hi everyone
just thought id let you all know about a beautiful ceremony i went to recently in bali. its always nice to know about other cultures birth traditions .
my young friend (whos 20) recently met and fell in love with a balinese girl and many of us went over to see their huge hindu wedding with 800 guests!! and their baby girl's hindu 3 month ceremony. this is where the baby is formally named, offerings and prayers given, has her head shaved - because it has passed through the vagina and so is considered dirty :( - touches the ground for the very first time (she has always been held since birth,) tastes water for the first time and after which she is allowed to leave her home. they have like an extended baby moon for the first 3 balinese months (which are longer than ours) where the baby should not leave the family compound. the baby is also given a beautiful necklace containing a piece of their placenta to wear as well as anklets,
bracelets, earrings and tiny little rings!! the rest of the placenta was burried directly outside their front door and offerings are given to it each day including flowers, food, money and coconuts! her mum explained to me that the placenta is considered the baby's sister because without it she would not have been nourished and healthy.
another interesting thing i noticed watching all the little bubs in the family is that they are extremely chubby, women are very proud of their breastfeeding and the babys fat rolls :) and the babies never seem to cry in order to be fed. they are fed often - every hour and a half in the case of my friend's baby - and never seem to have the need to cry for food because its always offered to them before they need to.. it was very interested to see. my friend's wife was breastfed until she was 5 and has every intention of doing the same. it was lovely to see a culture where the whole process
'seems' so hassle free. they had no baby paraphenalia in their home except baby clothes, a plastic baby bath and a baby carrier that i gave them before she was born (that is the envy of the village!)
anyway, theres a little taste of balinese village life for you!
love emily
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