One thing that many new parents aren’t prepared for immediately after delivery is jaundice. It’s not always a topic that comes up during check-ups and even if it does, sometimes you’re too overwhelmed by all the information given to you that when jaundice is listed in a long list of things you might expect, it goes in one ear and right out the other.

For many of us, the only time we’ve ever heard of anyone with jaundice is from episodes of House M.D., and if it was serious enough to make repeat cameos on that show, it must be pretty bad! And when your newborn starts turning yellow, thoughts like “is it the Beijing pollution or did I not get enough sun when I was pregnant” start spinning through your head. But what is jaundice and what’s the actual cause? Our friends at Oasis International Hospital shed some light on the condition.

Jaundice is a condition commonly seen among newborns. It’s a condition that causes the skin and mucus membranes, such as the whites of the eyes and inner lining of the mouth, to become yellow. Mild jaundice normally resolves itself within one to two weeks; this is known as physiologic jaundice. Jaundice that persists and intensifies, however, is known as pathological jaundice and poses a potential risk to the baby’s health. Gaining better insight and understanding into this condition is a prudent step to alleviating unnecessary panic and worry among parents and caregivers.

What causes jaundice?

Jaundice is caused by too much bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is a natural yellow substance produced within the body. It is produced when red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body, are broken down. Bilirubin travels through our bloodstream and into the liver where it is processed on and passed out through stool and urine.

Newborns have a much higher level of red blood cells (RBCs) than adults. Fetal RBCs are being frequently replaced with mature RBCs producing more bilirubin, as much as twice an adult. Processing and removal of bilirubin from the bloodstream are slow over the first two weeks due to an underdeveloped liver.

Premature babies

A premature baby is one who is born too early, before 37 weeks of pregnancy. A premature baby is more likely than others to have jaundice because his liver is underdeveloped and may feed less, thus having fewer bowel movements resulting in less bilirubin eliminated through the stool.

Breastfed babies

Breastfeeding jaundice or breastfeeding failure occurs during an infant’s first week. This is due to insufficient milk supply that leads to dehydration. Low milk intake causes slower bilirubin elimination and increases enterohepatic circulation (description below) which contributes to the rise in bilirubin.

Breastmilk

Breastmilk contains an enzyme that inhibits the breakdown of bilirubin prolonging the elimination of jaundice in mostly exclusively breastfed babies. It is a benign condition that is harmless and requires no treatment. It is seen after the first week of life and persists beyond two weeks, clearing within 12 weeks. Breastfeeding can still continue as normal.

Contributing conditions

Pathological jaundice, mentioned above, is due to hyperbilirubinemia due to certain conditions or disease processes. This kind of jaundice requires close monitoring and prompt management to prevent complications.

Ineffective red blood cell production, a condition known as Polycythemia, also increases bilirubin production. Examples of these conditions are:

1. Infants of mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus.
2. Cephalhematoma – accumulation of blood under the scalp resulting from trauma to the baby’s head passing through a narrow birth canal. This blood accumulation causes red blood cells to be destroyed, thus increasing bilirubin levels.

Abnormally shaped red blood cells also cause jaundice as they are easily destroyed and sequestered by the body contributing to bilirubin production. Examples of this are hereditary spherocytosis.

Treatment

The correct course of jaundice treatment is determined by the cause. Jaundice is monitored through visual inspection and measurement of skin bilirubin. Elevated levels of blood bilirubin will require a blood test to determine an accurate blood bilirubin level.

Adequate hydration

Ensure adequate nutrition and hydration to prevent dehydration and enterohepatic circulation. Adequate feeding will ensure the elimination of bilirubin through the feces.

Phototherapy

This uses the radiance of light to break down bilirubin. It is a safe and effective method to treat hyperbilirubinemia. Infants should be well hydrated to ensure the elimination of bilirubin through feces.

Baby undergoing light therapy at Oasis

Exchange transfusion

Done in extreme cases when bilirubin continues to rise despite intensive phototherapy or other interventions. The infant’s blood will be replaced by a donor’s to rapidly decrease the bilirubin level.

