Culture And Traditions Culture and traditions relating to pregnancy and childbirth. Part of the "Beginnings" series.

Special Series

Culture And Traditions

Culture and traditions relating to pregnancy and childbirth. Part of the "Beginnings" series.

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In Bolivia, Strollers Compete With Baby Slings

A young child wrapped in an aguayo, a traditional sling, on mother's back in La Paz, Bolivia. Anthony Cassidy/Getty Images hide caption

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Anthony Cassidy/Getty Images

In Bolivia, Strollers Compete With Baby Slings

August 5, 2011 • Today, some young people in Bolivia have mixed feelings about carrying their babies in traditional bundles, known as aguayos. They want to be considered more Western, or "modern," and would rather push strollers. But it's causing tension with their mothers, who say they're abandoning indigenous tradition.

At 7 Days, Egyptian Babies Mark First Rite Of Passage

Israa Saad Diab lifts the cover from her son Hamza's face, while her husband, Ibrahim Muhammad, watches, after the traditional Sebou ceremony in Mansoura, Egypt, on May 27. Holly Pickett for NPR hide caption

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Holly Pickett for NPR

At 7 Days, Egyptian Babies Mark First Rite Of Passage

July 29, 2011 • In Egypt, families hold a ritual called the Sebou to formally acknowledge their baby to the world. The tradition dates back to the Pharaonic times. But since the revolution earlier this year, which affected the economy, the ceremonies have been tempered.

Songs For The Delivery Room: One Woman's Playlist

Alison MacAdam with her son, Abe, about eight months after she put this mix to use. Courtesy of the MacAdam family hide caption

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Courtesy of the MacAdam family

Songs For The Delivery Room: One Woman's Playlist

July 29, 2011 • Given the chance to make a soundtrack for one of life's most profound moments, a beat was a must.

Opinion

Circumcision: Rite Faces Modern Concerns

July 25, 2011 • While the majority of Jewish parents still opt to circumcise their boys, a small but growing number are wavering. The stories of two families show the conflict between the power of tradition and creeping doubts about the necessity of the ritual.

Wrapped In Memories: Baby's First Blanket

Last week, NPR asked for photos of newborns with the pink-and-blue-striped flannel blanket. We received close to 2,000 photos, from almost every state in the U.S. NPR hide caption

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NPR

Beginnings: Pregnancy, Childbirth and Beyond

Wrapped In Memories: Baby's First Blanket

July 22, 2011 • In hospitals across the U.S,, newborn babies are swaddled in the same pink-and-blue-striped flannel blanket at birth. We asked you for photos of your babies in this blanket and received an amazing response: close to 2,000 of them from 45 states and the District of Columbia.

For Chinese Moms, Birth Means 30 Days In Pajamas

New parents Wu Lili (left) and Mo Shiwei hold their 29-day-old baby boy. The new mom is staying at the Weige center in Beijing, which provides luxury accommodation and 24-hour nursing staff to woman who are participating in the Chinese tradition of "sitting the month." Andrea Hsu/NPR hide caption

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Andrea Hsu/NPR