ZuoYueZi---Chinese Traditional Custom of Postpartum Confinement

In China, there is a tradition of “Zuo Yue Zi”, literally translated as sitting the month, where the new mom stays at home for one month with the baby, and doesn’t go out at all. There are certain restrictions imposed on new mothers, as well as a specific type of diet to follow.

Maternity doesn’t end at giving childbirth, Zuo Yue Zi is the 4th trimester! 

The fundamental belief of Zuo Yue Zi system, or confinement period(considered a significant period), is that right after a woman gives birth, her body is in its most fragile and vulnerable state. The rules and diet are designed to help women to promote healing, strengthen the body and help prevent illness (especially female-related illnesses) in the future.

There is a popular belief that everything you do during the first month after delivery has a significant effect on your health for the rest of your life. Not drying your hair before sleeping causes you headache when you’re old. Wearing too little hurts your bones in the old age. Drinking anything cold is definitely out of the picture too. In more traditional families even taking a shower might still be prohibited and you need to be covered in thick clothing from head to toes. Eating a lot of chicken and drinking special soups is a must as well.

"While sitting the month you can't be too active, you should lay on the bed and rest, you can't take a shower, wash your hair or eat fruit..."

Three Stages of Postpartum Recovery

Week 1: Detoxification stage

After giving birth, there is still some lochia (uterus discharge) in your body that we need to get rid of. Hence, during this initial stage, we select ingredients that helps the detoxification process of the postpartum body.

Week 2: Replenish stage

Once the body has gone through a week of detoxification, your body is ready for the repairing process. Ingredients such as beef, kidney, and green vegetable rich with iron to aid your body return to pre-pregnancy levels in the postpartum period. 

Week 3-4: Rejuvenate stage

At the last stage, the purpose is to rejuvenate all the energy lost during labor and pregnancy. If you imagine your body as a vessel, after detoxification and repair stage, your body is ready to be rejuvenated.

For more information: ZuoYueZi---Chinese Traditional Custom of Postpartum Confinement

What You Need To Know About Influenza?

Causative agent

Influenza (flu) is an acute illness of the respiratory tract caused by flu viruses. It is usually more common in periods from February to July in Guangzhou. Three types of flu viruses are recognized, namely A, B and C.

Clinical features

For healthy individuals, seasonal flu is usually self-limiting with recovery in 2-7 days. Symptoms may include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle pain, fatigue and headache; some may also have vomiting and diarrhea.

Cough is often severe and protracted but fever and other symptoms generally resolves in 5-7 days. However, flu can be a serious illness to the weak and frail or elderly people, and may be complicated by bronchitis, chest infection or even death.

Mode of transmission 

Flu viruses mainly spread through droplets when infected people cough, sneeze or talk. The infection may also spread by direct contact with the secretions of infected persons.

Incubation period

Usually around 1-4 days.

Infectious period

Infected persons may pass the viruses to other people 1 day before and up to 5-7 days after they develop symptoms. The period may be even longer in young children or severely immunocompromised persons.

Management

1. Have adequate rest and drink plenty of water;

2. Refrain from work or school when having symptoms of flu;

3. Seek medical advice if symptoms persist or deteriorate;

4. Antibiotics which target bacterial infection but not viral infection will not cure influenza or make recovery faster;

5. Antiviral agents may reduce severity and duration of illness but must be used under doctor’s prescription.

For more information: What You Need To Know About Influenza?

Valentine’s Day in China, How People Celebrate Valentine’s Day in China?

It’s really difficult to confirm the exact time when western Valentine’s Day was introduced into China, but Valentine’s Day is still widely celebrated among the young generation in most Chinese cities, where lots of commercial and cultural events that are going to happen, especially in the first-tier cities, like Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen. In spite of its popularity in China, few people know much about it.

The Origin of Western Valentine’s Day

The exact details of the origin of Valentine’s Day have long been a mystery, but most stories point back to at least two martyred saints named Valentine. According to the legends, the Roman Emperor Claudius II executed two men named Valentine on Feb. 14 of different years. 

One story claims that Valentine was a priest in third-century Rome. Claudius II thought that single men made better soldiers, so he outlawed young men from marrying. When Valentine defied this order and kept performing marriages, Claudius had him executed. 

Another story claims Valentine was killed for trying to help Christians escape Roman prisons. When he was imprisoned, he fell in love with a girl and sent her the first Valentine, a letter he signed “From your Valentine.”

How Do People Celebrate Valentine’s Day in China?

Chinese people have adopted the traditions of Westerners on celebrating Valentine’s Day, such as exchanging gifts (like flowers, chocolates, ties and watches), making a special date to or have a romantic dinner or watch a movie in the evening, or even to make a marriage registration if Valentine’s Day falls on a work day.

Therefore, larger amounts of chocolate will be on sale in supermarkets, and, compared with that ordinary days, cinemas will be much busier, and the price of flowers (especially roses) and restaurants and hotels (especially romantic ones) could be much higher. Many restaurants will have special set menus.

For more information: Valentine’s Day in China

Baby Born From 16-year-old Frozen Embryo

According to news report, a 46-year-old woman at a hospital in Guangzhou has given birth to a healthy baby boy from an embryo that had been frozen 16 years ago.

Her first son, already 16 years old, was born from the same batch of embryo frozen in 2000. This woman gave birth to her first child through IVF(In Vitro Fertilisation) in 2000, when the hospital frozen her 18 other embryos. She went to the hospital asking to get pregnant again last year, after China relaxed its one-child policy.

Now, both the baby and mom are doing well and will be discharged from hospital soon.

