老外在中國，對中國的人和事有什么看法？《中國日報》Second Thought欄目系列文章帶你走近老外的真實內(nèi)心世界。

I have read the news with bemused interest as Chinese doctors advise prospective mothers about the risks of having a second child. I’m a skeptic.

資訊報道中，屢見中國醫(yī)生提醒廣大婦女，二孩有風(fēng)險，生育需謹慎。本人讀得興致勃勃，卻又一頭霧水，對其言論并不敢茍同。

But don’t listen to me. I am not a doctor. I claim no medical knowledge whatsoever. If you’re a woman contemplating having a second child, you should stop reading now. I am not qualified to render a professional opinion about anything — least of all prenatal care.

不過，鄙人一家之言，不足為訓(xùn)。鄙人并非醫(yī)生，對醫(yī)學(xué)一竅不通。讀者若恰巧是正在考慮要二孩的婦女同志，當(dāng)立即停止閱讀本文。鄙人才疏學(xué)淺，無權(quán)對任何事物發(fā)表專業(yè)評論，產(chǎn)前保健更是不敢妄議。

Yet I have also been accused of knowing too much about reproduction. I have eight children — yes, three sons and five daughters. Shocking but true. I will say that a big family is wonderful, especially now that the kids are grown.

不過，亦有人指稱鄙人對生產(chǎn)之事了如指掌。本人膝下三男五女。難以置信，不過確實屬實。依鄙人之見，人丁興旺是幸事，兒女漸長則更佳。

Whenever my professional colleagues in the United States found out how many children I had, they would invariably gasp. “Good grief! Don’t you know what causes that?” I told them I never really thought about it; I just did what I was told.

美國同僚聞此都大為吃驚。“天！何以至此？”本人并不曾仔細考慮過這一問題，只是聽從夫人旨意而已。

So I have seen a lot of birthing. All eight of my children were delivered by caesarean section, all from the same woman. My wife set the hospital record for the number of consecutive C-sections. I witnessed every one. In US hospitals, unlike many in China, they typically invite fathers into the operating room.

因此，臨盆之事本人司空見慣。本人四雙兒女都由同一婦女剖腹產(chǎn)所生。內(nèi)人創(chuàng)下了在醫(yī)院連續(xù)剖腹產(chǎn)的最高紀錄。每次手術(shù)本人都在現(xiàn)場親眼目睹。與許多中國醫(yī)院不同，美國醫(yī)院通常會邀請爸爸們進入手術(shù)室。

I’ve now seen so many C-sections I’m confident I could perform one in an emergency with a ball-point pen. So if you’re a pregnant woman who courageously kept reading after being warned, take note: I can respond quickly if you every have need — in a taxi, on the subway or climbing the Great Wall.

見過如此多的剖腹產(chǎn)，本人自信可以在緊急情況下用圓珠筆為人手術(shù)。因此，如果讀者身懷六甲，而不顧警告敢于繼續(xù)閱讀此文，請注意：不管您是在出租車上、地鐵里還是爬長城途中，只要有需要，本人可即刻為您服務(wù)。

There’s been a great deal of news coverage about China’s second-child policy. Articles often quote doctors saying that a woman is considered “old” for pregnancy if she’s over 35. Tut-tut. My wife was 43 when our eighth child was born. (She wanted more, but I finally drew the line.)

中國的二孩政策屢見報端。不少報道引用醫(yī)生的話稱，35歲以上的婦女便算是“高齡產(chǎn)婦”。內(nèi)人生第8個孩子時可已經(jīng)43了（她還想生，可筆者認為8個已經(jīng)夠了）。

Doctors say the risks go up for older women. Regular checkups are essential. Diet is crucial. I’m sure they’re right, so please don’t listen to me. What do I know? I can only report one couple’s experience.

醫(yī)生說產(chǎn)婦年紀越大，生孩子的風(fēng)險越大。定期產(chǎn)檢必不可少。飲食更是至關(guān)重要。他們說的都沒錯，所以請別聽我的。我知道什么呢？我只能講一講我們夫婦的經(jīng)歷。

With our first child, my wife was very concerned, very careful, very picky about everything — diet, exercise, monthly exams, playing music to the baby in her belly. By the time the fifth or sixth child rolled around, she would simply visit the doctor once and say, “See you in eight months.” She had faith in nature. After all, women have been getting pregnant for thousands of years.

