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Shenzhen Documentary “Come On, Baby” Criticized for its “Painful” Childbirth

Posted: 05/12/2014 8:54 pm

childbirth come on baby labor documentaryThe Shenzhen Satellite Television Network has been airing a documentary series called Come On, Baby that documents the complete procedure of giving birth, which has been attracting a lot of attention recently.

The show follows three ordinary mothers as they go through all the various steps of labor: from before the water breaks, through each of the many contractions and right at the moment the baby is finally born.

However, for documenting the miracle of life, Come On, Baby has incurred online controversy and been criticized for having content that is “too strong”. Mothers are shown in varying moments of pain as they cry out in anguish and wince in pain amid blood and sweat.

For being a documentary about childbirth, people have complained that Come On, Baby is too forthcoming in its depiction of childbirth.

Various Weibo comments are as follows, many grouped under the hashtag #Are you brave enough to watch a mother give birth?:childbirth shenzhen documentary come on baby labor

耶鲁宝贝
Watched a bit of the Shenzhen documentary Come On, Baby and was a bit horrified by it. I don’t suggest anyone to watch it. Everyone’s situation is different, but to watch this show is only to add to your psychological trauma, and it won’t match the perfect, happy way you imagine it to be.

软妺:
#Come On, Baby# I will never have the courage to watch this show about having babies. It’s too terrifying; I feel as though a shadow has cast over my heart. [pitiful face] It’s too difficult to be a woman. Men, you should treat the woman by your side nicer. Are you able to endure the pain that women go through during pregnancy? [disappointed face]

A_moment_like_this_Zzz_:
After watching the episode “Male OB-GYN Doctor”, are you brave enough to give birth to a baby? It’s just too terrifying. It’s even more horrifying than a horror movie. There’s a splatter of blood; seeing that knife cut into the abdomen scared me half to death. [pitiful face] Really, to be a mother is the greatest role of all; Mother’s Day is the most meaningful festival ever.

childbirth come on baby labor documentary鄭碧華-Becky:
Come On, Baby: After watching this, I felt like I could never give birth to a baby of my own [ill face]. Simultaneously, I feel that motherhood is so wondrous and great. Today is Mother’s Day, I wish my mother a happy Mother’s Day! [heart] [heart] Now I feel bad for my past behavior of being rebellious and contradictory towards my mother. Mother, I love you! At the same time, I also wish happiness to mothers everywhere, not just today, but happiness everyday.

Jessie瑾欣:
After watching a bit of the childbirth documentary, I didn’t dare to watch anymore of it, I simply couldn’t bear it. For one thing, it was difficult to face such physical pain, and for another, I felt shame at what my parents (have done for me).

温瞳41:
After watching Come On, Baby, I really don’t dare to give birth to a baby of my own. I feel that motherhood is too great a role for me. I must dutifully love and honor my mother [love you] [love you]

阿飞家的瑶瑶:
After watching the documentary on childbirth, I really don’t want to give birth to a baby of my own, it’s too horrifying. However, motherhood is really a great thing. Husbands that don’t treat their wives well should be drowned in a pig basket!!!

独立自主牌毛毛虫补脑液:
#Come On, Baby# After watching the show I wasn’t able to go to sleep, and now I don’t dare to give birth to a baby of my own. All I want to say is: mother, you’ve had it tough. [heart]

childbirth shenzhen documentary come on baby labor张小花小同学:
Watched “Male OB-GYN Doctor”. I really don’t have the courage to give birth to a baby. This morning, I overheard two female colleagues chatting in the elevator who said their children had wished them a happy mother’s day, and I was suddenly very moved by hearing it, really. These women were just 45 years-old.

超级无敌左:
#Come On, Baby# The first time I saw such a documentary, I didn’t want to have a baby anymore after watching it. Watching this show one time is enough. [tears]

居有竹食有肉:
Some co-workers saw Come On, Baby and directly stated that they’re “not willing to give birth to a baby, and are even a bit scared by it.” What does everyone else think?

黄小娣617:
Watched Come On, Baby; afterwards, I’m too afraid to have a baby of my own, it’s really too painful [goofy face] [goofy face]

Finally: China’s overpopulation problem solved by a show that could be aired on the Discovery Channel, and it isn’t even Mythbusters! However, there’s more to these statements than first meets the eye.childbirth come on baby labor documentary

This documentary exposes another side of Chinese culture: the influence of Traditional Chinese Medicine on pregnancy. The mother is a conduit for the unborn baby, and Chinese parents have been known to have overzealous displays of protection towards the fetus, even disabling the internet to an entire building because “WiFi is radioactive“. It is common knowledge in China that a shock from falling into a lake is enough to cause a miscarriage in a pregnant woman, as seen on countless serial dramas.

As such, contrary to practices in Western medicine, drugs are not commonly administered during labor for Chinese mothers for fear that they too may impact the baby. The screams and pained looks of this documentary are of women who are giving birth while bareback, so to speak.

