Calling all pregnant women

This goes out to all the pregnant women out there. How would you like to spend an entire month after you give birth in your pajamas? This is a traditional Chinese custom for pregnant mothers. For 30 days after the birth, the mother and baby are not allowed to leave the house, not even go outside. Still interested? This custom is literally called "sitting the month" (zuo yuezi) in Chinese. Along with not leaving the house, a new mother cannot eat raw fruit or vegetables, drink coffee, have cold drinks or even cold water. These rules are supposed to help restore the balance to the new mother's body after childbirth.

Along with eating bland food and tepid liquids, the new mother cannot take a shower or brush her teeth for the entire month. They bundle up in wool socks and warm clothing, even in the summer, to prevent a chill. Chinese doctors warn that getting a chill could lead to joint problems or illness later. Another Chinese belief about newborns is the lack of physical touch. A common thought is that too much cuddling is not good for the development of the newborn's bones. They don't want the baby to become dependent so they don't hold him much in the first month, only for breast feeding.

Restoring the balance refers to the Yin and the Yang. The Chinese believe that everything in life requires balance between the Yin and the Yang for harmony to exist. If imbalance occurs than a person will become ill. Pregnancy is believed to create an imbalance within the body that must be restored postnatally or the mother will suffer the consequences later in life.

As the modern world is butting heads with the ancient one, Chinese traditions have started to bend just a touch. New, modern postpartum centers are popping up all over China. New mothers are transferred to these confinement centers right after they give birth and are then waited on hand and foot for the next 30 days. At $500 a day, many mothers say it is worth it to have nutritionists, trained nurses and doctors on hand 24-hours a day to monitor their baby. Inside these centers, new mothers are given a sponge bath by nurses who wipe them down with washcloths steeped in Chinese medicine about once a week. According to the traditional rules, a mother is not supposed to bathe for 30 days, but rules are being bent for the needs of the modern woman. This new generation of new mothers is experiencing the consequences of the one-child policy. Because they have not grown up with younger brothers or sisters, they need more help now than ever before. They don't know how to look after kids and are just happy that there are people at these centers that can teach them.

A few other rules and reasons behind them:

-Drinking tea is not allowed as it might harm the baby.

-If a woman doesn't stay in bed the whole month or does any sort of exercise this could result in a prolapse of the uterus.

-They wrap their bellies with a special cloth to get it flat again as soon as possible.

-Air conditioning, fans and opening of windows is not allowed. Break this rule and it is believed that you will have arthritis and migraines in old age.

-Women must breastfeed lying down on her side.

-Reading and watching TV are limited for the prospect of eye disease.

As much as I would enjoy a month in my pajamas with my baby, I think I'll stick to the American way of getting my body back to normal through exercise and careful, but not superstitious, diet.