Traditionally in China,
when once people got married, they would immediately get
ready for having a baby. That is why symbolic things
such as dolls or lotus seeds would be put on the beds of
the newly weds on their wedding day so as to bring in
the meaning of having a baby as soon as possible.
When once a married
woman becomes pregnant, things for the baby will start
to be prepared. Prams, cot, baby clothes, etc will be
readily prepared to welcome the arrival of the new born.
From now on, the health
of the mother is of utmost importance. Therefore, the
mother should reduce her workload, eat healthily, and
employ prenatal education. Prenatal education has come
into being for over 2000 years in China. It was believed
that a good pregnant mother should eat only meat which
was cut only in square cubes, sit only on properly built
chairs, walk without a sway, talk softly, etc. By doing
so, the fetus would be able to learn the most valued
virtues. Although in present days the above mentioned
practice is no longer common, pregnant women in China
still behave very carefully so as not to do anything
which affects the fetus. Still now most people believe
that the structure of the house or flat should not be
changed while a woman in the house is pregnant since it
will cause the fetus no good but harm.
Chinese Pregnancy-
The first month after giving birth
The first month after
giving birth is very important for a mother. She needs
the most rest and the best nutrition. Otherwise, her
body will not be able to recover and can easily get ill.
In this month, she can't go outdoors, can't be exposed
to wind, can't wash with cold water, can't drink cold
water, can't read books etc. However, if a mother really
has to wash herself, she should do so by using water
boiled with dried ginger skin. In some places in China,
a mother must not wash her hair because otherwise she
will get a chronic headache.
Compared to the west,
western women can leave home after a week of giving
birth and can go to work after two weeks. It is
unimaginable in China.
In China, after giving
birth, a woman should eat plenty of fish soup and pig
knuckle soup. The pig knuckle soup is boiled for a long
time with ingredients such as a lot ginger, eggs, pig
knuckles in plenty of sweet black vinegar. It is
believed that this soup can compensate for the loss of
calcium and other nutrients needed by the body. It is a
tradition to give out and share such soup to friends and
relatives but one can only do so twelve days after the
baby is born. Chicken is also ideal for meals after
giving birth. In order to help a mother to recover from
giving birth, it is recommended that she should eat rice
cooked with ginger daily since it can enhance all bodily
circulation. Apart from the above, it is also a
tradition that after the baby has been born for one
lunar month, eggs dyed red should be given to friends
and relatives. However, anything salty should be avoided
since it will hinder the production of breast milk of a
mother.
It is only after the
baby has weaned then the mother can start considering
controlling her body weight.
Some practices may seem
quite unimaginable. However, they are still practiced in
most places in China. Even in Hong Kong, women would
follow the above traditions as long as family
expectations are involved.
Are looking for more information on pregnancy, or other medical related
information such as diabetes, or controlling cholestorol,
Would like to find more information on
pregnancy,
or other womens health issues? You can find
medical
information on
diabetes, or
breast
cancer at healthline.com
About The Author
Wong Yee Lee
This article was produced by Asia Dragon. Visit us at
