The post-childbirth experiences of Gail Mclntosh, from New Zealand, were quite different. Her second child, Larry was born in Beijing.”I rested for a few days, and then I got up and life went back to normal. We didn't have a nanny or anything, so there was a lot to do. It was exhausting,” she said“I don't disagree with resting, there's some merit in it. But, for me, it just wasn't an option
. ” Gail really enjoyed going for walks after giving birth, and she took her baby.“For me, it is really important to get out. The fresh air and sunshine is good for us,”said Gail. The Chinese residents of her quiet Beijing neighborhood were shocked by her behavior. "They were very forthright in telling me I shouldn't be out after only five days. I remember one Chinese lady was absolutely furious with me. She was shouting at me on the street, and she was clearly extremely concerned about me and my baby. Even our driver said that the drivers had been discussing my behavior, and they were very worried about me.”
Her decision to take the baby out was considered odd by Chinese mothers. Chinese babies normally are not taken out for at least one month. Mrs Wang didn't take her baby out for six months. "We have photos of Ao Ao's first trip out. He'd been out for short trips in our apartment compound, but only for five minutes or so. I was worried he'd catch a cold or get sick,”she said. When asked how she manages when she goes out or she has to run errands, she replied, "Of course, his grandparents look after him when I go out.” She, like most of the Chinese mothers lived with her parents-in-law, who assumed large role in caring for the children.
Mothers pushing their babies and young children in strollers are visible on every street in the United Kingdom. "The British mums take their strollers everywhere. They are in shops, restaurants and supermarkets, and on buses and in the subway," said British-Canadian Clare Rivard. In China, strollers are a fairly new phenomena, but it is becoming more and more fashionable in the big cities, partly as a symbol of Western fashion. "They've only been around in China for the past 10 years or so,”said Mrs Fang. All large department stores sell them, some have dozens of varieties, yet they are not visible on the streets of Beijing. Who is buying them? And where are they using them? The strollers are used mainly at home, in the vicinity around the apartments, or occasionally, in the parks. They are rarely taken on the street.”It's too dirty,”said one Beijing resident. When asked how Chinese parents manage when they go out, Mrs Wang said, "If I go out, I leave my child with his grandparents…or if I have to take him, I carry him”In some parts of China, particularly among the minority groups, babies are strapped to people's backs, with a large sling. Some people continue working in the fields, or around their houses, with their babies strapped to their backs. One Chinese mother, who didn't want to be named, said, "I like this method, because the baby is very close to the mother. They are very comfortable like this. I don't like the strollers, because the baby is so far away from its mother. That's not a good thing”
