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China Elevator Stories

“What Are You Doing To become Pregnant?”

My female co-workers exchange pregnancy advice over dinner in Shenzhen.

24/10/2013

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Ruth Silbermayr

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One day, one of our co-workers treats us to dinner after work. The reason? He recently became a father and it’s tradition in China to treat your friends and co-workers to a nice meal once your child has turned 100 days.

When we finish with the food, Lan, a female co-worker asks Xun, another female co-worker who is trying to become pregnant: “Are you pregnant yet?”
Xun answers: “No, not yet.”
Lan asks her: “What are you doing in order to support becoming pregnant?
Xun tells her: “I try to sleep well, rest enough and eat well.”
Lan says: “I’d like to become pregnant within the next two years, but right now I’m working overtime every single day, I really don’t get to sleep enough.” She then goes on: “A friend of mine tried to become pregnant, guess how long it took her to become pregnant – three years!”
Xun states: “Yeah, it can’t be forced, so we try to not think about it all of the time.”

Most of my co-workers are only a little older than me. 

Last year was a year of tying the knot, many co-workers got married, so maybe this year will be a year of egg fertilization? After all, many of my female co-workers are going to turn 30 soon, and people here say that a women’s ovaries are at their best between the age of 25 and 30.

Sure enough, in the following months, three female co-workers become pregnant.

Have you ever tried to become pregnant?

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