Table 2 Summary of themes and sub-themes

Mothers’ food taboos for infants’ wellbeing

Eating green/leafy vegetables or liquid foods causes infants diarrhea

I stopped eating green and leafy vegetable since I delivered because my mother told me that it may cause diarrhea to my child (Id7p43l6-7)

Eating hot food causes infant fever

I don’t want my child to develop fever that is why I stopped eating all these hot foods like; pepper, ginger and black pepper despite I like them very well (Id14p88l15-16)

Eating snail makes infants salivate a lot

Eating snails during breastfeeding makes infants salivate a lot (Id9p55l13)

Cultural interpretation of the physical effects of breastfeeding

Weight loss is inevitable during breastfeeding

Weight loss is inevitable in breastfeeding because babies suck all the nutrients mothers eat (Id5p33l9)

Excessive sucking results to nipple inflammation

my nipples are inflamed because this child (pointing at her child) breastfeeds a lot (Id11p67l5-7)

Night breastfeeding causes morning headache

I avoid night breastfeeding because it gives me morning headache anytime I do (Id8p46l2-5)

Sitting for long time breastfeeding hurts back

…this is usual for me. I started observing it long time ago. Anytime I sit for long breastfeeding, I do encounter backache (Id8p49l19-21)

Drinking water being indispensable for infant survival

Infants cannot survive without drinking water

Oh no! Breast milk alone cannot satisfy infants taste. They also need to drink after breastfeeding to quench their taste. Not drinking water may jeopardize their life you know (Id1p9l5-7)

Weather is too hot to deny infants water

Infants cannot survive without drinking water in this hot weather… it is very hot you know! Even adults will die if they don’t drink water in this hot weather more so infants (Id16p94l7-8)

Instilling Islamic faith and shielding infants against evil spirits

Ingesting charm water immediately after birth make infants pious Muslim

I cannot exclusively breast feed because as a Muslim, the first thing I would like to give to my baby is charm water… this is what I found and this is what I have been doing (Id1p1l2-4)

Drinking charm water protects infants against evil sprit

Infants are very prone to evil spirits that is why we give charm water regularly to protect them against evil spirits. (Id3p18l11-12)

Drinking water softens babies heart and makes them calm and soft-hearted

Not drinking water causes hard-heartedness making infants merciless as they grow to adults (Id2p12l22-23)

Basing milk adequacy on breast size

Small breast size does not produce adequate breast milk

I wish my breast were big…em em I really envy mothers with big breast because they do have adequate breast milk to breast feed (Id14p89l17)

Big breast size produces adequate breast milk

I do produce adequate breast milk because I have big breast (Id8p51l2-7)

Nurturing men’s physical strength early at infancy

Starting supplementary foods early for baby boys makes them physically strong adults

I want my boy to be a strong man that is why I’m giving him food early. breast milk alone is very light for baby boys (Id18p103l7)