In plain words
Lying-in is an old word for the weeks after birth. The mother stayed in bed or indoors, kept warm, and was cared for by other women. The term comes from English history, and the same idea shows up in many cultures under other names. In some places the room was dark and warm, and visitors were limited. The lying-in period often ended with a ritual that marked the return to community life. Today the phrase is mostly used in history and in midwifery, or to describe a rest period in general. Many modern families still set aside time for rest after birth, which is one of the traditional ideas that has lasted.
The deeper version
Lying-in denotes the period. In early modern England, it took place in a darkened, warm chamber attended by women, followed by the churching ritual, as documented by Cressy (1997). Comparable practices include Chinese , in which the mother stays in a warm, closed room and avoids wind, cold water, and fans, and Latin American , in which she is kept covered and sheltered from drafts. Cross-cultural accounts describe these practices within humoral and thermal models of recovery. Systematic evidence on their health effects is limited and mixed (Wong and Fisher, 2009). The controversy concerns whether confinement practices affect postpartum mental health or infection, or whether they mainly reflect the quality of support around the mother.
Where it comes up
- The first 40 daysSupport, Home, and Village
- Zuo yuezi: sitting the monthNourishment and Traditions
- La cuarentenaNourishment and Traditions
- Setting up home for postpartumSupport, Home, and Village
What mothers here say about lying-in
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- Cressy D — Birth, Marriage, and Death: Ritual, Religion, and the Life-Cycle in Tudor and Stuart England, 1997
- Jordan B — Birth in Four Cultures, 1978