If you are born Asian, old wives tales are almost like bread and butter to almost everything thing in life especially if you are born in the years 80's and below. Sadly, old wives tales are becoming more taboo now. As for me, yes, some of them can sound and are silly but a few do make sense and does help especially while pregnant.
I am going through both Malay and Filipino's pregnancy old wives tales in one post. Even I had only visited Jhon's family once while pregnant for a week, believe me, they had made sure I followed some of their old wives tales too.
Not surprisingly, there are a few similarities in Malay and Filipino's pregnancy old wive's tales because being Asian, cultures sometimes do not stray very far. I am not going to cover standard beliefs like having a proper diet and having a healthy lifestyle like not smoking, drinking alcohol or encouraging exercise because if you really think about it, it's rather similar to an encouraged healthy diet anyways just with added precautions. (fear of salmonella, heart burn and such)
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➷ Hurting any animals for no practical reasons and your child will be deformed. (If you fish for leisure, your child might have a cleft palate)
➷ Do not mock or mean to people whether they deserve it or not, especially if the person is of a special needs person or your child might receive the same flaws. (If you even joke about a friend about how dark their skin is, your child might have that same skin color)
➷ Do no eat pineapples (prickly) or durian (heaty) fruits as it's not good for the baby.
➷ Drinking coconut juice during early pregnancy may lead to miscarriage but encourage at the last trimester to have a "clean" and fair baby.
➷ Looking or going out during an eclipse will develop a birthmark on the baby.
➷ Must always satisfy pregnant wife's cravings or baby will have a drooling problem (excessive drool).
➷ Pregnant wife is not allowed to carry heavy items as it will put too much pressure on uterus.
➷ If you eat twin foods (twin bananas or twin egg yolks), you can have twins.
➷ Breech babies are believed can be healers when taught and have great intuition.
Additional under Filipino's beliefs'
➷ Drinking too much cold drinks will lead to a big baby.
➷ Do not wear necklace or umbilical cord might wrap around baby's neck.
➷ Pregnant women shouldn't share their food or drinks because their symptoms will be transferred to that person.
Whether you believe it or not, I think everyone should take it with a pinch of salt as a precaution. Honestly, I have seen some of the old wives' tales come true especially in hurting the animals and mocking others. For me, as long as it won't harm anything or anyone, I don't see a problem following suit.
With that said, I am grateful because as much as traditional Mak can be, she is actually quite lenient when it comes to these things. Under her wing, I can eat anything I want (except for pineapples or durians but if I crave for it, a bite won't hurt), I can do anything I want but I just need to be extra careful with the words I say. You know, even a funny sarcastic remark should be watchful of and such. In general, just do good deeds like sharing and caring and the baby will 'follow'.
For my 1 week pregnant stay with Jhon's parents in the Philippines, I wouldn't say it's torturous but it can be challenging but I just followed because I only had to deal it for a while right? haha They are more strict in such things. Every time Jhon help finished my meal (couldn't finish due to low/no appetite), they would always comment how he now will get my symptoms. When Jayden kept drinking from my water bottle and sucked my lollipop (he unbashfully grabbed it out of my hands lol), I had to pour the first water splash for his bath before I left for Singapore to 'cancel' out the symptoms.
Jayden was clingy with me at that time and wanted to be with me all the time. He would want to sit close and sit on my lap all the time. Jhon's family totally opposed to it even though I was comfortably sitting and not literally carrying him. Basically, there were plenty of things I had to watch out and not do. Like I said, I wasn't complaining because it IS their beliefs and I just respecting them. All I can say was I was just grateful we stayed for a while because I don't think I can tolerate it for 9 months and God knows what else I need to watch out after birth.
So like I said, following such pregnancy old wives tales can be challenging and annoying especially when you care already dealing with morning sickness and such. BUT there's nothing wrong taking it with a pinch of salt.
I'm pretty sure I probably missed out several pregnancy old wives tales so feel free to share for funsies!
