2. Women Were Not Allowed To View Eclipses, Lest They Birth A Monster
The Aztecs believed that divine celestial events had a significant bearing on unborn children. In particular, they greatly feared the effects that solar eclipses would have on unborn children. The source of this belief was the Tzitzimitl, astral deities that were ordinarily harmless but turned into terrifying monsters when the sun disappeared during an eclipse. It was believed that women allowed to view the eclipse would come to be harmed by the Tzitzimitl who would turn their unborn children into monsters like themselves.
The Aztec midwives, known as tlamatlquiticitl, were responsible for ensuring the safety of pregnant women during events like eclipses. Any sign of cosmic disorder such as eclipses, comets or other strange events were taken as ill omens and a cause for pregnant women and their unborn children to be protected.
On a much more practical note to the modern mind, the tlamatlquiticitl also advised mothers, especially first-time mothers, on their health and diet. They also coached women on how to give birth, with the Aztec traditionally giving birth in a squatting position that allowed gravity to aid in the delivery. They also taught Aztec mothers how to breastfeed and ensured that the milk flowed adequately and that the infant learned how to latch on correctly.