> [!iquote] [Couvade](https://traditionsofconflict.substack.com/p/couvade?s=r) via [[Traditions of Conflict]] by [[William Buckner]] on 2022-05-24 > couvade practices were quite common in South America, and extant but seemingly not common elsewhere around the world. > > each of the categories I coded for: ‘physical restrictions’ in terms of where the father is expected to go, ‘work taboos’ restricting the type of labor he is expected to undertake, and ‘food taboos’ restricting what he is supposed to eat. Sexual taboos also appear to be common, although I did not track these. > > the common trends as far as I can tell are taboos on certain sorts of food and labor, as well as some restrictions on the father’s physical activity. These taboos seem to operate on the idea that by doing excessive work, eating certain kinds of foods, or going to certain places, the husband is somehow jeopardizing the health of the baby. The article showcases an interesting phenomenon where in some societies, the _father_ of a newborn has a "lieing-in" period while the mother who _just gave birth_ gets right back to work. I honestly kind of like it, since the idea seems to be that the man stays home and doesn't do normal hunting and fishing activities or eat meat or whatever. related:: [[religious prescriptions around birth are often useful]], [[religious rituals that make practical sense]]