Pregnancy

My partner, Guo Jian, has been priming me for the “moon month” or zuo yuezi (坐月子).

When my in-laws were here a couple of weeks ago (the precursor to their more permanent visit before the baby’s arrival) and we were downstairs helping to unload the car, a perfect stranger noticed my advanced pregnant shape, the presence of parental figures and Guo Jian and I helping them with their things. This stranger very confidently turned to Guo Jian and half-asked and half-stated, “Your parents have come to help you through the moon month?” To this woman, there could be nothing more obvious. Guo Jian just smiled and nodded. His parents glowed with pride.

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New parents know that feelings of intense isolation can emerge when they bring home that “tiny, needy, crying, confusing” baby. Add a set of powerful language and cultural barriers, and that isolation can seem even more daunting. The good news is, the Internet can help. According to a research study led by a new father, blogging can help overcome those parenting blues.

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Slate is on fire this month! Hot on the heels of a feature about C-sections, the magazine published a story called “The truth about epidurals” last Wednesday. Author Melinda Wenner Moyer says that women face a slew of conflicting statements when it comes to epidurals. On one hand, the injections contribute to “the over-medicalization of motherhood.” On the other, pregnant women must face the prospect of squeezing “a head the size of a grapefruit through [their] much-smaller-than-a-grapefruit-sized vagina.” What’s a smart, informed, and totally not panicked future mom to do?

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In a Slate article called “Cesarean Nation: Why do nearly half of Chinese women deliver babies via C-section?”, author and journalist Mara Hvistendahl looks at the reasons behind China’s skyrocketing cesarean rates. Between 2007 and 2008, a whopping 46 percent of Chinese babies were born via C-section – the highest documented rate in the world. This number is three times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended 15 percent threshold.

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Chinese media reports that police in Shenzhen captured a woman selling a list containing the personal information of around 150,000 newborn babies on a busy overpass. What’s worse, the list included the phone numbers of the babies’ parents as well as information on the families’ residences, vehicle registration and other personal details.

Each set of personal family data was being hawked for anywhere between RMB 2 to 8 (and in some cases, even as low as 1 mao), and many area parents had reportedly been receiving “harassing” phone calls from maternity supply, medical and insurance companies.

Shenzhen isn’t the only city where this kind of activity is going on – illicit sales involving lists of personal data is big business across the country (witness the ridiculous amount of SMS spam you receive each day) – but what’s most alarming is that “newborn data lists” are being sold around Beijing as well, something to which I can personally attest.

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The State Council of Legislative Affairs is considering tweaking China's official maternity leave policy and is currently soliciting input from the public, according to a report on msn.com's Chinese-language news site.

Under the proposal, which would replace the current policy that was effected in 1988, the number of maternity leave days would be increased from "90 days to 14 weeks" (98 days). Other stipulations include two additional weeks off for "difficult births," and two extra weeks off for each baby if you have multiple babies. Women who suffer miscarriages (or undergo abortions) in their first four months of pregnancy can also get a minimum of two paid weeks off and after four months, it goes up to six full paid weeks.

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On the ride home to Ciyunsi Qiao a few weeks ago, a pregnant young woman walked onto the 740 bus. She sat next to an old lady who took a lively interest in her belly. Their conversation went something like this. 

• Old woman: "When are you due?"
• Young woman: "About two months from now.”
• Old woman (in a raised voice): "You're already seven months pregnant? Your baby bump is too small!

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School is back in session, autumn has arrived, and beijingkids is here to present our latest October issue on pregnancy. Giving birth in Beijing can be a scary thought at first, especially if you don’t know where to start – so we’ve rounded up a great selection of international and Chinese hospitals for moms-to-be. For new moms, Jennifer Bushman brings you a 9-month countdown with what to expect during your pregnancy, while nutritionist Olivia Lee provides updated advice on pregnancy nutrition. If you’re in need of a helping hand, pick up some tips from Charlotte Moreau on how to find a great ayi for both your home and your family. And if you’re thinking of expanding your family from three to four, read about how to speak with your first child about an incoming sibling.

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Finally, news that isn't completely depressing (or related to a food scandal)!

Infant deaths in China have dropped dramatically due to the higher number of hospital births, according to the medical journal The Lancet.

A recent report found that newborn deaths declined by 62 percent between 1996 and 2008. The shift was credited not to China’s rising wealth, but instead to the Chinese government.

In 2000, the Ministry of Health started a nation-wide drive to promote hospital births, especially in rural areas. As a result, the government set up a fund to help pregnant rural women make the trip to a hospital. According to official numbers, almost nine million women got such help in 2010. 

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Autumn has been kicking into gear and with it, the BeijingKids forums - here are some highlights from the past few weeks - feel free to join in the discussion!

The challenge of giving birth in a Chinese hospital: getting a 母子健康档案

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