When asked why such practices are important for their health, all the women, who are in their early 20s or 30s, gave the same response: They were following the advice of their mothers, who followed the advice of their mothers. "Because of tradition” Holly summarized. For all the Chinese mothers, it was crucial that they had someone to care for them during the month after they gave birth. For most women, their mothers or mothers-in-law were there to care for them. In the case of Fang Manluo, a 29-year-old product manager, her mother lived a long way from Beijing-in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province. Therefore, Mrs Fang returned to her mother's home to give birth. She remained at her mother's until the child was six months old. "l had to go home. I had no one to care for me in Beijing. My husband was too busy,”she said. In Hong Kong, it has become fashionable for professional women to hire people to be with them while they lay-in. Some women—especially those who are living away from their extended families, and/or who have no one to care for them full time—see this as the only alternative.
