I Don't Know Hospitals

My wife is recovering very quickly and the baby is just fine, they share a room with one other mother in the Taizhou Central Hospital which is the nicest hospital we could find in the area. I think the care they provide is pretty good, the whole place seems efficient and even the nursing staff is fine.

Our old roommate was released and moved away the night before yesterday. Last morning a new mother moved in to the bed next to us with their new daughter. They go through the whole family visiting routine, and when the majority of the people left the new grandmother remained a little longer. Very normal so far, especially grandmothers helping the new mother.

But, and there's a but, the following experience shows how little I know of China. This case, I assume, relates to only Taizhou and even then to only some people in Taizhou. Or I hope so since I find it revolting.

She had a little plastic bag and speaking in the local language asked us if we had the same. She actually asked "Did you also take the ..." I couldn't catch the last word but I understood the first part. My wife looked a little puzzled and made the lady repeat herself. She did and my wife caught on. She said no, we didn't take it and I asked her to explain to me what was going on.

My wife told me the lady had her daugher's placenta in the bag. The new granny was going to take it home for cooking.

Apparently it's customary enough that the hospital staff will ask the family if they want it or not, and will pack it away for them. They even asked my wife after the operation - she of course couldn't fathom why she would want to keep it and declined. Supposedly eating the placenta will do good for your health or something along those lines.

Shows how much I know - I live here and I had no idea. A good reminder, if one was needed, that there are a huge variety of traditions, customs and beliefs and they vary greatly from region to region, people to people, all within China.

OP Out.