Rules for Pregnancy
There are rules for when a woman becomes “filled.” Everything has a rule. As soon as a woman knows she is pregnant, she tries to be first up in the morning. Whoever wakes up first, wakes her in order to wake the child inside her. She stays up late, too, and goes to bed only after everyone has come in and gone to bed before her.
She should get right up in the morning. If she lies too long in bed, the child will grow large. When she does lie down, she should curl up. Curling up, she squeezes the child hard and keeps it smaller. They say a child who is lying the wrong way is following its mother. She must lie with her head toward the door, because the door is a path. That will help deliver the baby quickly. But if she lies facing the door, then someone coming into the house may “step” on the baby.
When she sits down, she should not cross her legs too often. That will block the child’s way out. She should not lean back away from her stomach. Otherwise the child will grow too large. She tries to move quickly, to keep her baby moving, so it won’t get stuck coming out.
When a pregnant woman wakes up in the morning, she turns over her pillows and mattress. She turns over the insoles of her mukluks. Dressing, she puts both arms into her parka at the same time. Then she goes outside immediately.
She doesn’t linger in the doorway. She leaves quickly. She goes through the door before her relatives, and she doesn’t block the door. When visitors enter the house, she stands to one side to let them in. She doesn’t look out the window. If she’s curious about something outside, she should just go right out. If she just looks out, then her baby my also look out and not come quickly.
The child inside copies its mother exactly. If the mother only looks but never goes out, if she stops at the door and turns back, the child will follow. It will hesitate and not come out. A pregnant woman hurries with her work, so that the child will also hurry out. Whether sewing or basket-weaving, she tries not to leave any job unfinished. If the mother works slowly, then her child will work slowly. If she twists grass while weaving, she must break it off. That will keep the cord from twisting and help it spread out nicely.
There are rules for eating, too. A pregnant woman eats facing the door. She doesn’t leave any food. She doesn’t eat any leftovers. If she can’t eat all her food, she should share her portion with others. But she should always save out the last bite for herself. In this way, she will not have any leftover blood from the placenta.
A pregnant woman must not be stingy. If anyone asks for something, she should share what she has even if it is a little bit. If she really doesn’t have enough to share, then she says, “I can’t. There isn’t enough.” But she should give as much as she can. Those who are stingy are also stingy for the one they are carrying. Then the child will be stingy about leaving.
When the labor pains begin, she should never tell the child to wait until later. She lifts her parka and urges the baby to come out quickly. “There are new babies already out in the world. Come quickly and join them.”
These rules of the old people will help a woman give birth quickly and easily. If young women today follow these rules, even if they are in a hospital, they will give birth quickly. The child will want to go out. It will be in a rush.
By Winnie Otten, Rosie Matthias, Dorothy Rivers, Alice Pete, and Rose Ann Dann of Stebbins
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