I am a
20-year-old Filipina woman
living in Hawaii Philippines Philippines 
house to
check on her and make sure she ate a healthy diet, with liver and fish
and lots
of backyard vegetables. I went early to an OB-GYN doctor for my
prenatal
care, but my mother was there to make sure that I ate a healthy diet,
and I
also took my pre-natal vitamins. My mother had many restrictions
during
her pregnancy, things like no running and jumping, for fear of giving
the baby
a cleft palate (if baby was sucking thumb), no eating of mangos for
fear of
having a hairy baby—especially girl babies, and no going out walking
after dark
for fear of bringing bad luck to the baby. No such restrictions
were
placed on me. My mother tied a ring on a string and held it
over my
belly, she told me if the ring went in circles it would be a girl
and if
the ring went back and forth it would be a boy, it circled and I did in
fact
have a girl.
The hilot delivered me at home, with my mother taking no medication for the labor pains except a drink made of burnt Jackfruit seeds and water. My grandmother and the hilot were the only people present during labor and delivery, my father waited in another room, hoping that his first child would be a boy to carry on his name, I disappointed him, but my mother went on to have three boys and one more girl. I gave birth in the hospital, but like my mother my baby’s father wasn’t with me, either, only my mother and the Doctor and Nurses. Unlike my mother I had an epidural to dull my labor pains. My mother cut the umbilical cord of my daughter with shiny clean scissors; the hilot cut my umbilical cord with a sharpened boiled bamboo stick. After I was born the hilot threw the placenta in the river with the belief of taking the bad luck away from the baby. I don’t know what happened to my baby’s placenta.
I was in the hospital for two days, on the second day I showered much to my mothers protest. She was in bed for 12 days after giving birth, the hilot would come every day to massage her belly and bind her hips so that the tears in her vagina would heal and the muscles in her stomach would return to normal. At the end of the twelve days The hilot came and bathed my mother in water that had been boiled with guava and orange leaves. The only thing my mother was allowed to do during her twelve days of bed rest was nurse the baby, she was given a soup made of chicken and marungai leaves. My mother was worried about me going out with the baby in the first weeks. I also breast fed my daughter but unlike my mother I did not use this as a method of birth control. While our first birth experiences were very different I count myself lucky to have had the support and wisdom of my mother during my pregnancy and birth.
house to
check on her and make sure she ate a healthy diet, with liver and fish
and lots
of backyard vegetables. I went early to an OB-GYN doctor for my
prenatal
care, but my mother was there to make sure that I ate a healthy diet,
and I
also took my pre-natal vitamins. My mother had many restrictions
during
her pregnancy, things like no running and jumping, for fear of giving
the baby
a cleft palate (if baby was sucking thumb), no eating of mangos for
fear of
having a hairy baby—especially girl babies, and no going out walking
after dark
for fear of bringing bad luck to the baby. No such restrictions
were
placed on me. My mother tied a ring on a string and held it
over my
belly, she told me if the ring went in circles it would be a girl
and if
the ring went back and forth it would be a boy, it circled and I did in
fact
have a girl. The hilot delivered me at home, with my mother taking no medication for the labor pains except a drink made of burnt Jackfruit seeds and water. My grandmother and the hilot were the only people present during labor and delivery, my father waited in another room, hoping that his first child would be a boy to carry on his name, I disappointed him, but my mother went on to have three boys and one more girl. I gave birth in the hospital, but like my mother my baby’s father wasn’t with me, either, only my mother and the Doctor and Nurses. Unlike my mother I had an epidural to dull my labor pains. My mother cut the umbilical cord of my daughter with shiny clean scissors; the hilot cut my umbilical cord with a sharpened boiled bamboo stick. After I was born the hilot threw the placenta in the river with the belief of taking the bad luck away from the baby. I don’t know what happened to my baby’s placenta.
