9 Pregnancy Superstitions From Around The World

Most people can’t help but touch a pregnant woman’s belly or rush out to buy clothes for the baby-to-be. But in some cultures, these seemingly innocent acts are huge no-nos. Read on to find out which ones.

India

In this country, many pregnant women believe the most dangerous time for unborn babies is during an eclipse. Alexandra Madhavan, a Canadian who married into an Indian family, says she’s learned many cultural superstitions from her mother-in-law. “[Women] will shut all the windows so the rays of the eclipse do not touch the pregnant woman.” Why? They believe they could give the baby deformities.

Hawaii

In this state, mothers-to-be steer clear of wearing leis the traditional way: They wear ones that are left open instead. “The closed lei symbolizes the choking of the child by the umbilical cord,” says Davianna Pomaika’i McGregor, a department of ethnic studies professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

In this state, mothers-to-be steer clear of wearing leis the traditional way: They wear ones that are left open instead. "The closed lei symbolizes the choking of the child by the umbilical cord," says Davianna Pomaika'i McGregor, a department of ethnic studies professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.<br />

Russia

Refrain from telling an expectant mom that she’s glowing. Elena Mosko, CEO and President of Globiana.com, a business that helps people acclimate to new countries when they relocate, says Russian women believe compliments tend to be insincere, and actually send evil to the recipient. To ward them off, “my babushka[grandmother] would tie a red thread or attach a safety pin to the stroller” so the baby inside wouldn’t get sick. Pregnant women do something similar.

Liberia

If you’re in this West African country, do NOT reach out for a pregnant belly. Like women of other cultures, Liberian mothers-to-be believe in the presence of evil spirits. Daphne Mallory, originally from Liberia, says moms worry these forces might steal the baby from the womb, therefore, they guard themselves during pregnancy by making sure only close family and friends touch their stomachs.

5. China

Barbara Dehn, a women’s health practitioner and author of Nurse Barb’s Personal Guide to Pregnancy, has had patients from many different cultures. Her Chinese ones say they don’t attend funerals to avoid negative feelings, but if they must go, they tie a red ribbon around their stomachs for protection. These women also tend not to attend weddings because the joy for the baby may overshadow the joy for the bride, but if they must go, they should stay far away from the bride.

6. Bulgaria

Women here keep their pregnancies hush-hush to keep bad spirits away from the child. “When she finds out she is pregnant, a woman is not to say anything about the pregnancy to anyone else other than her partner for the first three months,” says Bulgarian family therapist, Mihaela Bernard.

Women here keep their pregnancies hush-hush to keep bad spirits away from the child. "When she finds out she is pregnant, a woman is not to say anything about the pregnancy to anyone else other than her partner for the first three months," says Bulgarian family therapist, Mihaela Bernard.<br />

7. U.S.A. and Australia

In some English-speaking countries, people often say that if a woman experiences heartburn during pregnancy, her baby will be born with a lot of hair. It’s actually backed by a small university study. Of the 64 women who participated, 23 out of the 28 who experienced moderate or severe heartburn had significantly hairy babies while 10 of the 12 who reported no heartburn had children with very little hair. But 64 participants isn’t exactly a large-scale study.

8. Ethiopia

In remote parts of this country, women have often resisted giving birth outside their home. Jenny Dyer, who has a PhD in religious studies, found that within Tigray (left), in the northern part of the country, people use stretchers to carry pregnant women from home to a health center where they’d have access to proper care. But a stigma developed around this method of transportation, and people began believing if you left on a stretcher, you wouldn’t return.

9. Jews Around The World

Traditionally, Jewish women don’t have baby showers during pregnancy because it’s considered bad luck. Dehn said her Jewish patients, to this day, often “shudder at the thought of having a baby shower or buying anything for the baby before it’s born” because of this superstition.