In ancient China, women typically returned to work soon after giving birth, while their husbands took the time to rest and recover, a period known as ‘lying in’.
In China, the one-month period of maternity leave for new mothers is referred to as “zuo yue zi”. Although this practice is now primarily observed by women, there was a time when Chinese men also participated in “lying in”.
In ancient China, “chan weng zhi”, or “sympathetic pregnancy custom,” allowed men to experience the process of “lying in.”
According to South China Morning Post, since 60 BC, when men participated in the recovery period after childbirth, they would often don women’s clothing and mimic the labor pains their wives experienced, complete with moans and expressions of pain.
After the child was born, the man had to follow strict rules during this recovery period. For example, he was not allowed to leave the bed, had to avoid spicy and salty foods, and could not engage in any labor except for caring for the child.
The mother—the one who actually gave birth—would often return to work right away and even assist her husband during his “recovery.”
This custom was once prevalent among various ethnic groups in China, such as the Zhuang, Dai, and Tibetan peoples, though the exact timeframe remains unclear.
Italian explorer Marco Polo documented his observations of men experiencing “lying in” during his travels in southwest China during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). He noted that after a Dai woman gave birth, she would continue her normal activities while her husband remained in bed for 40 days.
During this period, the husband would receive well-wishes from relatives and friends.
In the past, Chinese men were the ones who rested instead of postpartum women. (Graphic: SCMP).
Scholars suggest that this practice emerged during the transition from matriarchal to patriarchal societies. In matriarchal societies, where women held higher status and dominated social roles, men were in subordinate positions, and lineage was traced through the mother.
However, as men gradually became the breadwinners and their status changed, they sought to alter the situation by asserting their importance in childbirth.
As a result, men pretended to “lie in,” symbolizing “I am the one who has given birth; the child must carry my surname” to emphasize their primary role in child-rearing.
According to Farong Xiao, a professor at Xi’an Shiyou University, anthropologists have found evidence of similar practices in East Asia, the Pyrenees mountains in France, northeastern South America, and North America’s highlands. The Ainu people from Japan and some tribes in southern India also practice this custom.
In southern India, there is a tradition where husbands wear colorful women’s clothing and lie on a recliner next to their wives during childbirth, writhing as if they are experiencing labor pains until the child is born.
In modern times, most of this custom has disappeared in China.
