Was it literal or was it not. I bet that in different time periods this
rule went from being widely practiced to not. Let's find out.

okay many people have relatives they are visiting when they go to
Mexico. . .let's start asking the old ones what they remember. We don't
need to make this the center of our investigation but a couple of
questions in passing makes for keeping the conversation interesting.

a civil discussion like this is so interesting. . .thank you all for
participating.

joseph

v.h.villarreal wrote:

I really doubt that this is an accurate interpretation or a widespread
practice even in the old days.  "Guardar reposo por 40 días" or
resting for 40 days wasn't supposed to be taken that the mother should
stay in bed, not taking a bath, etc. rather that she should "keep the

husband away from her bed for 40 days", if you know what I mean...

Victor

http://www.aina.org/books/aov.htm

Birth And Baptism

Pregnant women promise that if they have a son they will offer him to
serve the church. But if they have a daughter a sum of money or in kind
they will give to the church as a gift. When the child is born it is
immediately bathed in cold water and sprinkled with salt and wrapped him
cloths. They have learned from what Prophet Khezkiel wrote: "On the day
you were born your biblical cord was not cut, you were not washed in
water and you were not wrapped in cloths."

A son brings more happiness to a family than a daughter. Just like
Armenians when a boy is born all boys quickly go to the relatives of the
newly born boy, bless him and receive gifts.

Baptism

According to custom the child is baptized on the seventh day of its
birth. One day before baptism, the godfather is informed and in the
morning he goes to the mother of the child and takes with him a sheep if
he is wealthy. He takes the child and gives it to his wife

I'm not an "expert" on this issue, but I do remember
that when I had my first child in 1973, my Nana (born
and raised in Mocorito, Sinaloa) told me about the
fact that in Mexico, the women were confined to
bedrest for the 40 days following the birth of their
children, and that they did not bath for those 40
days.  I never thought to ask her if this was for any
perceived medical reason or superstions of some sort.

Olivia

--- "v.h.villarreal" 
wrote:

> I really doubt that this is an accurate
> interpretation or a widespread
> practice even in the old days.  "Guardar reposo por
> 40 días" or
> resting for 40 days wasn't supposed to be taken that
> the mother should
> stay in bed, not taking a bath, etc. rather that she
> should "keep the
> husband away from her bed for 40 days", if you know
> what I mean...  
> 
> Victor
> 
> --- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, Irma GomezLucero
> 
> wrote:
> > I recall telling my mom & aunt about a family
> baptism

Can you think of a better way to keep the husband out of the bed for 
40 days then no bathing or getting up??  It was what my gr-
grandmothers from both Jalisco (1884) and Zacatecas (1866)passed on as 
tradition to me.  My grandmothers also said it was the only time in 
their marriages that they actually got any rest!
Linda from Wa.

Alice, 

Thanks for sharing that experience.  I'm surprised that such a belief
would be taken in a such a literal way.  Staying in bed for 40 days is
definitely bad for one's health, let alone personal attraction.  Just
imagine the potential for bed sores, leg thrombosis,  and possibly
septicemia for not taking a bath, etc.  No wonder there was so much
maternal mortality in the old days.

But I found a link to an old document that actually speaks about that,
except that it was a custom practiced by the Assyrians during the rule
of the Ottoman Turks in Turkey.  Go here and do a search for "40 days" 

http://www.aina.org/books/aov.htm

Victor


--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, Alicia Carrillo  wrote:
> Victor,
>  
> It definitely meant do not bathe for 40 days, it also meant do not
let the outside air hit the mother for 40 days.
>  
> When I had my first daughter I remember a tia telling me and I
quote. "Hija, cuando tengas tu bebe´ no dejes que te den un baño o
ducha". She

I really doubt that this is an accurate