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Next year is the Year of the Golden Pig, which augurs well for a mini-boom in the nation¡¯s record-low birthrate. ¡°Due to the folk belief that children born next year will be blessed with good luck for financial wealth, gynecology clinics are seeing a rapid increase in the number of people calling to ask about planned pregnancies, and some postnatal clinics see a rush of couples wanting to reserve their spot ahead of time,¡± the Segye Ilbo writes. ¡°It looks as if we are heading into the first baby boom in a drawn-out period of low birthrates.¡±
¡°Pregnancy tests, which normally top out at 1,200 per month, were up to 1,500, and the number of inquiries into planned pregnancies has also jumped dramatically,¡± one insider at an obstetrician¡¯s surgery in Seoul said. ¡°Due to the low birthrate, we had been in a slump but it seems like the number of deliveries will be picking up again after a spell, so our hearts are filled with gladness.¡±
¡°Even though we have restricted the number of reservations for the postnatal care center, we are already booked for February, when the Year of the Golden Pig begins,¡± an employee at the postnatal care center of Bundang General Hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, says. ¡°If the trend continues, we will be booked through the entire first half of next year.¡± Indeed, some couple have been unable to find a place and are pushing their plans for a pregnancy back till later in the year.
¡°I originally planned to have one child, but my mother-in-law recommended that I have a child next year as well, so we¡¯re having a timed pregnancy now,¡± says Lim Hee-eun who became pregnant in September. ¡°As there are a lot of people planning to have children around the same time, I¡¯m worried that the wait for a delivery room may be long or we will have to leave our hospital room early for others. Even though I was relatively early in asking about a postnatal facility, every place I heard was good had already been completely booked.¡±
A fortuneteller says beliefs surrounding the Year of the Golden Pig are a little exaggerated, but there have been many cases where those who were born in the year enjoyed good fortune and passed state exams at the top of the list. ¡°These days, two or three customers a day come to ask for an auspicious date for pregnancy and child birth,¡± she adds. However, according to the Segye Ilbo, gynecologists advised that in medical terms and for the sake of the mother¡¯s and baby¡¯s health, the best thing for pregnancy and giving birth is to follow the natural cycle. It is not advisable to try to induce a delivery on a date someone has prescribed.¡±
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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