Do you have any set of traditions that you need to do with a newborn or after giving birth?
Well, I do. Here are some of things that I can think of:
→ 40 Days. Probably this is the most common thing that I've heard. After giving birth, the women are supposed to rest for 40 days. No work, nothing. The mother is supposed to be helped by the family members or by a hired helper. She just needs to rest. No shower or shampooing is allowed during this time, until your body heals completely.
Honestly, as much as I will sound like a spoiled person, I do miss having people around who are willing to help. I sometimes feel that the culture in here is about being independent that you have to take care everything by yourself. One more thing that makes me missing home.
→ Ayam arak (Medicinal chicken/ Mayou ji). This is a type of food that is cooked for the mother to help her gain her strength back. It's a chicken. Like a chicken soup (but not American chicken soup) with sesame oil (to keep body warm) and with some kind of traditional medicine.
My mother made me this almost every day minus the traditional medicine, kind of hard to bring it over here.
→ Bodyshaper/Corset. I wore a corset bodyshaper the next day after giving birth, to help with my tummy. It's hard at the beginning, but getting better each day. My mother also put a mix of slaked lime and cajuput oil on my tummy before the corset, to help shrink the tummy back.
Not going to discuss this part too much, because I don't want to be deemed as a body conscious person. All I can say is that this helps me.
→ Umbilical cord. After the umbilical cord is off, it's supposed to kept inside a box. Then, when you more children, you keep all of them in the same box. That way, the children will get along and bond strongly. The fifth's cord is stored inside the red box. I don't display the actual thing just to be safe.
This is probably where people will roll their eyes. However, I "believe" this just because my mother keeps my brother's and my cords together and look! I think we are very close and get along well :)
→ Chinese zodiac. Of course this is common too :) The fifth was born under the snake year, the same as my father. His Engkong (Grandpa is one of Chinese dialect), almost born on the same day too! My mother bought the 24K gold necklace as a keepsake.
→ One month celebration. This is also one of the common traditions. We celebrate the newborn's one month anniversary and to give thanks to his well-being. We invited everybody (literally everybody) to come to celebrate with us and in turn we hand them gift box (usually food type). We also usually shave the newborn's head (I was shaved too) to celebrate, although this particular practice has gradually declined.
Since nobody really around during his 30 day mark, we celebrated by ourselves (basically my mother and I, because the fourth was working and did not get home until 7pm ish anyway). It sounds kind of sad, but I'm glad we did it. I bought cupcakes and cake the previous day (well, I ordered the cake a whole week before) and the day was full of preparation. We made 'tumpeng' the cone shaped rice, we fried chicken, and we dyed eggs red. I also took his picture while laying him on my clothes and the fourth's clothes. It represents the hope that his fortune will be descended from his parents' fortunes.
→ But the most important thing of all is the love surrounding him. He's a lucky one! :)
I may forget some, but my mother knows a lot because her mother also did the same thing for her after she gave birth. I do like tradition and hope to keep them alive. So, what traditions do you have that's different or would like to be added here?
Yes, I did shave his head. I had to beg my husband and trade in 100 hours of work to help him around the house.
