Maternity Practices in China vs the West

Kim Lee received many presents to celebrate the birth of her daughter three years ago, but a battered old silk-covered journal remains the most sacred gift. The journal contained advice, scribbled in Chinese, from other mothers. "Give out red eggs to friends and family, even if she’s a girl (red eggs are traditionally given out to mark the birth of baby)，everyone in the neighborhood will remember this and tell her about it, and she will know how special she is,” one woman wrote. The journal was a gift from kim’s close Chinese friend Bai Li, who had asked every mother she knew, beginning with her own, to write some words of wisdom—about how to be a good mother—in the journal.
Would the advice from American mothers be significantly different? Does culture have a major impact on the way children are raised? How are traditions regarding pregnancy and childbirth different in the East compared with the West? How different are the attitudes about caring for a baby, potty training and discipline? We interviewed six mothers from China and four from abroad in our search for answers to the above questions.