懷第一胎的時候，我妻子小心翼翼，對所有事都很挑剔——飲食，鍛煉，定期產(chǎn)檢，音樂胎教。等我們家老五老六都會打醬油的時候，她去了醫(yī)院一次，和醫(yī)生說“八個月后再見”。她崇尚自然。畢竟，女人懷胎生子都有幾千年歷史了。

One Chinese doctor warned last week about the risks of multiple C-sections, and advised women in their second pregnancy to wait three months before exercising. But my wife exercised from the start. She even went bungee jumping when she was two-months pregnant, and that kid turned out to be super smart. (I’m not advocating this for improving a gaokao score — just saying.)

上周，一位中國醫(yī)生警示了多次剖腹產(chǎn)的危險，建議生育二胎的婦女在胎兒頭三個月前要避免運動。但我妻子懷孕之后并沒有停止運動。孩子兩個月的時候，她還去蹦極，然后這個孩子生下來竟然非常聰明。（我并不是在傳授高考狀元養(yǎng)成之道——就這么一說。）

It’s true that parents may feel strained with a second child, but I can attest that it gets easier after three, if only because you don’t notice the additional craziness when you’re already nuts.

生育第二胎，父母難免會緊張，不過我以人格擔(dān)保，第三個之后就會越來越輕松的，哪怕是因為抓狂到一定程度也就無以復(fù)加了。

About the author

關(guān)于作者：

Randy Wright joined China Daily as an editor in 2024. His career spans 36 years and 10 newspapers in the United States in senior management, editorial writing and reporting roles. He served as adjunct faculty at the University of Arizona and has consulted for many publications, including the California Bar Journal for lawyers and judges. He is a licensed pilot in the US.

蘭迪?賴特：2024年成為《中國日報》編輯。36年的職業(yè)生涯中，他曾供職于10家美國報紙，擔(dān)任過管理層、專欄作家和記者等職務(wù)。他是亞利桑那大學(xué)的兼職教師，擔(dān)任過許多出版物的顧問，包括專為法官和律師出版的《加利福尼亞律師》。他擁有美國的飛行員執(zhí)照。

老外在中國，對中國的人和事有什么看法？《中國日報》Second Thought欄目系列文章帶你走近老外的真實內(nèi)心世界。

I have read the news with bemused interest as Chinese doctors advise prospective mothers about the risks of having a second child. I’m a skeptic.

資訊報道中，屢見中國醫(yī)生提醒廣大婦女，二孩有風(fēng)險，生育需謹慎。本人讀得興致勃勃，卻又一頭霧水，對其言論并不敢茍同。

But don’t listen to me. I am not a doctor. I claim no medical knowledge whatsoever. If you’re a woman contemplating having a second child, you should stop reading now. I am not qualified to render a professional opinion about anything — least of all prenatal care.

不過，鄙人一家之言，不足為訓(xùn)。鄙人并非醫(yī)生，對醫(yī)學(xué)一竅不通。讀者若恰巧是正在考慮要二孩的婦女同志，當(dāng)立即停止閱讀本文。鄙人才疏學(xué)淺，無權(quán)對任何事物發(fā)表專業(yè)評論，產(chǎn)前保健更是不敢妄議。

Yet I have also been accused of knowing too much about reproduction. I have eight children — yes, three sons and five daughters. Shocking but true. I will say that a big family is wonderful, especially now that the kids are grown.

不過，亦有人指稱鄙人對生產(chǎn)之事了如指掌。本人膝下三男五女。難以置信，不過確實屬實。依鄙人之見，人丁興旺是幸事，兒女漸長則更佳。

Whenever my professional colleagues in the United States found out how many children I had, they would invariably gasp. “Good grief! Don’t you know what causes that?” I told them I never really thought about it; I just did what I was told.

美國同僚聞此都大為吃驚。“天！何以至此？”本人并不曾仔細考慮過這一問題，只是聽從夫人旨意而已。

So I have seen a lot of birthing. All eight of my children were delivered by caesarean section, all from the same woman. My wife set the hospital record for the number of consecutive C-sections. I witnessed every one. In US hospitals, unlike many in China, they typically invite fathers into the operating room.

