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childbirth

Children’s anime PreCure features magical girl actually giving birth to a child in series finale

Hugtto! PreCure’s final episode has aired, and only truly draws to a close after we see the protagonist as an adult screaming in labor pain.

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UNICEF: Japan safest country to have a baby

Although it includes high praise for Japan, the entire UNICEF survey is a sobering report.

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“The bills! The bills!”: A Japanese woman’s experience giving birth in the United States

Receiving any kind of medical treatment in a foreign country can be a daunting experience. And when one of the writers from our sister site Pouch gave birth to her second child in the United States, where she was living at the time, she was naturally expecting the procedures to be different from her native Japan. But there were a number of things that shocked, amazed and downright confused her about giving birth in the US – not least the incredible cost incurred.

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If China’s childbirth simulators for dads-to-be are the answer, we’re asking the wrong questions

A hospital in China wants to help men empathise with the pain their partner feels during childbirth – by rigging them up to an electronic device that allows men to experience it for themselves. Doctors in Jinan, Shandong Province, use electric shock machines to stimulate men’s abdomens, causing pain that’s supposed to be just as awful as contractions and full-on labour pains.

Sure, the pictures of men screwing up their faces are funny. But on the subject of baby-making in China, this “project” is missing the point.

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Hypnobirthing: A way to give birth without fear or pain that is gaining popularity in Japan

Have you ever heard of the term “hypnobirthing“? And no, it doesn’t involve hypnosis in the traditional use of the word. It’s a trend that has recently been catching on with mothers-to-be in Japan. Read on to learn more about this technique which aids women in having a more comfortable childbirth, as well as some comments from Japanese women who have tried hypnobirthing for themselves.

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