Pregnant Chinese

Pregnant Chinese

Chinese Pregnancy Traditions 👶 What is 'Sitting In'?

Culture
• By LTL Team HQ •

February 19, 2021

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Today we touch on the really interesting topic of Chinese Pregnancy Traditions, and one in particular!
The Chinese pregnancy tradition to know is ‘Sitting in’ or ‘ doing the month’ . It’s a notoriously structured month of ‘rest’ following childbirth championed in Chinese culture.
Although not unique to China, the Chinese traditions of balancing Yin and Yang for health and strong family links tie in well with the experience.
You can check out our post on family ties to learn more about the immediate and extended family!
Read on to learn about pregnancy, postpartum traditions and the continued practise and development in modern society.
From pregnancy, an expectant mother’s yin and yang becomes off-balance, so family members will share care-taking duties and encourage new dietary habits .
This is to ensure both mother and baby are physically and mentally healthy as a result of the love and support they receive.
Rules during pregnancy include consuming special soups , avoiding pineapple (to prevent miscarriages) and avoiding lamb-dishes (because lamb sounds like ‘epilepsy’ in many Chinese dialects ).
At the time of the birth, the mother-in-law will be present instead of the husband to provide support.
Following the labour, the baby will cared for by nurses and family members for up to 24 hours to allow the new mother some time to rest and recover.
For thousands of years, new mothers have taken part in the Chinese pregnancy tradition of 坐月子 (zuò yuè zi), translated as ‘doing the month’ or ‘sitting in’.
This act is also known as ‘postnatal confinement’ and is documented as early as the first century, recorded in the Book of Rites – one of the foundational classics of Chinese tradition – from the Zhou dynasty.
“Post-natal confinement” is simply the first 30-40 days after birth where the mother does not leave home, entertain visitors or shower.
Most new mothers will be cared for by their own mothers or mother-in-law’s, who will either visit daily or move in for the time period.
The traditional belief stems from an understanding that both the mother and baby have low immunity and need to be protected and nursed back to full health.
During this period of isolation, specific food and drinks are regularly prepared for the mother to help rebuild her body, shrink her uterus and encourage lactation.
This confinement period can also be referred to as the “fourth trimester” as it’s a crucial period of time for the new-born to adjust to life in the world and the mother to recover.

