Why can’t a newborn be shown before 40 days? What kind of sign is this? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. The number of folk beliefs about newborns is enormous. But they are all prejudices, regardless of what position you look at it from - religious or scientific. These superstitions were created by pagans who believed in the existence of supernatural forces and their influence on human destiny. Why newborns are not shown for 40 days, we will find out below.
Folk signs
Many people wonder why a newborn cannot be shown before 40 days. In addition to this belief, there are also these:
- You cannot kiss your baby on the lips. Tradition says that this can lead to muteness (the baby will not speak).
- It is forbidden to carry a baby near a mirror so that its reflection is reflected in it. It is believed that this action will bring upon him a terrible illness, a strong evil eye and even death.
- You cannot rock a crib, stroller, or cradle without a child - you can bring irreparable consequences to him.
- You cannot breastfeed or bathe a newborn in front of strangers - there is a huge chance of the evil eye. Sometimes a person can cast the evil eye without even knowing it.
- If a baby is smeared with lard, then good luck will accompany him throughout his life.
Many folk legends just make new parents smile. After all, if you think like this, then any negative event in a baby’s life can be classified as the evil eye: nervous disorders, colic, tummy pain, and so on.
However, some dads and moms treat many folk signs with caution, trying in every possible way to observe them. They also know that a newborn cannot be shown until 40 days old and adhere to this rule.
What does Orthodox Christianity say?
Many believe that the ban on showing a child 40 days after birth is in the traditions of Orthodox Christianity. But the priests shrug their shoulders when they hear such a statement. Then why is there such an opinion?
Previously, there was a custom to baptize a child on the 40th day after birth. During this time, the woman is considered “unclean”, desecrating the temple with bleeding, and she is forbidden to go further than the vestibule of the church. Even a priest with a bleeding wound is not allowed to serve, because by definition, the offering of the bloodless sacrifice of Christ, carried out at the Eucharist, should not contain any blood in the Temple of God.
Naturally, in the postpartum period, with bloody discharge, a woman could not be present at the baptism of her child, and this period was delayed until it completely stopped. In general, the Orthodox Church does not establish specific dates for the baptism of a newborn child.
The sacrament can be performed at least the next day after birth at the request of the parents. Having dealt with the figure of 40 days, then the superstition begins about the lack of angelic protection in an unbaptized baby and defenselessness from all sorts of evil eyes and damage.
Why can't it be shown?
So why can’t a newborn be shown until 40 days? The birth of a baby turns into his first life test. Adaptation to the outside world is a very complicated process, so it takes a child some time to get used to life outside the mother’s womb.
Of course, a young mother is drawn to show her baby to her family and friends. After all, they had all been waiting for this event together for a long period of time. Nevertheless, both religion and science recommend not to rush and postpone the viewing.
Scientific beliefs
Few people know why a newborn cannot be shown until 40 days old. Scientists say that the tiny organism is still very weak and not fully formed, which is an excellent option for a variety of viruses that live everywhere. To avoid serious infections, you need to initially limit the baby’s contact with outsiders around him. After all, they can be carriers of viruses that are life-threatening to the baby.
Of course, you can give it a look from afar, but only to members of your household. It is advisable that they do not pick up the baby or squeeze him.
You can let your acquaintances and friends boast at any time when the newborn’s body gets used to the bacteria around it. This usually happens a month after the baby is born. Previously, showing the baby to strangers is not recommended.
Objective reasons
In addition, there are not mystical, but very real reasons why children under one year old can be protected from unnecessary contact with others: some parents are afraid of scaring the child with invasions of a noisy crowd or camera flashes, others are afraid of infections. Indeed, children do not develop immunity immediately, so they are not as protected from all sorts of viruses and bacteria as adults.
And in close contact with strangers, the child can become infected with something. Therefore, it is not advisable to organize a pilgrimage in the apartment for relatives and friends who have come to look at the newborn. True, it will still not be possible to isolate the child: after all, he will have to be taken for walks, to the clinic, etc. And, probably, you shouldn’t protect your baby from the world too carefully: you still need his body to learn to adapt to the environment and begin to develop a protective system.
Rules
Do you know why a newborn cannot be shown until 40 days? We have already answered this question. But if you can’t bear it, then to avoid trouble, follow these rules:
- Each visit to the child must be arranged in advance and be very short.
