| Duration of attachment |
“The time it takes, means it’s the time the lady takes to have her period.” (IDI 8) |
50 year old, female untrained TBA, Choma |
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“It depends on [the] tribe, but […] it takes the length of time you take during your menses.” (FGD 14) |
Age unknown, breastfeeding mother, Mazabuka |
| Longer durations |
“If it doesn’t drop fast, then there will be dirty air going through the umbilical [cord] and this will cause problem inside the baby. It's better that it drops off quickly so that it closes.” (FGD 24) |
Age unknown, grandmother, Monze FGD participant |
|
“Shorter time is good, three days; the reason why I have said this is the longer the cord takes to separate, the mother will have more pains.” (FGD 27) |
Age unknown, breastfeeding mother, Monze |
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“If the cord takes more than 5 days and goes up to 7 days or more to fall, at that stage the baby starts even to give you a smile, this baby is growing and this baby starts to recognize people. This is taboo to the village. This cord needs to drop while the baby is very very small […] The village will be frightened if this happens.” (FGD 19) |
Age unknown, TBA, Monze FGD participant |
| Precautionary measures |
“The mother has to remain in the house until the cord drops. They say if the mother comes out, then she will start cooking and doing other things, so she's not allowed. Before the cord falls off, the mother is not supposed to handle anything in the kitchen. Or even put salt in food. That’s why they are kept separately in the bedroom […] It is believed if she puts salt in the food and some males eat from that food they will have a terrible chronic cough.” (FGD 36) |
Age unknown, Midwife TBA, Livingstone FGD participant |
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“The baby is not supposed to be seen by people until the cord drops.” (FGD 14) |
Age unknown, breastfeeding mother, Mazabuka FGD participant |
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“If a pregnant woman comes to see this baby, the baby will have a cracked fontanel, so this baby should remain in the house so that people don't go in to see the baby.” (IDI 34) |
55 year old, male traditional healer, Livingstone |
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“Those people who come to see the baby are the ones who cause the cord to delay to drop. If also the father has got another woman somewhere, than it will bring ‘masoto’ (bad air or spirits) and it will also delay the cord to drop.” (IDI 17) |
39 year old, male traditional healer, Mazabuka |
