View Mothers:After Giving Birth
Breast-feeding
Breast-feeding is highly esteemed and upheld in Japan. Medical systems avidly encourage it. Part of a caregiver’s job upon the birth of your baby is to show you how to massage your breasts to stimulate milk production. One of the ironies in Japanese society is that whilst breast-feeding is emphatically endorsed, the act of breast-feeding in public is discouraged and sometimes frowned upon.
Paperwork
Following the birth of your baby, there are several documents that must be completed:
* Birth certificate
* a ‘Declaration of Birth’ form to local ward office within 14 days of birth
* Alien registration card for your child within 60 days of birth if you are not married to a Japanese national (from ward office)
* Dependent’s visa for your child if you are not married to a Japanese national (from immigration office)
* Free healthcare card if you have Japanese national health insurance, which covers all general healthcare for your child until the age of six (from ward office)
Your general well-being
It is now more important than ever to stay connected. It is vital to maintain relationships with people you love and with whom you can easily communicate and reach out to. Maintain the relationships you developed with women from your birth preparation classes. Groups for new foreign mothers are becoming more popular.