Menu 055 -Japanese customs-

1. To wear a pair of socks. (not to cool a body)
2. To wear a belly band. (not to cool a belly or to support a big belly)
3. Not to ride a bicycle.

These Japanese customs during a maternity life are sometimes weird for foreigners.

Since I got pregnant, most of people around me banned me from riding a bicycle.

Maybe the reason is that there are some possibilities to have miscarriage or give damages to a baby when I fall down by accident.

I told this story to my Canadian friend.

She was really surprised to hear that.

Then she asked around about pregnant women's bicycle riding.

Most of people's responses were almost the same as those of people around me.

According to her, she saw several pregnant women rollerblading in Canada.

Her story made me appalled, though...

On the other hand, we, Japanese are generous to have sashimi (raw fish).

In western countries, doctors usually ban pregnant women from having raw fish.

However my doctor have never told me not to have it.

The customs during a maternity life are totally different between countries.

It is really interesting.