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Birth and initiation rituals
- Traditionally, in the East a husband did not attend a birth while in the West the Hindu husband may wish to be present.
- Hindu women breastfeed their children within their own culture.
- Community members may visit the mother and newborn child and normally they bring gifts for the baby.
Essential Practice Point 8
- Many Hindus consult their horoscope (placing of the planets, stars, etc., at the moment of birth) at various times throughout their lives. Noting the exact time of a baby's birth is important to precisely determine the child's horoscope.
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- On the 10th day after birth the child is named, blessed and given a Hindu name. This ritual is called Namkaran Sanskar.
Foetal, infant and child death
Miscarriage and stillbirth may be sensitive issues for a Hindu woman and her family. There may be beliefs that the events were influenced by karmic processes. The woman and her family may prefer to deal with the matters privately and quietly.
Traditional death rituals, including the preparation of the body, are carried out on foetuses that die from the third month onward, infants and children. Follow the guidelines above.
