Judy,

I appreciated your post on breastfeeding and respecting cultures.  As part
Native American I know we have (had) a similiar practice to the Jewish one
of not having anything in the house for the baby till a safe delivery.

For Plains Indians it was custom for the mother and new baby to live alone
in their own tepee for the first month.  They were visited and taken care of
by one of the female elders of the village.  If the mother and child were
doing well at the end of the month the baby was welcomed into the community
in a ceremony and a name given to the child.  Only then did the child
receive gifts.  If the child did not survive, it was buried without
recognition and the mother rejoined her family.

I think it is important to realize that other cultures have traditions that
need to be respected and that we may not always be aware of them.  It would
be easy to say the wrong thing to someone by assuming that their background
is the same as our own.

Diane Karnbach, LLLL
Virginia Beach, VA