Confinement
I got an email today from one of our Chinese friends who said she understood from Randy that my confinement would begin in late October. Randy thought maybe she had read about confinement in some English novel she read in college. I told him, no, in China confinement is serious business.
As my friend Katie blogged about back in April, in China confinement month is called Man Yue (满月). For that month following delivery, the mother is not permitted to bathe or especially wash her hair, leave the house, or be in air conditioning, and must follow special dietary restrictions. One especially is not to eat or drink anything cold during that month, the same instruction given to Randy's Buddhist employees to give to me two years ago.
Katie did not follow the Man Yue rules, and had old Chinese women yell at her for her irresponsibility at being out of the house only a few weeks after her son's birth. One of Randy's British co-workers asked me last year to tell his Chinese wife that there really was no danger in her showering for that month after their daughter was born. I think he really just wanted her to bathe. Man Yue is still serious business in China.
Some of the rules definitely make sense, though. While in the US my own doctors were on my case about not bathing enough after Myles' birth (but my hair is only one day away from total rock star, I would think), here in China where the water has not been the cleanest, not bathing might be a better way to prevent infections. I'm still not sure about cold food thing, but then again, I am an American that likes icy drinks.
On her blog, too, Katie noted about other ethnicities' concept of confinement, as well as what her own Orthodox traditions are. In the US her Orthodox parish did not follow as strictly the rule that says a woman cannot partake of the Eucharist until 40 days after the birth and the "churching", but here in Shenzhen, the Russian parish did forbid her from partaking until her "churching," which I think came after the actual 40 day period for her because of the infrequency of their services.
Confinement sounds like such a great idea to me at times, and yet, as an American, I think that other Americans would think there was something wrong with me if I weren't bounding out of the house only a few weeks after the baby's birth. It would be hard to stay in the house for four weeks if I were already feeling up to getting out and about. However, if I don't, I guess I can just tell people I'm just observing Man Yue.
As my friend Katie blogged about back in April, in China confinement month is called Man Yue (满月). For that month following delivery, the mother is not permitted to bathe or especially wash her hair, leave the house, or be in air conditioning, and must follow special dietary restrictions. One especially is not to eat or drink anything cold during that month, the same instruction given to Randy's Buddhist employees to give to me two years ago.
Katie did not follow the Man Yue rules, and had old Chinese women yell at her for her irresponsibility at being out of the house only a few weeks after her son's birth. One of Randy's British co-workers asked me last year to tell his Chinese wife that there really was no danger in her showering for that month after their daughter was born. I think he really just wanted her to bathe. Man Yue is still serious business in China.
Some of the rules definitely make sense, though. While in the US my own doctors were on my case about not bathing enough after Myles' birth (but my hair is only one day away from total rock star, I would think), here in China where the water has not been the cleanest, not bathing might be a better way to prevent infections. I'm still not sure about cold food thing, but then again, I am an American that likes icy drinks.
On her blog, too, Katie noted about other ethnicities' concept of confinement, as well as what her own Orthodox traditions are. In the US her Orthodox parish did not follow as strictly the rule that says a woman cannot partake of the Eucharist until 40 days after the birth and the "churching", but here in Shenzhen, the Russian parish did forbid her from partaking until her "churching," which I think came after the actual 40 day period for her because of the infrequency of their services.
Confinement sounds like such a great idea to me at times, and yet, as an American, I think that other Americans would think there was something wrong with me if I weren't bounding out of the house only a few weeks after the baby's birth. It would be hard to stay in the house for four weeks if I were already feeling up to getting out and about. However, if I don't, I guess I can just tell people I'm just observing Man Yue.
Comments
I kind of like the confinement idea, but there is no one here to grocery shop, take my older kids to school and pick them up, etc.
In Hong Kong in particular, a lot of women (foreign and Chinese) hire a special nurse/maid called a confinement nanny. It is often a one-month live-in position, though very, very expensive. Much more so than the regular domestic help.
Love you guys and miss you!!!
Rinney...
ps did you like your bday card???