Chinese Food Culture 🍚 Discover What 八大菜系 Is Chinese cuisines have typically been divided into ‘Eight Great Cuisines’ 八大菜系 ba da caixi as a means of simplifying this vast and complex tradition and pinpoint regional characteristics. However, as some observers…
Yin and Yang is a premise that underlines all Chinese philosophy and is just as prevalent in the post-birth recovery traditions as it is in Chinese medicine , food choices and even what temperature water you should drink.
If you’re not sure about the answer, check out our informative post on why Hot Water is a massive thing in China !
The basic principle is that your Yin and Yang must be balanced in every aspect of your life.
As soon as the two fall out of balance, you are more prone to illness and disease .
Many foods, medications and illnesses fall into the categories and can be counteracted by increasing the opposite energy.
Traditional Chinese Medicine dictates that in the human body, our blood carries ‘qi’ or ‘chi’ at all times – a crucial energy needed to thrive.
When blood is lost through childbirth, the body falls into yin (coldness). A new mother will need to increase her yang to restore balance to her body.
This is heavily reflected in the Chinese pregnancy rules – a good example is the dish pork knuckles mixed with ginger and black vinegar.
The pork helps with calcium levels, the ginger removes wind from the body and the meaty broth provide hydration and nutrients.
Every ingredient helps to remove or undo an imbalance.
Post-natal confinement rules vary and typically each family will decide individually how to follow them.
The listed rules are more of a ‘guideline’.
Family members, especially mothers and mothers-in-law will advise from their own experiences and knowledge, passing down wisdom that will be further shared down the line in the future.
The primary principle is to avoid catching a chill to prevent illnesses later on including joint problems, whilst resting, sleeping, feeding the new-born baby and eating only.
Avoid cold drinks, coffee or any water that isn’t tepid or hot
Do not leave the house and minimise activity and exercise
Avoid raw fruit and vegetables , keep food bland and unflavoured
Avoid wind (fans / air conditioning / opening windows)
Additionally, strict rules may encourage new mothers to stay in bed for the first two weeks.
They may also be discouraged from watching TV , reading or access to their phones to avoid becoming too emotional over external drama or problems.
Ingredients such as red dates, sesame oil and ginger are key ingredients in medicinal broths and soups during the time period.
Binding of the stomach is also encouraged to prevent the possibility of organ prolapses, improve the waistline and aid organs in returning to their original locations prior to pregnancy.
For many, the traditional, stricter version of staying home is viewed as outdated so has been adapted to keep it relevant in the 21 st century.
With time restrictions on maternity leave and general need for access to technology, it’s often not wholly possible to maintain a complete ‘sitting in’ month, so solutions are cropping up.
Around mainland China, luxurious confinement centres are appearing in mass.
These offer 24-hour assistance from trained nurses, dietary advice and pre-cooked meals are delivered, access to doctors and an additional layer of peace – more control over how to observe the period.
A stay in one of these centres can cost more than 100,000 RMB ($15,484) according to Chinese news outlet Sixth Tone , who also highlight that with new control comes modernisation.
These centres will provide a weekly hand-washing with washcloths soaked in TCM, combining the aversion to washing with the benefits of TCM exposure.
After giving birth and sitting the month, a woman is recognised as a mother as well as a wife and a daughter.
Her position in the family is elevated, so it’s important she is allowed the time to rest and recover in order to fulfil her new role efficiently.
The centres are a combination of scientific and traditional Chinese methods, allowing flexibility to modern issues.
As recently as 2013, cases of heatstroke and subsequent death have occurred in new mothers attempting to avoid catching a chill.
Adjusting the age-old tradition to continue allowing new mothers the option to recover fully whilst preventing harm is a necessary move.
If you end up sitting in yourself but decide to observe the rules less formally, or just want more insights into Chinese culture , check out our video about some of the best Chinese dramas currently available below!
Not for the first 30 days, this is known as the zuò yuè zi period (‘doing the month’).
It translates to ‘sitting in’ and is often referred to as ‘doing the month’ or post-natal confinement.
New mothers traditionally avoid washing their hair and body, raw fruit and veg, cold air, going outside, going up and downstairs and crying.
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You’re pregnant and the only thing that you’re really after is some good Chinese food. But is it safe to eat Chinese food when you are pregnant?
Are there any ingredients that you should be aware of that might be best to avoid? What dishes can you eat safely?
To be honest most Chinese food is perfectly fine to eat when pregnant as long as it is served hot. But that said there are some ingredients that are safer than others for pregnant women.
Chinese food can have a lot more sugar and salt in certain dishes that you may not be aware of. What about MSG? We are going to answer all these questions and more for you below.
When we refer to Chinese food we mean the Chinese-American food that you get from restaurants and takeaways.
A lot of the food that is found outside of China has been adjusted to suit a Western palate. If you are eating authentic Chinese food then some of these principles and concerns may not apply.
Chinese food is not particularly bad for you, but it is not the healthiest choice to make during pregnancy or at any other time. Many Chinese dishes contain a tremendous amount of sugar and salt.
Many dishes are also deep-fried which means they are super high in fat and calories.
The other reason that many people may think that Chinese food is not safe to consume while pregnant is to do with the reactions from MSG rather than the actual Chinese food.
But if you know what ingredients to avoid then you can still enjoy Chinese food safely.