因此，臨盆之事本人司空見慣。本人四雙兒女都由同一婦女剖腹產(chǎn)所生。內(nèi)人創(chuàng)下了在醫(yī)院連續(xù)剖腹產(chǎn)的最高紀錄。每次手術(shù)本人都在現(xiàn)場親眼目睹。與許多中國醫(yī)院不同，美國醫(yī)院通常會邀請爸爸們進入手術(shù)室。

I’ve now seen so many C-sections I’m confident I could perform one in an emergency with a ball-point pen. So if you’re a pregnant woman who courageously kept reading after being warned, take note: I can respond quickly if you every have need — in a taxi, on the subway or climbing the Great Wall.

見過如此多的剖腹產(chǎn)，本人自信可以在緊急情況下用圓珠筆為人手術(shù)。因此，如果讀者身懷六甲，而不顧警告敢于繼續(xù)閱讀此文，請注意：不管您是在出租車上、地鐵里還是爬長城途中，只要有需要，本人可即刻為您服務(wù)。

There’s been a great deal of news coverage about China’s second-child policy. Articles often quote doctors saying that a woman is considered “old” for pregnancy if she’s over 35. Tut-tut. My wife was 43 when our eighth child was born. (She wanted more, but I finally drew the line.)

中國的二孩政策屢見報端。不少報道引用醫(yī)生的話稱，35歲以上的婦女便算是“高齡產(chǎn)婦”。內(nèi)人生第8個孩子時可已經(jīng)43了（她還想生，可筆者認為8個已經(jīng)夠了）。

Doctors say the risks go up for older women. Regular checkups are essential. Diet is crucial. I’m sure they’re right, so please don’t listen to me. What do I know? I can only report one couple’s experience.

醫(yī)生說產(chǎn)婦年紀越大，生孩子的風(fēng)險越大。定期產(chǎn)檢必不可少。飲食更是至關(guān)重要。他們說的都沒錯，所以請別聽我的。我知道什么呢？我只能講一講我們夫婦的經(jīng)歷。

With our first child, my wife was very concerned, very careful, very picky about everything — diet, exercise, monthly exams, playing music to the baby in her belly. By the time the fifth or sixth child rolled around, she would simply visit the doctor once and say, “See you in eight months.” She had faith in nature. After all, women have been getting pregnant for thousands of years.

懷第一胎的時候，我妻子小心翼翼，對所有事都很挑剔——飲食，鍛煉，定期產(chǎn)檢，音樂胎教。等我們家老五老六都會打醬油的時候，她去了醫(yī)院一次，和醫(yī)生說“八個月后再見”。她崇尚自然。畢竟，女人懷胎生子都有幾千年歷史了。

One Chinese doctor warned last week about the risks of multiple C-sections, and advised women in their second pregnancy to wait three months before exercising. But my wife exercised from the start. She even went bungee jumping when she was two-months pregnant, and that kid turned out to be super smart. (I’m not advocating this for improving a gaokao score — just saying.)

上周，一位中國醫(yī)生警示了多次剖腹產(chǎn)的危險，建議生育二胎的婦女在胎兒頭三個月前要避免運動。但我妻子懷孕之后并沒有停止運動。孩子兩個月的時候，她還去蹦極，然后這個孩子生下來竟然非常聰明。（我并不是在傳授高考狀元養(yǎng)成之道——就這么一說。）

It’s true that parents may feel strained with a second child, but I can attest that it gets easier after three, if only because you don’t notice the additional craziness when you’re already nuts.

生育第二胎，父母難免會緊張，不過我以人格擔(dān)保，第三個之后就會越來越輕松的，哪怕是因為抓狂到一定程度也就無以復(fù)加了。

About the author

關(guān)于作者：

Randy Wright joined China Daily as an editor in 2024. His career spans 36 years and 10 newspapers in the United States in senior management, editorial writing and reporting roles. He served as adjunct faculty at the University of Arizona and has consulted for many publications, including the California Bar Journal for lawyers and judges. He is a licensed pilot in the US.

蘭迪?賴特：2024年成為《中國日報》編輯。36年的職業(yè)生涯中，他曾供職于10家美國報紙，擔(dān)任過管理層、專欄作家和記者等職務(wù)。他是亞利桑那大學(xué)的兼職教師，擔(dān)任過許多出版物的顧問，包括專為法官和律師出版的《加利福尼亞律師》。他擁有美國的飛行員執(zhí)照。