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In a message dated 7/22/2005 8:51:13 P.M. Central Standard Time,
raices_regias@... writes:
I really
doubt that this is an accurate interpretation or a widespread
practice even
in the old days. "Guardar reposo por 40 días" or
resting for 40 days
wasn't supposed to be taken that the mother should
stay in bed, not taking
a bath, etc. rather that she should "keep the
husband away from her bed for
40 days", if you know what I mean...
Victor, actually I think that you both are correct. I grew up with
the same tradition, that the women had to stay IN HER HOUSE, DO NO PHYSICAL
LABOR during the first 40 days. In extended family situations, the mother
or spinster sister would come, help with the older children and do the cooking
and cleaning. It was generally believed that if you did not take care of
yourself during this critical time period, it would make you weak (perhaps even
die), and could possibly affect you from having future children. The men
accepted this tradition, as it was in their best interest for their wives to
continue to live (since there was such a high death rate after having delivered
babies), as there was a high death rate of newborn children. This
tradition is still practiced in various parts of Africa, in particular Ethiopia,
where the women are not allowed to even get up from bed!
Further, there was a belief that as long as a woman is
bleeding after having had a child, her life was at risk. In some very old
traditional beliefs, it was believed that once you lose blood, you also lose
"spirit", and so you needed time to regain not only physical strength, but also
spiritual strength. This part, was shared to me by father-in-law, who had
a serious problem giving blood when he was ill, and needed tests done on
him.
Also, it was important to have a child baptized before the 40
day period, because if the child were to die, it would not go to heaven (in the
old Catholic way of thinking - the soul would be purgatory for an indefinite
period of time).
Esperanza (Chicago area)
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