Chinese food is very often high in salt, some dishes have five times more salt content that a McDonald’s Big Mac.
There appears to be no significant difference between Chinese food bought from a supermarket or from restaurants and many dishes contain 3 g of salt per dish.
This is over half the recommended daily intake of salt recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) which recommends 5g of salt maximum per day.
While pregnant your salt requirements are the same as when you are not pregnant. But too much salt in your diet can affect your blood pressure, and lead to swelling during pregnancy.
Chinese dishes can be super high in sugar. But it does depend on what sauce is used. Staples of any Chinese restaurant or takeaway such as orange chicken, and sweet and sour dishes, and Tso’s chicken all have very high sugar content.
For example, one serving of sweet and sour pork in a restaurant can have 62.9g of sugar. That is nearly three times the daily recommended sugar intake for women.
Consuming too much sugar when you are pregnant can increase your chances of developing gestational diabetes and it can also have a negative impact on your unborn baby’s brain development.
Many deep-fried dishes are high in fat. In exactly the same way as any other cuisine that deep-fries food, they are best eaten in moderation as they very quickly add unnecessary calories and saturated fat.
Some examples of Chinese food that is deep-fried and should be consumed in moderation are won tons, prawn crackers, spring rolls, and banana or apple fritters.
We may laugh at these Chinese folk laws but they are no different from any other culture. Every culture has its own folk laws, especially around pregnancy and birth.
These are some of the common Chinese beliefs, eating a dish of crabs will grant your child an extra toe or finger and also make them mischievous. Drinking milk will lighten the baby’s skin. Squid will make your womb sticky.
This kind of folk law is lost more and more with every generation as the modern mother stops believing these old customs.
But even in our modern society with all its technology and scientific breakthroughs pregnancy and childbirth seem to be an area where remnants of these often forgotten folk laws remain.
Here are a few dishes that you should really try to avoid for various reasons when you are pregnant.
If you are opting for any dishes that contain cheese, make sure that the cheese is well cooked and has been heated to extreme heat levels. This will ensure that any bacteria is killed off.
These dishes often contain mold-ripened cheeses or soft blue vein cheeses which are full of moisture and are a great breeding place for bacteria. If you eat infected cheese it could make you very ill and put your unborn baby at severe risk.
Liver is one to avoid when you are pregnant as it contains too much vitamin A which can be harmful when pregnant.
You can have raw or partially cooked fish in the form of Sushi if they have been frozen first.
Here are some common Chinese food dishes that are safe to eat while pregnant but they may not be the healthiest choice.
These are safe to eat while you are pregnant but you may want to take note that they are fried meaning that they are high in fat. They are around 223 calories per egg roll and 96 of which come from fat alone.
Again another popular Chinese food that is safe to eat while pregnant but again it is fried so will be high in fat.
This is a delicious and healthy option. Wonton wrappers are filled with ground pork or chicken and are served in a broth. As the wontons contain meat you want to ensure that the soup is served to you piping hot.
Steamed dumplings are one of the healthiest options you can choose when eating in a Chinese restaurant. They are filled with meat, vegetables, or fish. Again make sure that they are piping hot when they arrive at your table and you eat them freshly made.
Chinese sweet and sour dishes contain high amounts of sugar and salt this is what gives them their salty-sweet flavor. And in addition to this, the meat used is often deep-fried.
So while these dishes may be safe to eat they are not really the healthiest choice and should be eaten in moderation.
This is a stir-fried noodle dish and can be relatively healthy if it is stir-fried in light oil and contains lots of fresh vegetables and lean protein.
While one of the most popular Chinese main dishes it is also one of the unhealthiest. Chicken is breaded, deep-fried, and served in a sugary sauce.
One order has around 1578 calories. Again although this dish is safe to eat while pregnant it is best to eat in moderation.
MSG is also known as Ajinomoto or monosodium glutamate occurs naturally in a lot of foods such s cheese and tomatoes. It is the sodium salt of glutamic acid which is a common amino acid.
In fact, we carry this acid in our bodies. But sometimes it is added to food as a flavor enhancer and is particularly common in Chinese food.
Generally, MSG is safe to be added to food according to the FDA and this does include its use in Chinese food. With this in mind, MSG is also considered safe to consume during pregnancy and as long as you do not have a strong sensitivity to it you shouldn’t really need to avoid it.
Some people do react to MSG and there is no scientific reason as of yet. But some symptoms such as headaches, palpitations, numbness, flushing or tingling were experienced when consuming more than 3 grams of MSG.
Soy sauce is safe to enjoy whilst you are pregnant as long as it is being consumed as part of a balanced and healthy diet.
Soy sauce has a very high sodium content and contains 879mg of sodium per tablespoon which is 37% of your daily intake. But it is very low in calories at just 8.5 calories per tablespoon.
Rice and Chinese noodles are high on the list of the most craved foods by pregnant women. Many people think that it is the MSG content that causes the cravings, yet scientists still have no idea of the true cause.
But there is always good news, as with any other type of cuisines you can make it at home in a much healthier way.
Now that we have covered the reasons why Chinese food is safe to eat while pregnant and also any folk law that accompanies it. You can go and enjoy your favorite meal risk-free.
But what you do still need to consider is the amount of salt, sodium, fat, and sugar that is in some dishes and that there may be a healthier and
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