Things to Handle Around Childbirth: A Timeline

Unofficial English translation of docs/孩子出生前后要办的事.md. In case of discrepancies the Chinese original takes precedence.

The book is split by topic; pregnancy, birth, and infant care are spread across several sections. This checklist orders them by time, from planning a pregnancy through the child’s first birthday. Each line states only what to do; why and how strong the evidence is are in the entry cited in parentheses. Start at the heading for the stage you are in.

I. When planning a pregnancy

1. Take 0.4 mg folic acid daily, starting three months before conception. See Section 27, item 1 (folic acid).
2. Call social insurance or medical insurance once and ask whether maternity-insurance contribution months are sufficient. See Section 27, item 11 (maternity insurance).
3. Agree with household members that no one smokes indoors from now on. See Section 2, item 2 (no smoking at home or in the car).
4. If someone at home depends on your income, buy term life insurance for the earner first. See Section 5, item 40 (term life insurance).

II. After pregnancy, before birth

1. Before week 13, register at a community health center for the Maternal and Child Health Handbook; free prenatal visits start there. See Section 27, item 2 (Maternal and Child Health Handbook).
2. At the first prenatal visit, test for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B; you do not pay for the tests. See Section 27, item 3 (HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B).
3. No smoking and no alcohol at all during pregnancy. See Section 27, item 4 (no cigarettes, no alcohol).
4. Tell your full medical history at prenatal visits. If you have high-risk factors for preeclampsia, let the doctor decide whether to start low-dose aspirin after week 12. See Section 27, item 5 (low-dose aspirin).
5. From week 24 onward, have gestational diabetes screening. See Section 27, item 6 (gestational diabetes screening).
6. After week 20 of pregnancy, do not take ibuprofen-type pain relievers on your own. See Section 34, item 5 (ibuprofen-type pain relievers).
7. Learn the “go to the hospital now” list and make sure others at home know it too. See Section 27, item 7 (go to the hospital now).
8. At prenatal visits, ask whether the hospital offers painless labor. See Section 27, item 9 (painless labor).
9. Without a medical indication, do not ask for a cesarean section. See Section 27, item 10 (cesarean section).
10. If you will deliver outside your insurance locality, ask in advance whether you need cross-region maternity filing. See Section 27, item 11 (maternity insurance).
11. Maternity leave is at least 98 days; up to 15 days may be taken before birth. See Section 18, item 2 (maternity leave).
12. If the employer cuts pay or moves you because of pregnancy, keep written notices and chat records. See Section 18, item 3 (no pay cut for pregnancy, birth, or nursing).
13. Borrow a crib and stroller first; buy second-hand if you cannot borrow. Do not buy a used car seat or mattress. See Section 20, item 11 (borrow, second-hand, new).
14. Try diapers in a small pack for a week before stocking up. See Section 20, item 10 (diapers).
15. Choose the baby’s name early and confirm the household-registration system can print the characters. See Section 27, item 12 (birth medical certificate).

III. During hospital birth

1. If membranes rupture, lie flat where you are, elevate the hips, call 120; do not walk around. See Section 27, item 8 (ruptured membranes).
2. Start breastfeeding within the first hour after birth. See Section 20, item 4 (breastfeeding only).
3. Give the first hepatitis B vaccine dose within 24 hours of birth. If the mother is hepatitis B surface antigen positive, give hepatitis B immune globulin at the same time. See Section 20, item 2 (first hepatitis B dose).
4. Give the vitamin K injection. If birthing at home or at an informal facility, ask explicitly. See Section 20, item 7 (vitamin K injection).
5. Do not refuse heel-prick screening or hearing screening. Before signing consent, see which items are optional paid add-ons. See Section 27, item 13 (heel-prick and hearing screening).

IV. Before discharge

1. Complete the birth medical certificate; verify parents’ and child’s names and ID numbers character by character. See Section 27, item 12 (birth medical certificate).
2. Enroll the child in resident medical insurance online using the birth certificate; you do not need household registration first. If unsure, call 12393. See Section 27, item 14 (resident medical insurance).
3. Use a car seat on the way home: rear-facing under age one; do not hold the baby in your arms. See Section 1, item 10 (car seat).

V. The first month after birth

1. Register the birth at the police station within one month. See Section 27, item 15 (birth registration).
2. After household registration, apply for the child-rearing subsidy where the child is registered: 3,600 yuan per child per year. See Section 18, item 1 (child-rearing subsidy).
3. Put the baby to sleep on the back, on a firm surface, same room but not same bed; no soft bedding in the crib. See Section 20, item 1 (back to sleep).
4. For formula, mix with water at 70 °C or above; discard leftovers. See Section 20, item 5 (mixing formula).
5. If a child under three months reaches 38 °C, go to the hospital. See Section 20, item 8 (fever at 38 °C).
6. When you are about to lose control, put the baby in the crib and step away for a few minutes. See Section 20, item 9 (never shake a baby).
7. The mother’s “go to the hospital now” list still applies for one year after birth. See Section 27, item 7 (go to the hospital now).

VI. From one month through the first birthday

1. At 42 days postpartum, go for the check-up, which includes postpartum depression screening. See Section 27, item 16 (42-day postpartum visit).
2. Follow the immunization schedule at the clinic; DTaP starts at two months. See Section 20, item 3 (national immunization program).
3. Breastfeed only for the first six months; from six months add complementary foods with iron-rich animal foods daily. See Section 20, item 4 (complementary feeding from six months).
4. Do not give honey before age one. See Section 20, item 6 (honey).
5. With severe eczema or egg allergy, see a doctor before deciding whether to introduce peanut early. See Section 20, item 12 (do not avoid peanut entirely).
6. For colds in children under two, do not give combination cold medicines on your own. See Section 34, item 4 (combination cold medicines).
7. Install window and balcony limiters; screens are not fall protection. See Section 1, item 11 (window and balcony limiters).
8. No phones or tablets for children 0–3. See Section 30, item 5 (no screens).
9. After returning to work, if the child is under one year, you have one hour of nursing time per day. See Section 18, item 3 (nursing time).
10. Link your employee medical-savings account for family pooling so the child can use it for care and medicine. See Section 5, item 13 (family pooling).
11. At annual individual income-tax settlement, claim the deduction for care of children under three. See Section 5, item 2 (special additional deductions).