Intravenous immuoglobin (IVIG)

This is usually given in cases of blood incompatibilities with rapidly rising bilirubin levels. It blocks the antibodies that attack and destroy red blood cells. This method can be used to reduce the need for an exchange transfusion.

KEEP READING: Feeding Success: Breastfeeding Advice from the Experts

Images: Courtesy of Oasis International Hospital

Knowing what to prepare for your newborn’s arrival is tough. You find yourself with an endless to-do-list of things to buy, stuff to research, and of course, documents to process. To help lighten the load a little, Oasis International Hospital has prepared a reference guide for Chinese and Foreign nationals, to enlighten new parents of certain documentation required for their newborns.

It is important, especially for foreign nationals, to prepare the necessary documentation, including a name for your child, well in advance of your due date. This will allow for a smoother registration and swift processing of documentation.

To obtain a birth certificate, parents must present their valid passport/ID, fill in the form prepared by the nurse, verify that all the information is correct, wait for a member of the hospital staff to process the information, then verify again that the information is correct. Once that’s done, the official birth certificate will be printed and stamped but the hospital.

Two attachments will be affixed to the bottom of the original birth cert.

Purpose of attachments:
Attachment 1
For registration purposes at the relevant Chinese authority.

Attachment 2
For hospital filing purposes only

Note: Birth certificates must be processed within the first 30 days.

Other Requirements Foreign and Multinational Couples Should Be Aware Of

Babies Born to Two Foreign Nationals

Newborn Registration & Passport:

After obtaining the birth certificate from the hospital, you must register your baby at your (or your partner’s) embassy or consulate and apply for a passport for the baby. In accordance with your countries laws, the embassy may simply add the baby to your passport, or they may issue the baby with a passport.

Visa/Resident Permit Application:

A visa or residence permit will also be required for your baby and should be applied for within 30 days of the baby’s birth. This can be done at the local Exit-Entry Administration Office of the Public Security Bureau* (address and contact info at the end).

Documents required: Parent’s passport, baby’s birth certificate, and passport (if the processing is completed). If the passport registration is still underway, explain this – and see if your embassy can provide proof that registration is ongoing.

Once your baby has a passport (or is registered on yours) and a visa or residence permit has been obtained, you will be able to take them outside China.

Babies Born to One Chinese and One Foreign National

A baby born in China to one Chinese parent and one non-Chinese parent will be automatically considered a Chinese national. China does not recognize dual nationality.

If you wish your child to remain a Chinese citizen, you should apply for:

• 户口 Hukou
• 身份证 Chinese ID card (Shenfenzheng)
• 护照（若需要出国）Chinese passport (if you’re planning on leaving China)

If you wish your baby to be registered as a national of a foreign country, you need to:

• Write the chosen nationality of your child on their birth certificate.
• Register your child at the embassy of the child’s chosen nationality.
• Apply for the child to have a passport (or be listed on the parent’s passport) for their non-Chinese parent’s country.
• Renounce your child’s Chinese citizenship.

Exit and Entry Administration Office
Beijing 北京
东城区安定门东大街2号北京市公安局出入境管理处
Exit and Entry Administration Office of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, 2 Dong Dajie, Andingmen, Dongcheng District.

Contact:  010-8402-0101
Website:  www.bjgaj.gov.cn/idn/index.jsp
Hours:     Mon-Sat, 8:30am – 4:30pmd

KEEP READING: Baby Swooning: 8 Crucial Rules For Visiting A Newborn

Images: Unsplash

For as long as I can remember I’ve always been against hiring a yuesao (月嫂) after giving birth. It’s always been my plan to take care of my newborn baby on my own, without any assistance from extended family or professionals. But, it seems like the first lesson of parenting is that you’ll be dealt curve balls that no one ever prepared for.

I’m not above admitting that I’m wrong, and when it comes to the subject of yuesaos, I was definitely wrong.