- We must not forget that new people also represent new sounds and smells for the baby, which can cause the child to become overexcited. Because of this, the baby will lose appetite and have sleep and mental disorders. To avoid this, postpone the visit of guests and let your baby get used to the real environment.
- Do not invite all your friends, relatives, and acquaintances to visit at once. A couple of people will be enough to start with. A noisy gathering will bring no benefit to either the baby or the nursing mother.
- When your child has visitors, be sure to ask them to wash their hands with soap. After all, an individual coming from the street can bring a huge number of different bacteria that are harmful to health.
- Before introducing your baby to a new person, ask about his health status. Many people do not consider minor ailments a big danger, but for the baby this is fraught with unpleasant consequences. Don’t be afraid to offend the guest; an adult will certainly understand that for a mother, her child is most important.
- When arranging a visit with relatives or friends, remind them not to wear items made from natural wool. After all, it is a collector for dust and a powerful allergen.
- Naturally, everyone who wants to look at the baby will want to give something. Moreover, many ask parents about this directly. In this case, take your time and say it doesn't matter. Think carefully and say what the baby really needs, for example, rattles, diapers or some clothes.
Religious Beliefs
Many people say that a newborn should not be shown until 40 days. This number appears regularly in the Bible. A huge number of different important events are associated with it:
- Lent lasts 40 days.
- Jesus Christ wandered around the world for 40 days before his ascension.
- The soul of a deceased person wanders in the world of the living for 40 days, after which it leaves it.
- The Ecumenical Flood lasted 40 days.
As for the baby, it is believed that for the first 40 days of life, his soul belongs to God. And only after this time the newborn needs to be baptized and given a name. After this, the baby has a guardian angel who will protect him throughout his life. The church allows baby showers to be held only from this moment on.
However, today the baptism of a baby can be carried out whenever the parents want. That is, at any time. Perhaps the belief is outdated?
Points of view of medicine, religion, psychology
When can you start meeting friends?
Start after 1.5 - 2 months after birth. To ensure everything goes well, follow the recommendations:
- For the first time, don't invite a lot of people. These could be relatives and close friends.
- It is better that the room is spacious. Be sure to have a quiet place for mother and baby.
- Ask people you know not to come if they feel unwell or have recently been sick.
- After all, spend more time with the baby. He should feel safe. Show him that it was a normal day and there is nothing to worry about.
Is it possible to show a child to strangers? Video
Now you know why it is not
recommended
to show a newborn
. But do not forget that this is not a categorical rule. You shouldn't be imprisoned. Just try to protect your baby as much as possible from unnecessary stress, be it emotions or illness. What does Orthodoxy say?
The first reason: religious.
A newborn baby is not protected in any way from the effects of surrounding forces. A guardian angel, a protector, appears to a person after baptism. According to Orthodox tradition, a child is baptized exactly on the 40th day (not earlier) from his birth. And from that moment on, the baby is already protected from the bad thoughts of people. Moreover, according to legend, you cannot show the child not only in person, but even in photographs. Therefore, previously it was not allowed to photograph children before he was 40 days old.
In general, the number 40 has a certain meaning in the Orthodox spiritual world. For example, from the Bible we know that this is how many days the global flood lasted, and the soul of a deceased person remains on earth for another 40 days. Thus, 40 days is the period that the soul requires to say goodbye to the earthly world when a person passes away; 40 days is the time it takes for a newborn to adapt to the world and receive the necessary protection.
What is medicine talking about?
The second reason explaining why a child cannot be shown before 40 days is medical.
For a baby who has just been born, everything in the world around him is new. And the air, and things, and people. After the mother's womb, he encounters different microbes and begins to adapt to the environment. In order for the addiction to be gradual, it is advisable to limit the number of contacts with different people. After all, the more people, the more viruses. Therefore, in the first days of a baby’s life, the closest family members are enough to keep things calm.
Those who can be shown a child up to 40 days include, of course, parents, siblings, grandparents, i.e. dearest people.
Now that you know both reasons, you can decide whether you can show your child to strangers before he turns 40 days old.
Don't kiss him on the lips, you can't! Do you need to go to the clinic? You need to attach a pin to the vest with the head down, otherwise they will jinx it! Don't stand in front of the mirror with him, you can't! Such and many other pieces of advice pour in from all sides to a young mother regarding her newborn child, leading to complete confusion. How many days after birth can you show your baby?
