"Sitting the month" No showers or going outdoors: Why the Chinese put mothers into 'confinement'

The recent death of a Shanghai woman has put the spotlight on the Chinese traditional custom of "postpartum confinement," a month-long period when new mothers are put on bed rest and advised to keep warm -- even in the heat of summer.

The mother, who was following the custom also known as "zuoyuezi," died from heat stroke after wrapping herself in a thick quilt and keeping the air-conditioning switched off despite high summer temperatures, state media reported.

A similar tragedy several months ago involved a new mother who refused to move and later died of pulmonary artery thrombosis.


Zuoyuezi, literally means "sitting the month." Traditional Chinese medicine purports that women that have just given birth are more susceptible to cold air, so it's not uncommon for mothers to refrain even from washing themselves or their clothing.

----

By contrast, when 30-year-old Yang Xue delivered her daughter in a Beijing hospital two days later, she returned home and, following the principles of zuoyuezi, stayed there for more than a month without showering.
China's one child policy changes


"It's horrifying to hear that women don't sit the month. I'd rather stick to the tradition," she said. "It was a bit uncomfortable at the beginning but I got used to it later on."

Yang's parents and in-laws came to help but she also paid 8,000 yuan (US$1,265) for a "yuesao" -- a nanny dedicated to taking care of the mother and newborn.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/11/china/chinese-postpartum-confinement/index.html