When a woman is ready deliver, she might notify a female friend, but not her husband, as a man's involvement in delivery is limited. The new mother and baby stay at home for 40 days after birth, with female relatives and friends helping to care for them. Mothers introduce other foods to the infant at six months of age but continue breast-feeding up to three years or until the woman is ready to have another child. Circumcision Oromos circumcise boys in early infancy or before the time of marriage. Male circumcision is considered mandatory for reasons of health, hygiene, social acceptance and religious law.
Female circumcision is desirable but optional.
In urban areas and refugee camps, where Western-style medical care is available, antibiotics are used frequently. Oromos who consult doctors usually receive a medication for every illness. Most Oromos in Seattle get care from Harborview Medical Center. Oromo refugees from urban centers in Ethiopia have some experience with Western-style medicine. However, Oromos from rural areas may have trouble understanding Western notions of the causes of disease, the means of transmission and methods of prevention.