There is no sex after the third month of pregnancy. Traditionally, no pain medication is accepted. A man's presence is not desired. It is believed that birth will occur at night. A woman in labor is not supposed to cry out or make much noise.
Custom forbids the use of metal tools to cut the umbilical cord.
The Vietnamese believe in burying the placenta and the umbilical cord. Post delivery hemorrhaging is regarded by rural Vietnamese as normal and desirable. Due to several dietary restrictions, women often become malnourished for up to three months after delivery. Often times women will refuse to bathe, or drink juice or water because they feel the body is in danger of becoming too cold due to the loss of blood, which is hot. In Vietnam, men are superior to women and males are the preferred sex for children.