'People in Anatolia resort to a number of practices, to protect against the mother or baby-snatcher, who is believed to live in stables, haylofts, mills, deserted ruins, wells, water sources and places where women in accouchement and newborn babies are left alone.'
((n.) Delivery in childbed)
Origin:
Late 18th century: French, from accoucher ‘act as midwife’, from a- (from Latin ad ‘to, at’) + coucher ‘put to bed’ (see couch).