Thai Superstitions - Pregnancy, Birth and the Early Years

[David48]

Thanks for the well wishers ... warmly appreciated.

MissFarmGirl and I are partners.

Announcement and a few photos are here ... sometimes-events-can-overtake-you-twins

Long road ahead for both of us ... neither of us have been parents before ... but that will be a thread for another day.

Now, I just want to understand the fun and craziness of having kids here.

[flyingdoc]

I have sympathy for Puyai and certainly antibiotics should not be given for common colds! Try Beta Glucan as an Immune Enhancer, and not be susceptible to colds in the first place! No adverse side -effects for children or adults, cheap and effective !

[bifftastic]

^^ biff, I appreciate the support, but lets leave all that for the General Forum ... we are in Families and Children Forum here.

The only reason for the last couple of negative posts (and maybe a few more to follow) was because this Topic was in the ThaiVisa email alert, so many eyes, who normally wouldn't be drawn here dropped by for a chat and a comment.

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Good point. I shouldn't have risen to that comment.

[David48]

^^ biff, I appreciate the support, but lets leave all that for the General Forum ... we are in Families and Children Forum here.

The only reason for the last couple of negative posts (and maybe a few more to follow) was because this Topic was in the ThaiVisa email alert, so many eyes, who normally wouldn't be drawn here dropped by for a chat and a comment.

.

Good point. I shouldn't have risen to that comment.

Mate ... it's all dust in the wind now.

Your post is one of the best here.

[khunPer]

Thanks David for a good question and tread, and congratulations with MissFarmGirl and the coming twins. And thank to the contributors for good and interesting posts.

Unfortunately I did not experience much superstition when my daughter was born up at an Isaan village, so not much to ad. I think my farmer GF is not that superstitious?

However, she needed the steam-thing, but gave up after a short while because of the irritating smoke from charcoal underneath the bench. Her dad has been burning and preparing charcoal for this for a month or so.

I cannot recall if our baby daughter was called ugly or so, but she got cotton treads around the wrists. More important, her Grandma insisted on buying gold for “good luck” and put it around wrists and ankles – I thought it was silly but accepted, however it only lasted till one of the gold-things were lost.

The hair ceremony and blessings were performed – Grandma may have done more without my or our (GF & me) knowledge.

My GF told me, that a Thai saying is: If a baby boy is born, it is like a blessing sent from Heaven by Buddha; if a baby girl is born, it is like someone put the loo in front of the home.
(– I believe some Isaan-families may value different, when their daughter(s) get “rich” farang BF/husband(s) )

My GF wished to give birth “at home” so it became at a local village hospital, planned cesarean. I come from a country where we historically are supposed to have a first class health system (not so sure anymore), but I must admit, that I had a very positive experience at the local hospital, especially the human care – however I cannot compare, as my Thai daughter is my first heir. For the small extra amount (at least for us farangs) a so-called VIP-room costs (in my case 150 baht/day), it is a good investment for mum, baby (babies) and relatives.

I wish you good luck

[nikster]

Nothing to add, except that the heat thing most definitely works. Two months after giving birth Thai women are as slim as before - unthinkable in the west. I am thinking it's not just for appearance it's also to purge all that extra stuff coming into the body during pregnancy - the remains of the life support system for the baby if you will.

My wife is from BKK and she did not do that, took her a year to get back to normal (which is normal in the west BTW)

Edited October 25, 2013 by nikster