Women Should Rest for a Month After Childbirth—Myth or Fact?

Until about 100 years ago, 1 in 10 women died in childbirth. And the period after childbirth was equally delicate. If women survived a difficult birth, they often were left weak and anemic. The same mothers then would have to provide milk for their babies. In the Chinese culture, women are told to stay inside for a month after giving birth. Nobody comes in; nobody goes out. This period of rest also meant no baths or showers and no cold fluids. In America, we do things a bit differently. Women’s health expert Dr. Kirtly Parker Jones from the University of Utah talks about the do's and don’ts of postpartum care in the US, and why it differs from other places in the world.