In China, once pregnancy is confirmed, the entire family becomes overly cautious, imposing a long list of pregnancy taboos. In contrast, expectant mothers abroad seem to swim, drive, and travel without much change from their usual routines. Both are having babies—why is one filled with anxiety and suffering, while the other carries on as if it were an ordinary matter? Could cultural differences truly create such a stark contrast in pregnancy habits between the two countries?
I. Chinese Expectant Mothers and Their Numerous Taboos
· Diet: No cold foods, no spicy foods; no seafood, no fast food. If the mother-in-law or mother lives at home, she typically enforces these dietary restrictions.
· Work: No overtime, no excessive fatigue, no business trips... essentially, the mother-to-be is treated as a protected species.
· Housework: Doing chores at home? The husband won't allow it. Sit comfortably on the sofa—after all, a queen for ten months deserves to be pampered with delicious food and drink.
· Intimacy: In China, intimacy is off-limits.
·Household Chores: Doing chores at home? Husbands won't allow it. Sit comfortably on the sofa—a ten-month queen demands to be pampered with fine food and drink.
·Intimacy: In China, intimacy during pregnancy is generally discouraged. Husbands endure months of abstinence—anywhere from two or three months to over a year. It's mind-boggling.
·Travel: Pregnant women travel with multiple escorts; attempting to drive alone will likely face prolonged family opposition.
·Exercise: Physical activity is largely forbidden during pregnancy. At most, you might take a short walk outside—but only with someone accompanying you, for fear of bumps or knocks. Activities like running, swimming, or tennis are purely for watching.
· Radiation-protective clothing: In China, whether a woman is pregnant and deserves a seat on the subway or bus is often judged by whether she wears radiation-protective clothing.
· Postpartum confinement: Chinese mothers treat postpartum confinement as a major life event. The first month after childbirth involves numerous strict rules: bed rest, no hair washing, no exposure to drafts, and so on.
II. American Pregnant Women with Virtually No Restrictions
After becoming pregnant, American women continue their normal routines beyond basic precautions.
· Diet: They eat what they normally do, avoiding tobacco and alcohol. Since Americans often take vitamins anyway, they might add targeted supplements during pregnancy.
· Work: They commute and work as usual.
· Household Chores: Washing dishes, mopping floors, doing laundry, picking up children—some even mow their own lawns. They generally continue their usual activities unless medically advised otherwise.
· Spousal Intimacy: No intercourse during the first and last trimesters; normal during the middle.· Travel: Driving, flying, taking the subway, cycling—it's all fair game. There are even stories of women calmly driving themselves to the hospital after their water broke. · Exercise: Keep moving. Most American women who exercised before pregnancy maintain moderate activity like jogging or calisthenics. Some powerhouses don't even notice a difference in their workout routines.
· No radiation-protective clothing: Radiation-protective garments are not popular in the U.S. I've never seen American pregnant women wearing them. Maternity-specific radiation-protective clothing is scarce in the American market, and major maternity and baby product websites don't carry them.
· No postpartum confinement: I've never seen American women observe traditional postpartum confinement after childbirth. American moms typically rest for a few days or a week post-delivery before resuming normal activities. Bathing and washing hair are no big deal—asking an American woman to go a month without washing her hair or taking a shower would be like asking her to die.
III. Differences in Pregnancy Habits Between Chinese and American Mothers
1. Pre-pregnancy: American moms advocate exercise; Chinese moms prioritize rest
Both groups take folic acid and undergo checkups during preconception. The key difference is that American women engage in moderate-intensity exercise like running, swimming, or cycling before trying to conceive. Chinese elders, however, advise expecting mothers to rest as much as possible.Additionally, American expectant mothers undergo dental checkups to ensure oral health. Chinese women, however, often lack awareness of dental care and rarely visit dentists.
2. During Pregnancy: American Moms Keep Active; Chinese Moms Avoid Heavy Labor, Even Resting Completely for Fetal Safety
American OB-GYNs often encourage exercise, noting that babies move when their mothers are active. Yet once pregnant, many Chinese women not only stop exercising but also avoid household chores, preferring to lie in bed for 20 hours a day to protect their pregnancy.
3. American Moms: Pets Stay Care-Free;Chinese expectant mothers: Many abandon their dogs and cats. Chinese people have long believed that owning cats can cause miscarriages. Many expectant mothers and those planning pregnancy are told their pets are dangerous because they can transmit toxoplasmosis, a parasite that is harmful to the fetus. While it's true that toxoplasmosis infection can cause complications for pregnant women and even lead to miscarriage,Yet there are multiple routes of Toxoplasma infection, with cats (and their feces) being just one. Other animals cannot actively spread Toxoplasma oocysts; the primary transmission route is ingesting raw meat containing live Toxoplasma parasites. Avoiding raw foods and strictly separating raw and cooked ingredients in the kitchen easily eliminates this transmission route.Chinese Pregnant Women: During the confinement period, they often go without bathing or brushing teeth. The confinement period lasts at least 42 days, not just one month! After childbirth, the body's organs begin to return to their pre-pregnancy state—this period is called the puerperium. However, it's crucial not to remain seated or lying down for extended periods during confinement, as this is detrimental to health! Once the body can tolerate it, it's important to start getting out of bed and moving around as soon as possible after delivery.For vaginal births, walking and postpartum exercises can begin the next day. For C-sections, consult your doctor before starting postpartum exercises.
Chinese women giving birth abroad: After a vaginal delivery, once the perineal tear is sutured, you can shower in the delivery room before returning to your ward. Even after a C-section, doctors will still require you to shower the next day—it's non-negotiable (of course, the incision is bandaged and waterproof). Nurses assist during showers, and hospitals provide ice water for medication intake.
5. American Moms: Back to Normal After Birth; Chinese Moms: Prone to Unsubstantiated "Postpartum Confinement" Beliefs
American moms resume normal activities post-delivery, while Chinese moms often follow traditional postpartum customs passed down by elders. These include avoiding vegetables and fruits deemed too "cooling" or using rice wine to stimulate lactation.In reality, these so-called customs are harmful to new mothers. They should consume essential vitamins from vegetables and fruits to prevent constipation and hemorrhoids. Rice wine, containing alcohol, can affect the baby's brain development.
6. American mothers: Use computers and phones without hesitation; Chinese mothers: Fear radiation and wear protective clothing.
While radiation from phones and computers exists, its minimal levels are virtually imperceptible to the fetus. Medically recognized radiation causing fetal deformities refers to strong industrial or medical radiation like X-rays, which pose risks to anyone. Thus, the radiation-proof clothing worn by Chinese pregnant women serves no purpose beyond generating profits for manufacturers.