Xi'an May 2002
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Chinese culture includes many rules for new mothers and their babies.

First of all, concerning the baby, Chinese babies are traditionally wrapped like a cocoon at birth. The cloth is square, with the baby’s head placed in one corner; each of the other three corners, beginning at the bottom, are folded over to enclose the baby, and then tied in a criss-cross pattern with string. Of course, the wrapping has to be removed periodically for obvious purposes, but apparently this wrapping custom is followed for one month. These days, I gather maybe most babies are not kept in this kind of cocoon after coming home from the hospital or, anyway, not for a month. The baby of my friend, pictured above, was not quite three weeks old and he is wearing a store-bought baby jumper I had sent before he was born.

But many customs regarding the mother’s limitations are still followed. According to several of my student sources, they include:

 CARE OF MOTHER

• Stay out of direct wind, even that of a fan or an air conditioner (of course, this applies to the baby also)

• Can’t sit for a long time, or else when they get older they may have backaches

• Bathe with water that has been boiled (I’m sure this would also apply to the baby)

• Wash hair in a basin of boiled water

• Can’t touch cold water; water should be at least tepid

• Can’t use a comb to comb hair for fear hair will come out (just gently arrange washed hair with fingers)

• Can’t cut fingernails for one month

• Cannot brush teeth with a toothbrush for one month (can swish boiled water around in your mouth and use finger to clean teeth)

• It is important not to become ill during the first month; it is believed that this illness, or the tendency for this illness will persist for the rest of your life

FOOD

• Eat nutritious foods, such as fish, pig’s liver, soup, Chinese date soup, brown sugar porridge for a few days after coming home

• New mothers are pampered with delicious foods and often gain weight, my sources said

• Food to be rather bland, with less salt, not spicy, soft, not hard, not cold

 EMOTION

• Keep in good spirits, can’t be angry

ACTIVITIES

• Most new mothers will stay in the hospital for a week

• As much as possible, stay in bed for one month; cannot go outside

• Can’t watch TV (can listen), or read newspaper or book (in other words, they can’t strain their eyes in any way)

• Don’t hold the baby for a long time at any one sitting

CELEBRATIONS

• when a baby is born, give everyone an egg dyed red (used to be only with boys, but now with any baby)

• One-month birthday party is held for friends and relatives to celebrate the new baby; in the countryside, this party will be quite elaborate, involving the entire village. There will also be six-month and one-year parties