Before I hired one, I had an image of an elderly woman from somewhere in rural China shuffling around my apartment trying to force weird TCM herbal mixtures down my throat and making me avoid showers and toothbrushes for a month. There are so many old traditions when it comes to “sitting the month” (yuèzi 月子) that makes a modern girl cringe. No showering for a month? No brushing your teeth? No, thank you!

Following 25 hours of labor (and definitely unplanned infected stitches), I was in no shape to take care of myself, let alone my new baby. But thankfully, my husband had made a contingency plan and interviewed a yuesao just in case. She moved into our apartment the following day and having her around has been a game-changer.

Ms. Xiao with baby Aria

One of my biggest concerns was sanitation. I’m a germaphobe and 2020 has only made me even more conscious about sanitizing everything. Fortunately, our yuesao, Ms. Xiao, is just as big of a germaphobe as me. We got along well the moment she pulled out her own bedding and slippers upon arrival.

Then there’s the privacy issue. I’m wasn’t a fan of having a stranger move into our apartment and having to make small talk when I’m drowning in everything I needed to do. But it wasn’t what I expected at all. Not only did she respect our privacy, but she also helped take care of our daughter during the day and at night, giving my husband and I time to catch our breaths and gather our thoughts. Basically, she kept us from going insane.

And what about the weird yuezi customs that we’ve all heard about? No showering, no brushing teeth, no AC… Well, there was a bit of that. She advised me not to brush my teeth too hard but that was it. As for showering, I was allowed to shower after my stitches healed a bit, but for the first two weeks, I was a milky blob in old PJs.

Everything was made from scratch

The strangest part came when we discussed dietary needs. The Chinese beliefs and western beliefs when it comes to increasing breast milk seem to be polar opposites. In the west, it’s recommended to use ice packs when breasts are sore, but according to Ms. Xiao, the instant cold shock will actually decrease your breast milk supply. Same with food. The main ingredient in any lactation pastry in the west is oatmeal, but according to Mx. Xiao, eating a lot of oatmeal will stop your breast milk supply. How strange!

So what does a yuesao do all day? Well, unlike a regular ayi, she’s technically working 24/7 for the entire time she’s with you. She cooks everything from scratch and in the healthiest way possible. Her meals are balanced and her skill in the kitchen rivals that of most Chinese chefs. Breakfast is ready when we wake up, and she prepares me a snack around 10am, lunch around 12.30pm, another snack around 3pm, dinner around 6pm, and another snack around 7pm. She cleans the apartment and does the laundry. She helps take care of the baby during the day and at night. She passes down her years of experience to us, and it’s been incredibly helpful learning all the newborn baby hacks that she’s collected through the years after caring for 40+ babies under all types of circumstances from twins to premature babies. I watched her bond with my daughter grow as my little one lit up with smiles at her funny faces.

For moms like me who needed medical assistance after giving birth, she acted as my personal nurse. This woman was literally up in my private bits tending to my stitches multiple times a day. She basically served as a new parent’s training floaties instead of letting us jump into the deep end with no way of catching our breath.

The custom of hiring a yuesao after delivery isn’t an old tradition in China, but this new industry has truly made parenting that much easier.

Previously I had made snarky comments about how if people in other countries are able to care for their newborns on their own, what makes babies born in Beijing so high maintenance? Well, I was seriously mistaken. It’s not about being high maintenance. Sometimes, it’s about maintaining your physical and mental health. If your family isn’t here to help, then hiring a professional is the next best thing. There’s no need to try to be a super mom and do everything on your own. When you need help, the responsible thing to do is to seek it out – any way possible.

We took Ms. Xiao out for a final farewell dinner

Want to find yourself a yuesao? Companies like Mumway (好孕妈妈) has access to hundreds of yuesaos in the city and hold meet and greets every weekend where you can interview them in person. Most yuesaos only speak Chinese, but there are many who speak basic English.

