Chinese Mothers-to-be Opt for

Chinese Mothers-to-be Opt for "Lucky Days"
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25/8/2006 9:51

Instead of a natural birth, many Chinese mothers-to-be opt for a caesarean
section on a "lucky day".

"Eight minutes past eight, Aug. 18, 2006, that's the lucky time my mother has
chosen for my caesarean section," said Zhang, a mother-to-be, before her
delivery. "I hope the doctor will let the baby be born at the exact time."

So-called lucky days are often related to the Chinese number "eight", whose
pronunciation is close to a word meaning "getting rich", and to other lucky
numbers.

Fortune-telling, horoscopes and websites are all "reliable guides" for young
pregnant women.

"I want to choose a good star sign for my child, so I'll plan the time I get
pregnant," said Yang, a girl who's crazy about astrology.

Some mothers-to-be expect doctors to perform caesarean sections before August
31, which is a key date for admission to primary school in China.

"I was born on September 3, two days later than the cutoff date, so I wasn't
able to go to school until I was eight, one year later than many kids my age,"
said Li Jia, who's expecting. "I certainly don't want my child to face the same
problem in the future."

Experts, however, warn that having a caesarean section on a planned date can be
detrimental to the health of both mother and baby. Some babies may catch lung
diseases as well as other illnesses while mothers may face uterine
complications.

Even if a pregnant woman opts for a caesarean, the date should respect nature
and be close to the expected birth date, experts said.

The urge to control birth dates can lead to social problems. A lot of
"millennium babies" were born in 2000, which is also considered a lucky year.

Three years later, kindergartens did not have sufficient facilities to meet the
demand from "millennium babies". Seven years on, a similar situation has
occurred in elementary schools.
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