PORTUGUESE CULTURAL BELIEFS ON PREGNANCY, LABOR & DELIVERY AND THE POST-PARTUM PERIOD

We have interviewed several women of Portuguese descent of various ages. This web page contains excerpts obtained from our interviews.  The cultural views shared by these women pertaining to pregnancy, L&D, and post-partum care may not apply to all women of the Portuguese culture.

The context of this page is for INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE DO NOT USE THE INFORMATION PROVIDED FOR SELF-TREATMENT OF ANY KIND.  If you are pregnant please seek medical attention from a Health Care Professional for the well-being of yourself and your child.

Pre-conceptual Beliefs

    If a woman is planning on getting  pregnant, it is believed that if she eats certain types of food she can determine the gender of the child.  Round fruits and vegetables such as apples and grapes are thought to produce girls while long vegetables like carrots and cucumbers produce boys.
     Pregnancy Beliefs   
  •  Do not wear necklaces, leis, or jump and reach for objects.  This can cause the umbilical cord to tighten around the neck of the unborn child and cause strangulation.
  •  Furry animals should not be carried, because the child could become hairy.
  • Don't  wear tight clothes because the baby can be born small or suffocate.
  • Don't talk bad about anyone or your baby may be born sick.
  • Don't  go to funerals when pregnant, it will bring bad luck to baby.
  • Rub olive oil on the abdomen to prevent stretch marks from getting worse.
  • Never wear a flower in your hair. It can leave a birthmark on the baby, the bigger the flower, the bigger the mark.
  • Only the herb rosemary should be worn or be in the area with the pregnant mother.  It's alkaline which is a protector.
  • The gender of the baby can be determined by the shape of the pregnant woman's abdomen.  If the stomach is pointy and hard on the upper abdomen,  it is believed she is carrying a girl. If the abdomen is round and her bottom is big she is carrying a boy.
  • A gold ring and thread is also believed to reveal the baby's sex.  Hang a gold ring on a  thread over the pregnant woman's navel.  If swings back and forth, it's a boy. If it moves in a circle, it's a girl.
  • Don't crawl under fences as this could cause miscarriage.
  • Don't burn rubbish or go near afire or baby will have a red birthmark.

    Labor and Delivery Beliefs 

    Men, including husbands, were not involved in pregnancy, labor and delivery or in the care of the infant after birth. It's viewed as a woman's responsibility to deal with pregnancy, childbirth and care of children.  Male doctors were not traditionally involved prenatal care, or labor and delivery.
  • Portuguese women believed strongly in using midwives
  • If the baby was born with a film (fetal membrane) that appears like a veil over the face it was thought the child was gifted and was believed to have special powers like curandeiras (healers). The curandieras have skills in massage, herbal medicine and bandaging to relieve gas or distress of the stomach.
  • The majority of the women interviewed didn't scream during labor. They believed that you were weak if you made noise with the labor pain.
                                              
       Post-Partum Beliefs    
  • When the umbilical cord falls off, burn and bury it near the house.
  • When someone sees baby for the first time and says, "how cute," you must say god bless you, otherwise the evil eye will be brought upon your baby.
  • If the infant cries or fusses a lot, it has a displaced stomach or, "bucho verado." [A healer is called to treat the infant with baby oil and say prayers.] "Bucho verado" or "bush"  means turned stomach. If the baby is spitting up a lot, crying, and really fussy, lay the baby on it's back and stretch the legs. Measure it to see if one leg is shorter than the other.  If it is, that would mean the baby has "bush"
  • Some mothers rub baby oil around umbilical cord and tie the belly with a daiper.
  • Nursing mothers cannot eat greasy foods, like cabbage or beans or cucumbers and also don't feed your baby after activites that heats the blood. The baby may end up rash or stomach ache.
  • The baby shouldn't leave the house until one month of age to ensure the baby remains healthy.
  • If the baby has a protuding navel after the cord falls off and the navel has healed, some families place a silver dollar on the navel and wrap the belly with a diaper, like a sash, for seven days.  This will make sure the belly button is an "innie."

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Updated October 6, 2005