KEEP READING: Helping Hands: How to hire an ayi (and other help)

Photos: Mina Yan

Milanya Zhang

Chinese/South African.
Born May 3 to Melissa Van Der Merwe and Jiaguang Zhang at Oasis International Hospital

Nicole Dudnyk

Ukrainian.
Born May 22 to Anastasiia Dudnyk and Ihor Dudnyk at Peking University First Hospital of Mother and Child

Victoria Smidt

German and Russian.
Born June 6 to Elena Smidt and Maximilian Smidt at Beijing United Family Hospital

Remy Thomas James Kasibante-Page

British/Ugandan.
Born Jun 9 to Victoria Peace Kasibante and Daniel John Page at Beijing United Family Hospital

Pechatnov Alexander

Russian.
Born on Dec 1 to Alexandra Pechatnova and Alexey Pechatnov at Global Care Hospital

Bella Eisler Hoffman

Brazilian/Swedish.
Born July 15 to Livia Eisler Hoffman and Per Hoffman at Beijing United Family Hospital

KEEP READING: New Arrivals: Say Hello to Beijing’s Smallest 

Images: Courtesy of parents

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 September issue

Alexander Pechatnov
Russian.
Born on Dec 1 to Alexandra Pechatnova and Alexey Pechatnovat at Beijing Global Care Women & Children’s Hospital.

Michael Richter
Austrian/German.
Born on May 25 to Brigitte Bonn and Andreas Richter at Beijing United Family Hospital.

Kayden James Zhao
Chinese/American.
Born on Mar 24 to Megan Crosby and Zhao Jian at Aiyuhua Capital Healthcare Hospital.

Charlotte Edith Gordon
British/Chinese.
Born on Dec 7 to Ian Gordon and Sinead Zhao at Global Care Women & Children Hospital.

Sara Apolline Amal Feche
French/Russian. Born on Jan 29 to Florian Feche and Jeanne Nurpeisova at Oasis International Hospital.

KEEP READING: Want to Share Your Baby Announcement?

Photos: courtesy of parents

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 August issue

Owen Douglas Lilian Wade

French/British. Born on Apr 13 to Segolene Ekoto and Ian Wade at Oasis International Hospital

Enyu Wang

Chinese. Born on May 15 to Shang Yanyu and Wang Zan at Beijing Ditan Hospital

Frankie Adeline Cochran-Tucker

American. Born on Mar 23 to Elizabeth Tucker and Kelli Cochran at Spectrum Butterworth Hospital

Muhammad Zaviyar Ali

Pakistani. Born on Mar 29 to Tanzeel Huma and Muhammad Ashraf Ali at Hongxing Hospital

Eva Lee Heidemann

South African. Born May 17 to Jamie Bassett and Roland Heidemann at Oasis International Hospital

KEEP READING: Want to Share Your Baby Announcement?

Photos: courtesy of parents

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 June issue

If there is one thing I’ve learned in the last few months, it’s that the sight of a pregnant belly brings out strange impulses in people. Suddenly, everyone’s an expert on my pregnancy and my baby, except me. It’s not that I don’t appreciate pregnancy hacks and advice, but when I’m constantly getting unsolicited advice on how I should be feeling and what I should be doing, it can get a bit irritating. Superstitions and cultural-specific wisdom, like “you need to eat three boiled goose eggs in your first trimester so that your baby won’t get sick” and “you need to eat lots of grapes so that your baby has big beautiful eyes” are one thing, but perhaps the thing that irritates me the most is all the “oh let me tell you how you’re going to feel” advice from my single male friends. Sorry, but I really don’t need pregnancy mansplained to me.

So that got me thinking, if these guys are so eager to shell out pregnancy advice, maybe they should get a taste of what this whole process actually like. When I discovered that some of Beijing’s maternity hospitals, including Oasis International Hospital actually offer men the chance to experience labor with the childbirth simulation machines, I just had to see this for myself.

It doesn’t look intimidating, but it is…

If you’ve never heard of one before, a labor simulator is a machine with shock pads that are placed where the ovaries are (or would be, for men) and deliver a mild shock for about five minutes. The machine has 10 levels and the nurse controlling the machine can gradually increase the shock level from one to 10. According to the team at Oasis, it’s very rare to see a man make it all the way to level 10. Most give up around levels three or four.

So What Does the Childbirth Simulator Feel Like?