A little more belief
There are also such beliefs:
- To prevent the newborn from being jinxed, somewhere on his clothes you need to attach a pin with the head down;
- You can’t put the baby on the table - it will take a long time to learn to walk;
- Until the baby is 1 year old, it is forbidden to feed the baby mushrooms and fish - he will be as dumb as a fish;
- As soon as the baby takes the first step, you need to cut the invisible bonds with a knife - the baby will learn to walk faster and will stand firmly on his feet.
At first glance, some are akin to complete superstition, while others encourage the desire to discover hidden meaning. The ban on showing the baby for the first 40 days after birth is such a belief.
It is known that general practitioners, perinatologists, and lactation consultants ask parents not to rush into receiving guests for the first 40 days. Religion also insists on this. After all, a baby up to 40 days of life still does not have protection from the negative forces surrounding him.
Superstition concerns not only the close contact of a baby and a person, but also his photo. Therefore, many priests do not even recommend taking photographs of the baby during the postpartum period, let alone showing the pictures.
Popular beliefs
Our ancestors believed that a child should be isolated for the first 40 days of his life. On the 40th day, as a rule, baptism took place. Before this, it was believed that the baby belonged to the other world from where he came. Therefore, until the 40th day it was impossible to call him by name, much less show him to anyone. According to legend, unbaptized children do not have heavenly patrons, which means they are not protected from bad influences, the evil eye or damage.
Adherents of Eastern teachings say that the soul enters a child only a month and a half after birth. Before this, his aura has not yet been formed and the main chakra remains open at the crown of the head, through which any negativity can easily penetrate. Therefore, during this period, you should not only show the baby to anyone, but even allow him to stroke his head. The only exception is the mother of the baby.
In the old days there was no photography. But bioenergy experts say that it is also easy to have an undesirable effect from a photo. It can fall into the hands of a magician, sorcerer, or simply a bad person. As a result, the baby may get sick and become restless.
It is especially not recommended to take photographs of sleeping children. In many traditions, sleep is perceived as a “little death”: it is believed that at this time the soul leaves the body. Therefore, during sleep we are more vulnerable to external influences. And if you accidentally wake up a sleeping person, the soul may not return...
Psychological point of view
Are you still asking: “Is it possible to show a newborn up to 40 days?” From a psychological perspective, the first 40 days are necessary not only for the baby, but also for his mother. The young parent did a colossal, back-breaking job: she carried the baby inside herself, nourished her with her own flesh for 280 days, gave birth for several hours, feeling the exhausting pain of contractions.
But not all women in labor go through the postpartum period smoothly: hormonal changes, postoperative ruptures, the establishment of the feeding process - all this affects the mother’s state of mind.
Therefore, during the first 40 days after childbirth, extra emotional stress is harmful for a young mother. After all, she not only needs to get used to a lot (feeding the baby, swaddling, bathing, care at night and during the day), but also endure the intricate period of postpartum depression.
You can also add to this that in the first months the baby establishes a relationship with his mother. This is realized through listening to the intonations of the mother’s voice, feeling her touch, and accepting mother’s milk.
The people present will only interfere with the natural process of contact between mother and baby, because they will also need to be given attention.
Ancient thought
Now let's remember the more ancient idea about the first 40 days. After all, the roots of this superstition go back to paganism. In accordance with old beliefs, our world is divided into two zones: the world of the deceased (dead souls) and the world of the living. In these two worlds, everything is the same, but there is one mirror difference: 40 days is the period of the deceased’s journey to the world of dead souls.
Accordingly, 40 days in the world of the living is the acceptance of the baby into the world of life. In the pagan era, special rituals were performed to help the soul cross safely into another world. It was during these 40 days that people tried to protect the baby as much as possible from the evil eye. Today this ceremony of help has been erased from our memory, but the very belief about 40 days of untouchability remains.
An overexcited and tired baby will not be able to fall asleep for a long time. And having fallen asleep, he will often wake up at night and shudder. What can we say about an overworked mother. Due to emotional breakdowns, not only neuralgia may occur, but milk may also disappear.
Therefore, openly announce to everyone who wants to see the baby that they will be able to visit mother and baby only in two months.