I was in the hospital for two days, on the second day I showered much to my mothers protest. She was in bed for 12 days after giving birth, the hilot would come every day to massage her belly and bind her hips so that the tears in her vagina would heal and the muscles in her stomach would return to normal. At the end of the twelve days The hilot came and bathed my mother in water that had been boiled with guava and orange leaves. The only thing my mother was allowed to do during her twelve days of bed rest was nurse the baby, she was given a soup made of chicken and marungai leaves. My mother was worried about me going out with the baby in the first weeks. I also breast fed my daughter but unlike my mother I did not use this as a method of birth control. While our first birth experiences were very different I count myself lucky to have had the support and wisdom of my mother during my pregnancy and birth.
Traditional
Health Beliefs
Prenatal Care
Prenatal Care
- The woman was the first person to know she was pregnant by finding out that she missed her periods and was feeling nauseated followed by vomiting.
- The husband and then the close relatives were the next to know.
- No prenatal care, except by
a hilot, a medicine man or
woman who inherited the skill to deliver
babies from
- The significant other was not present when she met with the hilot at her home.
- The hilot gave the pregnant
woman a special
drink to ease the labor, which was made from mixtures of burned seeds
of jackfruit
- There were no nutritional restrictions, except to not eat too much sugar so that the baby would not be too big and make the delivery harder.
- Do not crossover fence, the baby will have the cord go over his/her neck and choke.
- Do not go out at night, this will weaken the baby.
- Do not wear black clothes; this is bad luck for the baby.
- Do not eat
mangos; this will cause a baby girl to have hair on her face. The hilot would give the
mother a big bottle
of drink
made from wine-marinated
roots or herbs. It is called panigan
and should be taken before eating to make
the fetus healthy.
Labor
and Delivery
"I come from a family of seven girls and one boy. My mom had all of us naturally. In thePhilippines
When you breast feed you don't get pregnant for 2-3 years", when I got pregnant again I was so mad at my mom because she told me that - she said " you're the one that got pregnant!"
"The husband is not involved in prenatal care or birth. Sex is not good for pregnancy although the doctor said sex after eight months is good to help the baby get out."
We appreciate your feedback! Email us your comments.
Return to the Transcultural Index
Posted September 28, 2005
- The baby was delivered at home
- The significant other could be present, but most did not want to see the birthing process. Other family members were expected to wait outside and not distract the mother
- There was no medication used to relieve the pain
- With the thin bamboo that
was sharpened and then boiled, the hilot
would cut the umbilical cord
and the
- The hilot would throw the placenta in the river. They believe this takes the bad luck away from the baby
- It was desired that the first baby be a boy so the child could help take care of the parent's property. Boys are expected to carry family’s last name
- The hilot would teach
the mother to bind her hips tightly to bring all the muscles used in
the birthing process back to
- For 12 days, the hilot would come everyday to massage the mother’s body and hips, and after the 12 days were up, she would shower the mother with warm water that was previously boiled with guava and orange leaves. This recipe was used to make the skin feel good. The hilot believed that the skin lost its elasticity during birth.
- After delivery, the mother
would be on bed rest for 12 days, with the
head of
the bed
- Mother could breastfeed, but other activities were restricted so she would not experience increased bleeding
- She
had to eat a
special soup made from chicken and leaves called marungai,
so that she would produce
- One of the women
interviewed thinks
having ten (10) kids is ideal. Children were expected to help with the
family business or farm at
- Questions about health of the mother and children should be addressed to the hilot
- Babies usually did not have a special name, except they were usually named after saints since Filipinos are strongly influenced by the Catholic religion
Another Story of 
Pregnancy
in the
"I come from a family of seven girls and one boy. My mom had all of us naturally. In the
When you breast feed you don't get pregnant for 2-3 years", when I got pregnant again I was so mad at my mom because she told me that - she said " you're the one that got pregnant!"
"The husband is not involved in prenatal care or birth. Sex is not good for pregnancy although the doctor said sex after eight months is good to help the baby get out."
We appreciate your feedback! Email us your comments.
Return to the Transcultural Index
Posted September 28, 2005