To see the machine in action, we hooked up Oasis International Hospital’s Outreach & Communications Coordinator Joshua Hiller. Thanks for being a good sport!

Getting a firm grip on the couch…

A few seconds into level two Hiller tells us “it feels like someone’s pressing on my groin area and it’s going up to my stomach. It’s slightly ticklish. I can feel the electroshocks going up and down my body.” Level two doesn’t seem so bad…

Turning the machine up to level three and we could start seeing beads of sweat on Hiller’s forehead. “It feels like there’s tightening around my groin and legs. There’s shock going through my whole body” says Hiller through gritted teeth. By level five “the pain jumps around my whole body” and Hiller calls it quits. “Simulation failed” the machine loudly announces. Basically this means that Hiller gave up when his imaginary baby had just started crowning.

“I need an epidural…”

According to the Mayo Clinic, each birthing experience is different and active labor can last four to eight hours or more. This is when the cervix starts to dilate and your contractions become stronger. During our little experiment, Hiller only lasted about 10 minutes with the childbirth simulator, although that was probably long enough to give him a bit of perspective on what giving birth is really like.

At Oasis International Hospital the labor simulation machine is a complimentary experience available for all expecting parents and staff encourage expecting dads to make an appointment to try it, so they can better understand what their partner will be going through in a few short months. But it’s not only for dads: moms-to-be are also encouraged to try it, as the simulation machine can give you a taste of what labor pains feels like, although the real thing is a much deeper and longer experience.

Aside from Hillier, we spoke to a few other men who have tested out the labor simulation machine, and they said that it was a whole different type of pain that what they’ve ever experienced before. Just a few short minutes of being hooked up to the labor simulator, and they confessed to feeling exhausted like they’ve just ran a marathon, saying that no amount of workouts or time under a tattoo needle could have ever prepared them for it.

To watch Hiller’s experience with the labor simulator click on the photo below:

Oasis International Hospital is a full-service private hospital with international standard medical care. Its medical team provides patient-centered care in a comforting and stress free atmosphere. Oasis offers a full array of inpatient and outpatient services under one roof. Departments include dental, dermatology, emergency care, ENT, mental health, OB/GYN, orthopedics, opthalmology, pediatrics, surgery, traditional Chinese medicine, urology, and more. The state-of-the-art hospital features surgical theaters, ER, ICU, NICU, and a medical imaging center with MRI and CT. Homelike private rooms and delivery suites offer comfort, safety, and privacy for patients and their guests. Direct billing is available for most insurance providers.

9 Jiuxianqiao Beilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区酒仙桥北路9号
Mon-Sat 8.30am-5.30pm (some clinics open from 8.30am-12.30pm), daily 24hrs emergency care
Tel: 400 UR OASIS (876 2747)

KEEP READING: Pregnancy Diary: Why Gender Reveal Parties Aren’t a Thing in China

Sources: www.mayoclinic.org

Photos: Uni You, Christian Bowen on Unsplash

Even before I found out that I was pregnant I’ve always enjoyed watching ‘gender reveal’ videos on Instagram and YouTube. A phenomenon that has become popular in recent years, especially in the US, a ‘gender reveal’ event is when instead of telling the parents the sex of their child, the doctor writes down the sex of the baby in a sealed envelope, which the parents then pass to a bakery or party supply store so that they can prepare a surprise gift that reveals the sex of the child. At the ensuing party, if their cake or balloon or whatever they ordered is blue, they know that they are having a boy, if the inside is pink, they’re having a girl.

Cute right? But if you’re pregnant in China and have your heart set on creating an Insta-perfect gender reveal party moment of surprise for you and your spouse, you’re out of luck. Gender reveal parties just aren’t a thing in China for one main reason: your doctor will never write down the sex of your baby because it’s illegal.

This law dates back to 1979 when China established it’s famous one-child policy. Chinese families desperately wanted boys over girls, leading to sex-selective abortion which in turn, affected the human sex ratio – the relative number of males to females in a given age group. To try to mitigate the practice, hospitals in China forbade doctors from telling parents the sex of their bundle of joy. But you think it’s totally impossible, you should know that just because disclosing the sex of a baby is not allowed, it doesn’t mean curious parents haven’t been finding ways around it.

