Korean Pregnancy &
Childbirth Traditions
The
information in this website was collected from 3 different interviews
of Korean
women currently living in Hawaii.
Contents should not be used in
place of professional health care.
Prenatal/Pregnancy
The woman
begins
pregnancy with a “Tae Mong”, a dream about the conception of the
child.
Some believe that if the woman dreams of flowers while she’s pregnant,
she’ll
have a boy. If she dreams of fruits while she’s pregnant, she’ll
have a
girl. The woman focuses on “Tae Kyo” during pregnancy which
directs her to avoid
unpleasant thoughts. This practice is believed to be the
education of the
fetus and during this time the woman focuses on art and beautiful
objects. During pregnancy women are taught to avoid certain foods
and
smoking. Eating seaweed soup (sanmo-miyuk) is emphasized
for its
iron content and to “clean the blood”. Traditionally, the sex of
the baby is a surprise
.
Labor/Delivery
Doctors, midwives,
mother-in-laws and other females in the family and village aid
during labor and
delivery. Introversion is common during pregnancy and
staying
silent during labor is the cultural norm. Pain
medication is
not used; however, biting on a rag can be used as a method of
pain
control. Women usually give birth in the supine position much like
Western
tradition. Fathers are not usually present during
delivery. However, mothers-in-law are involved in the entire
labor and
delivery process
Postpartum
After giving birth in Korea, charcoal is hung on a string in
front of the house
if a girl was born and chili pepper if it was a boy. Visitors
know not to
come by for at least 3 weeks. Balls of silk thread (blues for
boys and
pink for girls) are given to wish a long life for the baby.
Traditionally,
giving birth to a son was preferred to ensure the continuation of the
family
line. The eldest son inherits the family leadership and wealth;
he also
has the responsibility of caring for the parents.
Newborns
are usually breastfed. It is thought that massaging babies’ legs
will
make them grow. Korean moms carry their babies around in back
carriers
and many sleep with their children. Babies are bundled warmly for
the
first few weeks after birth. Mothers-in-law play a huge role in
the
childbirth experience by making decisions regarding diet, care of the
newborn,
and Mom’s postpartum needs. It is customary to wear warm clothing
and to
only take partial baths. Only hot foods (such as seaweed soup)
are to be
eaten because the mother’s body is now considered to be cold.
They are
also advised not to eat hard or “broken” foods. New moms are not
to go
outside and are excused from any work as “the body is made whole again”.