With the end of the one-child policy, there is a huge demand for second babies among Chinese woman, especially for those of advanced maternal age. A doctor said, “An increasing number of older women have visited hospital and tried to get pregnant with the help of assisted reproductive technology.” But she added that the risks were also high for women of advanced maternal age, so they’re not encouraged to give birth at all.

Risks of Advanced Maternal Age

1. Increased risk of down syndrome---the most common chromosomal birth defect;

2. Increased risk of miscarriage;

   20% increase at ages 35~39;

   35% increase at ages 40~44;

   Over 50% increase by age 45.

3. Increased risk of cesarean section(C-section) for delivery;

4. Pregnancy induced hypertension---high blood pressure;

5. Placental problem---Placenta previa in which the placenta covers all or part of the uterine cervix is one of the most common placental problem.

For more information: Baby Born From 16-year-old Frozen Embryo.

The Big Business Of Maternity Care.

Evidently, steady birth rates, new ideas about parenting and higher spending power all provide Guangzhou with excellent conditions for the right kind of maternity care. So says Ms Zhang, General Manager of a confinement club in Guangdong, who believes that confinement clubs themselves are coming of age.

In the past, women mostly stayed home for their month-long confinement after childbirth. However, recently, confinement clubs for new mothers and their newborn babies have mushroomed in several parts of the country. Investors in Guangzhou have been quick to tap this growing 'baby economy'. Confinement clubs charge tens of thousands of yuan for their services, but demand is still keen. In fact, it's not easy to secure a bed in such places, which underlines how positive the outlook is in Guangzhou.

Figures from the Statistics Bureau in Guangdong Province show a comparison between the 6th national population census carried out in 2010 and the 5th in 2000, with Guangdong's population increasing by 17.8 million. That's up more than 20% with an annual growth rate of 1.9%, which is higher than the national average.

Apart from a steady birth rate, young people's concepts about spending and parenting have also changed. That's an important reason for the rapid development of confinement clubs in Guangzhou, said Ms Zhang. "Postpartum confinement allows women to recover physically and mentally after giving birth. Proper care during this period does the body a lot of good. Many young parents have very different ideas about spending than people of an older generation," Zhang explained.

Zhang is an old hand in this business, having worked in confinement clubs in Beijing, Shenzhen and other cities. She noted that postpartum depression is very common in first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. "Many expectant mothers in big cities set very high standards for themselves and when they see the change in their figure after childbirth, they lose confidence in themselves, which makes them afraid to return to work." Confinement clubs can help them get back into shape and professional counselling can help them to overcome postpartum depression, said Zhang.

Hospitals and clubs in demand

There are two predominant types of confinement facilities in Guangzhou - those set up in private hospitals and independent specialised clubs. Both types are said to be successful.

Guangzhou Elizabeth Women's Hospital deluxe surroundings

As a private institution, Elizabeth Women's Hospital is a luxury establishment just like a five-star hotel and all its suites have deluxe furnishings. Its three bedroom suites have television, refrigerator and all necessary home appliances, as well as bathroom with jacuzzi.

Medical staff with client

According to Chief Housekeeper Xie Aixin, Elizabeth Women's Hospital can provide a "one-stop" service from delivery to confinement. The hospital prides itself on client personalisation. "When they spend their confinement in our hospital, our traditional Chinese doctors and dietitians will prepare special menus," said Xie.

Leisure place

"We are a specialist maternity hospital and have our own team of doctors, nurses and midwives. Our doctors will step in should anything go wrong during the confinement," said Li Xiang, Head of the hospital's Customer Services Department.

Value-added Services

Many confinement clubs offer additional value-added services to make themselves more attractive.

Yoga exercises in confinement

Elizabeth Women's Hospital in Guangzhou extends its personalised services to husbands by offering foot massages, shampooing and a range of other services, said Xie. The hospital also offers a seven-day confinement package, which is much cheaper than the usual month-long confinement service.

For more information: The Big Business Of Maternity Care.

​Gold Arch and Elizabeth IMC Build The Cooperative Relationship.

Oakwood Residence Gold Arch Guangzhou and Elizabeth International Medical Center build the long-term cooperative relationship.

From now on, the residents of Oakwood Residence Gold Arch Guangzhou not only enjoy the discount and direct billing service in Elizabeth International Medical Center, but also the health seminars, activities supported and on-site clinic from time to time in Oakwood Residence Gold Arch Guangzhou.

Please don’t hesitate to contact our Marketing Manager, Ms. Michelle, if you have any questions or inquiry. 

Michelle Tam

Cell phone: 181 2230 0256

E-mail: michelle@eliza.hk.

Oakwood Gold Arch Residence Guangzhou is the city’s first internationally-managed serviced residences, home to an expatriate community who enjoy its exclusive environs on prestigious Er Sha Island.

Our property boasts of hotel-like services and amenities in more than 100 serviced residences that range from fully-furnished and fully-equipped two to six bedroom residences to exquisite four and five bedroom villas sitting on a spacious gated compound of 57000sqm, fabulous outdoor swimming pool, garden and greenery. We also have one of the best view of the gleaming Canton TV Tower from our residences.

For dining, Gold Arch Café offers a view of the mosaic-tiled pool as residents partake of excellent cuisine that range from Cantonese classics to the signature burgers. 

Other facilities include a Fitness Center, meeting rooms, essential business support services, wifi in the residences, table tennis room, tennis court, children’s play ground, an on-site preschool and convenience store. 

Oakwood Gold Arch Resident Guangzhou is part of the Oakwood Asia Pacific.