My Dad worked as a surgeon at Harbin’s Armed Forces Hospital back in the 80s before immigrating to the US, and told me about how Chinese couples would sneak in gifts to their doctor or use whatever guanxi* they could to help them find out. But what about today?

At my international hospital in Beijing, while my doctor still technically isn’t allowed to tell me the sex of my baby, it’s an open secret that we can ask in some sort of indirect way. The most common questions to ask are “Doc, do you think we should buy pants or dresses for our baby?” and “Doc, do you think we should paint our nursery blue or pink?”, and for the parents with a sense of humor who aren’t afraid to watch their doctor crack up during the ultrasound, even “Doc, does my baby come with a handle?”

While it’s still not possible to surprise yourself with a gender reveal party, you can still enjoy some of the fun by throwing a party for your family or close friends though not without a bit of trial and error! I tried it, and here’s how it went for me:

Third Time’s The Charm!

After finding out that we’ll be having a little girl, I decided to organize a little gender reveal for close friends and family anyway. Instead of us finding out with them, they’ll just be the ones who are surprised.

First Attempt:

I planned a dinner with my two closest female friends in which they’d pop a black balloon and pink confetti would fall out. Not only did the dinner get canceled because of a freak thunderstorm, but when we opened the balloon box the next day, but the balloon maker had also completely missed the point, and put pink confetti in a see-through gold balloon and filled the bottom of the box with pink tissue paper. Not exactly the dramatic effect we’d been hoping for.

First failed attempt

Second Attempt:

For my mother-in-law, I had originally planned on making a chocolate ball filled with pink-colored candy. She’d crack the ball and, voila, discover that she’ll be welcoming a little granddaughter in October. It sounded nice and simple in my head, but when it came time to make the chocolate ball, I discovered just now difficult the task actually was. I burned my first batch of chocolate, and when I finally managed to get the melted chocolate into the mold I discovered that they were stuck. Not just a little stuck, where it would come loose if I banged it really hard on the countertop, but seriously stuck together with no way of separating the two. After this experience, I’m never criticizing flustered amateur chefs while watching any kind of competitive cooking show every again! In the kitchen, things don’t always turn out the way you plan.

There’s no getting this chocolate out… 

Third and Final Attempt:

I contacted party supplies and planning company Twozi Balloons and had a proper gender reveal balloon made. My husband and I took my mother-in-law out for lunch and called my dad in California via WeChat for our final attempt at giving our family a memorable gender reveal. Thankfully, this time it went off without a hitch.

A true, modern-day family photo

KEEP READING:  What to Expect When Expecting in China 

Photos: Mina Yan, amazon.com, madeformums.com

*Guanxi is a Chinese term used to describe the dynamic of personalized social networks of and relationships.

Every month we welcome the smallest new members of the Beijing community. Meet this month’s New Arrivals!

Want to share your new arrival with our readers? Send us a photo (at least 1MB in size) of your little one, along with their first and last name, nationality, where they were born, and the parents names.

Due to space constraints, we will only publish photos of babies born in Beijing in the last 12 months.

Sofia Soni
Mexican/Australian. Born on Jun 14 to Sarah Bell and Hector Soni at Oasis International Hospital

Neo Tamay Guemuesel
German. Born on May 7 to Borjana Lambreva and Baran Tankut Guemuesel at Oasis International Hospital

Quentin Grady Durnin-Wen
American. Born on Jan 3 to Meredith C. Wen and Matthew Durnin at Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital

Shuran Zhao
Chinese. Born on Mar 11 to Xiaorong Dong and Guilong Zhao at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital of Capital Medical University

Zixi Yu
Chinese. Born on Jan 29 to Amy Zhao and Zexun Yu at Maternal and Child Health Hospital Beijing

KEEP READING: New Arrivals in October 2019 

Photos: courtesy of parents

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 May issue