Product Description

A collection of hundreds of superstitions and old wives tales from every corner of the world related to every aspect of pregnancy, birth and babycare. There's tribal beliefs from Aborigine to Romany Gypsy to Inuit (Eskimo) and superstitions from countries as diverse as Canada and China.
There's beliefs on everything from influencing a baby's sex at conception to making a baby walk early or easing baby's teething pains.

Some examples:
~ A broom sweeps away the bad luck and evil spells that cause infertility. (Voodoo)
~ If a woman puts two spoons in her saucer, she'll have ginger twins. (UK)
~ If children pile cabbage stalks around the doors and windows of the house on Halloween, the fairies will bring them a new brother or sister. (Scotland)
~ Baby will be born with a fish-head if Mum doesn't give in to her craving to eat fish. (French Canada)
~ If Mum wears high heels during pregnancy, Baby will
become cross-eyed. (Guyana)
~ Mum should throw salt three times behind herself shortly before her `Due Date` to ease her labour. (UK)
~ If a woman's labour isn't progressing, she must drink water into which her Mother-in-law's big toe has been dipped. (India)
~ A babysitter must never clean their teeth while they're sitting. (India)
~ If three drops of water are given to a baby before he's baptised, he'll answer the first three questions put to him. (Ireland)
~ Never tickle a Baby's feet or you'll make him stutter. (UK)
~ When you see Baby's first tooth, immediately box his ear, and he'll cut the rest of his teeth quicker. (Germany)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #235346 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-03
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Synopsis
A collection of hundreds of superstitions and old wives tales from every corner of the world related to every aspect of pregnancy, birth and babycare. This covers every aspect of baby folklore; from beliefs on determining baby's sex at conception, to beliefs on easing baby's teething pains.

About the Author
Rosalind Franklin is also the author of 'The Superstitious Bride: A Book of Wedding Lore'

Customer Reviews

:)
I loved this book, it's brilliant! As an (immanent) mum to be, I was feeling down cos of my ever-expanding belly and thighs and this brought joy to my day.

hours of fun reading!
This is a wonderful book that will guarantee hours of fun for all mums or midwives. It had all the nursing colleagues at my hospital in stitches! It would make a fanastic baby shower gift for any expectant mum.
This is packed full of superstitions that I have never ever heard before, so its thoroughly original as well as well as being very well-researched.
What I most liked about it was that it was very easy to read, full of just the beliefs and superstitions rather than lost of boring drivel text.