CHILDBIRTH

Ordinarily a pregnant woman may do as she pleases, and in Badung she may even enter the temple. In later months, for obvious reasons, she may be more secluded and has to observe certain prohibitions, the natural ones of diet and hygiene; bathe oftener and avoid certain foods, such as too much pepper, octopus, eggplant, and a kind of mango. But, as in Malaya and other parts of Indonesia, her husband may not cut his hair until the child is born.

When the time approaches for childbirth (medal, Iekad;i.e., " to come out ") certain magic (penyesah) is practised so the child will be born easily. Particularly effective is a shoot of coconut palm naturally ingrown into a loop. This is soaked water and held over the woman's head so that the water will into her mouth. It is recommended also to pass or stand u the cage of a dove that has a natural bald spot over the heart.

Sexual questions are simple and natural matters to the Balinese, and our friends discussed them freely when, in the evenings, they gathered on our front porch to talk. Once when the conversation was led onto the subject of childbirth the women scribed their own experiences eagerly while the men added details the women had overlooked.

The most convincing authority was Rapag, a boy of fourteen who had witnessed the birth of his sisters. They said that most women have their children easily, and as an example they told of a woman who lived next door had had her child unexpectedly while she was alone in the groves. She carried the baby home and they claimed that two days she was already selling in the market.

Frequently even the assistance of a midwife is dispensed and only expert women relatives aid the woman. As a rule husband should be present. There is no special place when child should be born. When the time comes, the women placed half-seated on a new mat, supported from the back woman, while another helps her, through massage, to deliver the child. The umbilical cord (udal, unsang) is tied and cut with a sharp knife made of bamboo (iron may not be used) .

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