Nyob nruab hlis : thirty days confinement in Hmong culture

Childbirth, including the period immediately following birth, is an event in which traditions play an important part (Symonds 1991; Liamputtong Rice 2000; Liamputtong 2004, 2007a, b). It is seen as “a dangerous and liminal period when a new mother and her newborn are in an ‘in-between’ world” (Symonds 1991: 265). The childbirth process is often characterized by unpredictability, tension and danger (Symonds 1991). Hence, there are many rules that women and their families must adhere to in order to avoid negative consequences. In this liminal stage, women are often segregated from the society at large (Turner 1979).