www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology 40 days after child birth

Dear Friends,

Hopefully, by the Grace of God, our child will be born over this weekend. Jackie's due date is Sept 15th.
I was wondering what the significance is of the Mother staying home for 40 days and then the couple bring the 6 week old child to the Church for a blessing (?) and presentation to the altar.
I noticed that when we brought Ava over 3 years ago, there was another couple as well with a son. The son was taken up past the Iconostasis and around the Holy Altar, while Ava was only taken to the entrance. Is this because males can become "Servants of God's Ministry"

Thanks


Brad - a nervous by calm expecting father.

PS. I shall keep you all informed when baby "X" arrives.

Brad - a common tradition is for the priest to come to the hospital and say the prayers for mother and child on the day of birth. On the eighth day the baby is named and "dedicated" (which can be done at home or church); on the 40th the mother is churched and the baby baptized. It is a wonderful custom; I have done that with my children and I recommend it if practicable.

As to the source of these traditions - the Jewish child is circumcised on the eighth day, and the mother can return to the temple for the ritual purification after 40 days, so these are essentially remnant practices from the Old Testament. Of course 40 has lots of other numerical significance, Old as well as New Testament.

In some traditions such as the Ethiopian, these prescriptions are rigidly adhered to.
Our Macedonian friends have a cool custom: noone knows the name of the child until the eighth day service, when the godfather tells all the name publicly during the service. The parents entrust the naming to the "kum" or godfather and they even don't know until the eighth day, and no one visits the mother except female friends and sisters during the 40 days.

Obviously if the child is seriously ill or in danger of death, etc. it is not practical to
wait.

Prayers for mother and child (and Dad as well).
FDD

Hi,

In Hispanic countries the 40-day tradition has almost no religious significance.

Mother and child may come back to church any time they want, no further "purification" ritual is needed.

Also, in the Latin Church there is less and less hurry to baptize a newborn.

We took Cristina to Baptism exactly two months after her birth (she was born on November 5th and baptized January 5th, the eve of the feast of the Epiphany according to the Latin calendar).

Guillermo was born on December 5th and Jose on December 28th (the following year), the were both baptized on Pascha, Guillermo after the day Mass and Jose during the Vigil. In both cases that was 3-4 months after their birth.

Sill, new moms observe 40 days of rest, quality time with their babies and usually no or very little marital life.

Prayers for you, your wife and your child.

Shalom,
Memo

Dear Memo you said:

I say:

I think there are health concerns involved here. I know that nowadays, women are supposed to continue their activity a few days after birth, yet it could be dangerous. Before the forty days are up, if a women is too active, they can start hemoraging. Something that can be detrimental to one's physical health as well as weakening their nervous system. I also think it offerred some protection to the baby's health.

As for the Church, I seem to recall my mother, aunts and grandmother talking about supernatural situations or encounters happening to a women and baby if they went out of the house before being blessed by the priest. I guess one would have to ask a priest...but not a 'modern' one.

Zenovia

The Syriac and Indian Churches practice the 40 days for male children, 80 for female children as per the prescriptions of Moses.

Hi,

I've seen studies showing that, effectively, observing the "cuarentena" after childbirth has a tremendous positive impact in the physical and mental health of both the mother and the child.

I think God only wants good things for us, so whatever He prescribes for is is for our own good.

That much He loves us.

Shalom,
Memo

Thank you all for your replies.

very informative.


Brad