[India]
Cultural practices and preferences - pregnancy, childbirth, andnew-born care

Pregnancy:
Pregnancy is perceived very positively in India. Pregnancy is a period of great caution
as well as a great celebration. Married women are extremely happy to share theirpregnancy news with friends and family but most of the females wait until the end of
the first trimester to announce their pregnancy. The key reason to wait until this time isjust to avoid the risk of miscarriages as most of the pregnancy loss happens within firsttrimester.
‘Godh bharai’ is a traditional Indian baby shower celebrated during pregnancy towelcome the unborn baby to the family and bless the mother-to-be with abundant joysof motherhood. Baby showers in India are mostly celebrated in the third trimester either
in the seventh or the ninth month of pregnancy. ‘Godh bharai’ is performed to bless the© INTAGE INDIA PVT. LTD.

unborn baby and shower the pregnant mum-to-be with blessings and gifts.
Traditionally, ‘Godh bharai’ is a 'women-only' gathering. The elderly females in thefamily adorned the mum-to-be with jewelry, making her wear bangles, filling her lap
with gifts, fruits and sweets and laying out a feast before her. Fruit basket, Jewelry,pretty sarees, and cash envelopes are traditional gifts for baby shower in India for an
expecting mother. According to the Indian tradition, getting gifts for the unborn baby isusually not advised, however these days many people also gift diaper bags, toys,teethers, rattles, beddings, décor gifts for the baby's room, baby and maternity
products etc to bless the mother and the child-to-be.

Source: Gift shopping website in India https://www.giftcart.com/buy-online-gifts-for-godbharai-and-babyshower.html© INTAGE INDIA PVT. LTD.

Unlike other countries, sex determination of the foetus in India is illegal since 1994 dueto the alarming decline in the number of girls born for every 1000 boys born in thecountry.

The number of females per 1000 of males
Source: Census 2011 https://www.census2011.co.in/sexratio.php

Childbirth:
In an Indian household, the arrival of a new baby is an occasion for much joy andcelebration. The customs and traditions start before the baby is born and continue forup to a year after birth.
The confinement period for the Indian woman after she gives birth is 40 days. Shespends this period at her parents’ house, especially if it is her first child. This is toensure that she has the best care and gets enough rest and feel more at ease with herown mother. Confinement period is practiced to protect mother and infant fromexposure to disease and from evil spirits as both mother and child are considered to bein a vulnerable state after birth.
It is believed new-borns are highly susceptible to evil eye. There are some precautions
practiced to prevent the consequences of evil eye like applying kohl on the infant’sforehead – (Hindus only).

© INTAGE INDIA PVT. LTD.

Baby care:Though it is tempting to think and purchase lot of stuffs for the baby even before theyborn. However, in India most of the family prefers not to shop before the baby's birth.
Many people here believe that shopping for baby before giving birth will bring bad luck.
Those that believe in the 'evil eye' are particularly against it because they feel that thesight of all those lovely baby things will bring negative attention to the mother and baby.
Also, making a new-born baby wear hand-me-down clothes is a popular tradition
believed to bring luck to the newborn, hence many mothers prefer to use hand-medown clothes for the initial few days.
Infants are usually massaged with oils on a daily basis. It is believed that the oil
massage helps in good sleep and also makes the bone stronger. In India, mothers
mostly use traditional oil like – Ayurvedic oil (Dabur Lal Oil), coconut oil, olive oil etc.
Some prefers to use Ghee (Clarified butter) in winter to give massage to the baby,
especially in norther part of India. Johnson’s Baby Massage Oil / Himalaya Baby
Massage Oil / Chicco Baby Massage Oil / Mamaearth Soothing Baby Massage Oil arealso used by many to massage the kids.

Source: Baby care information website in India http://motherandbabyindia.com/baby-massage-myth-orblessing/© INTAGE INDIA PVT. LTD.

Indian mothers don’t like to use too many products on their baby. However, usage ofpowder, moisturizing lotion/ cream, bathing soap, shampoo, nappy cream and diapers
are quite common. Considering the tender and delicate skin of the baby, many mothers
prefer to use cloth nappy in the initial few months to avoid diaper rash. Baby wipes /wet cottons are commonly used to clean the area before changing the diaper. Usage ofbaby powder is also very common after every change to keep the area dry and clean.
Many mothers feel that it not only leaves a good smell but also prevents the diaperrash.

Baby care products in the household
Source: Intage Consumer Life Panorama© INTAGE INDIA PVT. LTD.

Cloth diapers (Source: Photo by Author)

Overall, what I feel is traditional and natural treatment, religious aspect is very
important when it comes to baby care in India. Most of the first-time mothers prefers tofollow all the rituals and traditions followed in the family.

Sep 13, 2021
Contact: info-india@intage.com© INTAGE INDIA PVT. LTD.

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