It’s easy to inflate the hype over this controversy when these female commentators seem to be refuting basic human truths, whereas in fact are basically advocating female ideals.

And after all, it did just air on Mother’s Day.

Related:
Guangdong’s New Two-Child Policy Off to a Rocky Start

Photos: Sina blog, CNR via Weibo, Csxww, Mop

Haohao

PRD Today: University Stewardesses, Schoolchildren GIF, Crawling Under a Bus

Posted: 05/7/2014 5:37 pm

stewardesses university guangzhouPRD Today is our daily collection of links and stories from the Pearl River Delta and beyond.

In an annual tradition, Guangzhou university students celebrate their graduation by dressing up in various costumes. This year, some students decided to dress for success as their ideal job: airline stewardesses.

The Shenzhen Economic Daily reports that Shenzhen real estate prices have cooled over the past three months. The sale of 2,936 new homes in April signified a slight increase from the previous month, but is a 25.5 percent drop from April of last year.

A mother refused to disclose her son’s HIV-positive condition when admitting him for treatment at a Shenzhen hospital out of fear he wouldn’t be treated. The revelation upset the six doctors and nurses that treated the boy for a head wound, yet it’s unclear if given the choice, they would indeed have refused him treatment.

bed figure four leg lock meme gifAfter having brought you the “flip kiss” meme last month (as well as its backlash), we’re continually pleased at how Chinese schoolchildren are working hard to provide us GIFs worthy of attention. Here’s the figure-four leg-lock bed.

The owner of the electric bicycle factory that burned down in a spectacular blaze last week says he is confident he will be able to rebuild his factory again despite having suffered a loss of RMB 10 million.

ruzi thief stopper dongguan xinjiang barbeque stall

A Xinjiang barbeque vendor in Dongguan named Ruzi is credited with having stopped two thieves in just half a month.

You know, there’s an app for that: Shenzhen drivers can now pay for parking spaces using their cell phones. Called “Easy to Park” (Yitingche), the app will even help drivers paralell park their cars. The trial program will begin in June.

2,000 Shenzhen families have applied to have another child under the “two-child policy”, perhaps to help fill up the 20 large-scale shopping malls planned to be opened later this year.

The most amazing video you’ll see today: An elderly woman is lying on the street, having trouble getting up when she sees a bus coming towards her. So she does the right thing to do in this case: quickly get up, and then crawl under the bus to simulate having been struck by it. Called the “breaking vase” tactic, this often referred to technique online is seldom documented. Until now.

A fourteen year-old Guizhou girl studying to make clothing had only attended classes for three days before she was kidnapped by a person from her own village and forced into a marriage for two years.

Photo: Dongguan Times

Haohao

Guangzhou Mothers Rushing Pregnancy to Avoid Unlucky Year of the Ram

Posted: 04/22/2014 4:25 pm

Now that China reformed its one-child population control policy last December, and with Guangdong officially having carried out the policy on March 27, many eligible mothers are gearing up to take advantage of the two-child policy.

Mrs Liu from Guangzhou has been urged to have a second child by her mother-in-law. But upon hearing it’s bad luck to have a baby during the Year of the Ram, due to start next year on February 19, 2015, the mother-in-law tries to persuade Liu to conceive and bear a child during this calendar year, according to Nanfang Metropolis Daily.

The reason why babies born in the Year of the Ram are unlucky is because they are “fated to suffer”. A folklore saying goes: Nine rams out of ten are not completed; this means people born during the year of ram will have bad luck. Considering what type of future is in store for her child, Mrs Liu hesitates to have another baby.

RELATED: Guangdong’s New “Two-Child Policy” Off to a Rocky Start

Ye Chunsheng, Vice-President of the China Folklore Society and the Chinese department Professor of Sun Yat-sen University says the opinion doesn’t hold water at all. “I think people born in the year are very nice though,” he said.

Mrs Du, Director of Liwan District People’s Hospital, disagrees with superstitions regarding luck. “Based on the statistics we have now, the number of babies born next year doesn’t much difference.” In regards to women who may try to give birth prematurely to avoid giving birth to a child born during the Year of the Ram, Du said, “It’s very harmful to have a Caesarean one month earlier than the date of expectancy. It will not only cause massive bleeding, but also amniotic embolism; either case will be dangerous for mothers and babies.”

Hongn Kong fengshui expert Mak Lingling reassures people not to worry about babies born in the Year of the Ram. Mak said, “Rams stand for auspiciousness. Baby rams born in the morning are passive and conservative, but have good people skills. Afternoon baby rams are more active, while evening rams are too conservative and conventional but don’t like new environments.”

Photo: TX News

Related:
Scanner at Guangzhou Airport Finds Passenger Trying to Transport Human Leg
Foshan Woman Believes Baby is Cursed, Gives It Away

Haohao
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