Upper-Intermediate - Pregnancy Series 10: Postnatal Recuperation (D1798)

A: 啊呀,小芬,快躺下。要什么东西让月嫂拿,你不要下床!
āyā, Xiǎofēn, kuài tǎngxià. yào shénme dōngxi ràng yuèsǎo ná, nǐ bù yào xià chuáng!
Agh, Xiao Fen, lie down. If you need something have the maternity maid get it for you. You shouldn't get out of bed!
B: 妈,我都躺了一个礼拜了,都躺出病了。而且医生说产妇要适当活动。
mā, wǒ dōu tǎng le yī ge lǐbài le, dōu tǎng chū bìng le. érqiě yīshēng shuō chǎnfù yào shìdàng huódòng.
Mom, I've been laying down for a week now. I'm sick of it. Plus, the doctor said new mothers need to get a certain amount of exercise.
A: 哎,你不好好坐月子,以后要吃一辈子的苦头。
āi, nǐ bù hǎohāo zuòyuèzi, yǐhòu yào chī yībèizi de kǔtou.
Agh, if you don't properly rest for a month after giving birth, you'll suffer for the rest of your life.
B: 妈,你这都是封建迷信思想。
mā, nǐ zhè dōu shì fēngjiàn míxìn sīxiǎng.
Mom, that's just old-fashioned superstition.
A: 别胡说!我告诉你,我有个小姐妹以前月子里洗头,现在天天偏头疼。所以你这个月千万不能洗头。
bié húshuō! wǒ gàosu nǐ, wǒ yǒu gè xiǎojiěmèi yǐqián yuèzi lǐ xǐtóu, xiànzài tiāntiān piāntóuténg. suǒyǐ nǐ zhè ge yuè qiānwàn bùnéng xǐtóu.
Don't be ridiculous! I'm telling you, I had a friend who washed her hair within the first month after giving birth. Now she has migraines every day. You absolutely cannot wash your hair this month.
B: 妈,我头都痒死了、臭死了。求你就让我洗一洗吧。
mā, wǒ tóu dōu yǎng sǐ le、 chòu sǐ le. qiú nǐ jiù ràng wǒ xǐ yī xǐ ba.
My head's so itchy, mom. It's really disgusting. I'm begging you, just let me give it a quick wash.
A: 不行、不行。我这都是为你好。
bùxíng、 bùxíng. wǒ zhè dōu shì wèi nǐ hǎo.
No way. This is for your own good.
C: 小姐,起来啦。我给你热点鸡汤。
xiǎojie, qǐlái la. wǒ gěi nǐ rè diǎnr jītāng.
Miss, sit up please. Let me warm you up some chicken soup.
B: 杨阿姨,不用了。我不饿。
Yáng āyí, bùyòng le. wǒ bù è.
That's OK, Nurse Yang. I'm not hungry.
A: 小芬啊,你现在要多吃一点,补补身体。
Xiǎofēn ā, nǐ xiànzài yào duō chī yīdiǎn, bǔ bu shēntǐ.
Xiao Fen, you need to eat more to replenish your body.
C: 小姐,外婆说得对。
xiǎojie, wàipó shuō de duì.
Your mother is right, miss.
B: 可是这样我都变成老母猪了。每天不是吃就是睡。
kěshì zhèyàng wǒ dōu biànchéng lǎomǔzhū le. měitiān bùshì chī jiùshì shuì.
But this way I'll turn into an old sow. Every day I just eat and sleep.
A: 这就是坐月子呀!等你出了月子,想怎么样就怎么样,我才不管你。
zhè jiùshì zuòyuèzi ya! děng nǐ chū le yuèzi, xiǎng zěnmeyàng jiù zěnmeyàng, wǒ cái bùguǎn nǐ.
That's how the first postnatal month of rest works! Once you've finished this month, you can do what you want and I won't bother you at all.
C: 小姐,女人呢,月子一定要做好。否则以后哪有力气带孩子?
xiǎojie, nǚrén ne, yuèzi yīdìng yào zuò hǎo. fǒuzé yǐhòu nǎyǒu lìqi dài háizi?
Miss, women must properly complete their first postnatal month. Otherwise, how will you have the strength to raise your child?
B: 啊呀,宝宝哭了。阿姨,你快把他抱来吧。
āyā, bǎobao kū le. āyí, nǐ kuài bǎ tā bào lái ba.
Oh no, the baby is crying. Nurse, bring him over to me, please.

Key Vocabulary

月嫂 yuèsǎo maternity maid
dōu all
躺出病 tǎng chū bìng ’to be sick of lying down‘
而且 érqiě moreover
产妇 chǎnfù new mother
适当 shìdàng suitable, reasonable
坐月子 zuòyuèzi to follow certain Chinese post-childbirth customs
吃苦头 chī kǔtou to suffer
封建 fēngjiàn feudal, backwards
迷信 míxìn superstitious
月子 yuèzi first month after childbirth
偏头疼 piāntóuténg to have a migraine
yǎng to itch
qiú to beg
为你好 wèi nǐ hǎo ‘for your own good‘
补身体 bǔ shēntǐ to replenish one‘s body
老母猪 lǎomǔzhū old sow
出月子 chū yuèzi to finish the first month after childbirth

Supplementary Vocabulary

孕妇 yùnfù pregnant woman
辛亥革命 Xīnhài gémìng 1911 Revolution
习俗 xísú custom
虚弱 xūruò weak, debilitated

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