example, must be met as soon as possible or she risks losing her baby. If a pregnant
woman wears anything around her neck, her baby's umbilical cord might choke him. A pregnant lady should
also avoid gazing at anything that is ugly, threatening, or blemished, since this might result in a deformed kid.
And yes, these practices and beliefs in pregnancy is still evident and rampant in the Philippines.

On the other hand, at birth, there are various cultural beliefs in the Philippines that pertain to the birth of
a child as well. Guests standing too close to the door during the delivery might cause issues in labor. To relieve
childbirth pains, a laboring woman should apply squash leaves on her abdomen and grip onto hard things.
Coconut water can also help to alleviate labor pains. While in labor, the mother should avoid touching others
since her agony may be passed on to them. Many individuals, especially female family members, are expected
to attend the birth. I’ve seen a lot of acquaintances who say such things like these when some woman is
pregnant so it is still followed by some.

Afterwards, to stop labor pains and bleeding, experts recommend burying the placenta, or afterbirth, as
soon as possible after delivery. This is usually the responsibility of the baby's father. For 30 to 40 days
following the delivery, mothers must be kept warm, relax entirely, and remain inside. According to Filipino
beliefs, this aids in the mother's healing, the drying up of her womb, and the prevention of "cold" or "wind"
entering her body. She is also fed particular meals in order to produce the healthiest milk possible. While the
mother heals, relatives take up her employment and look after her.

Lastly, newborn infants are also kept warm and safe from anything that may surprise or frighten them.
In Filipino tradition, the mother's initial milk, colostrum, is considered filthy, so relatives give the infant sugar
water or formula for a few days until the mother's normal milk arrives. Some mothers also think that their
emotions may be communicated through breast milk, therefore they may refuse to nurse their kids if they are
unhappy or furious. These attitudes, when paired with communal baby-care methods and formula marketing in
the Philippines, might contribute to breastfeeding difficulties. Overall, though, the extended family is very
concerned about meeting all of the requirements of new moms and their newborns.
 In conclusion, whether we admit it or not, even though our way of life is becoming modern, we still
notice and see it in the lives of Filipinos, especially women. I know many of these cults think and hold about
childbearing. I understand this because they only think about the welfare of the child they are carrying in their
womb and they ensure the best for the child.

Despite all these, on my own perspective, I look at it as a patriotic view because we are used to it.
Nothing will be lost if you follow it, so you might as well just do it. But there is a big but. We must also be open
to modern thinking and scientific studies on such matters particularly childbearing. We should ask those who
know whether these traditions are true or not, so that we know them and we are knowledgeable. We can follow
tradition and culture but that does not mean that we will forget the reality and true basis of them. Be humane,
while being educated. There is nothing wrong with thinking like this, in fact, it will be even better because we
will have a broader mindset that we can apply to other things not only in the matter of childbearing.

Reference Used:

 Ketchum, D. (2020, June 5). Inuit Pregnancy & Conception Beliefs. Classroom. Synonym. Retrieved

March 11, 2022, from https://classroom.synonym.com/inuit-pregnancy-conception-beliefs-11481.html