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 unswingingly, talk softly, etc. By doing
so, the foetus 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 foetus. 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 foetus no good but
harm.

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.