10 Recommendations to Help Pregnant Women
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Wednesday is the second ``Pregnant Women's Day,'' which is established in 2006 to raise the public awareness of the pregnant women and to respect them.
On Oct. 10, when 10 doubles up on the date, the 10 stands for 10 months of pregnancy for women, and various events are held to celebrate the birth of a new life. In Korea, as with counting one's age, counting starts at one which explains the extra one added to the nine months period of actual pregnancy.
``Pregnancy is not an event for individuals only but for the whole society,'' Kim Ki-seok at the Ministry of Health and Welfare said. Due to a low birth rate in the country, experts worry that there will be not enough manpower to drive the country's economy in the future. Therefore, bringing up the birth in the country is one of the most important issues.
However, life for a pregnant woman is not easy. She endures a long period of physical pain while carrying a baby inside her womb and suffers social disadvantages too, having to take a break from her workplace. At work she may well have difficulty carrying out various tasks.
Last year, the ministry released a special badge to identify pregnant women and asked people to show consideration to them such as offering them seats on the subway or bus.
This year, Health and Welfare Minister Byun Jae-jin announced 10 recommendations for the women themselves, fathers-to-be, friends and surrounding people to follow to make a ``pregnancy-friendly'' society.
1. Tell others you are pregnant: Keeping two hearts inside the body is amazing. Let them know you need consideration.
2. Fathers, share your life through talking with your wife: To the mother and the baby inside her; such warm talk from the father is always encouraging.
3. Fathers, help your wife with the house chores.
4. Mothers-in-law need to show consideration: It is good for mothers-in-law to embrace and love their daughters-in-law. It will bring warmth to the baby, too.
5. When seeing a pregnant woman carrying something heavy, offer to help.
6. Do not talk too loud when sitting next to a future-mum. It might stun the baby inside her.
7. Do not smoke near a pregnant woman.
8. Yield your metro or bus seat for a pregnant woman.
9. Bus drivers, when pregnant women are trying to get on and off your bus, drive slowly and carefully so as not to startle the baby.
10. The workplaces of mothers-to-be ought be delightful for mothers to make it delightful for the babies.