“Sitting feels like perching on a cactus!” “Your belly becomes a deflated balloon!”
These vivid metaphors from Shanghai drew laughter and nods of recognition from young mothers gathered in Sierra Leone’s Kushiam community on May 28, where a groundbreaking science lecture on postpartum care and recovery was held.
Guided by Chinese doctor Ma Jue and delivered with the help of local midwife volunteers, the session marked the first introduction of systematic Chinese postpartum recovery principles to West Africa. The lecture attracted over 100 expectant mothers and family members, reflecting widespread interest in maternal health education.
The content was adapted from the Shanghai Health Science Project: Belt and Road Health Promotion – A Guide to Postpartum Vitality Recovery, and included illustrated handouts that transformed complex medical insights into practical, culturally sensitive guidance:
Replacing traditional herbal poultices with gentle rinsing using cooled boiled water, demonstrating “queen-style” breastfeeding postures with lumbar support, and “weightlifting-style” baby holding techniques to reduce back strain, promoting a morning routine of warm water and a high-fiber diet, and teaching forward-leaning squatting to alleviate constipation
These accessible practices helped local women understand and embrace scientific postpartum care for the first time.
“Our ancestors focused only on the baby’s health—mothers’ pain was often ignored,” said Fatima, a mother of three, holding her three-month-old baby. “No one ever told us that perineal pain could be eased with cold compresses or that back pain needed core muscle exercises.”
During a lively Q&A session, participants posed questions about C-section scar healing and self-checks for diastasis recti (abdominal separation). Dr. Ma Jue and her team responded with patience and clarity, ensuring every concern was addressed.
Across Sierra Leone and much of Africa, holistic postpartum recovery has long been neglected. Cultural norms treat childbirth as a natural event requiring little follow-up, often sending women back to hard labor without rest or rehabilitation—resulting in chronic back pain, pelvic floor disorders, and other long-term health complications.
This session introduced a localized version of China’s “scientific postpartum confinement” model, customized for the African context.
“This isn’t about copying China’s model it’s about adapting knowledge to local needs,” explained Dr. Ma Jue in a transcontinental interview. “We are empowering mothers to recover proactively, showing them they don’t have to suffer in silence.”
Coinciding with a broader medical outreach campaign, the event demonstrated the multidimensional nature of China’s health support in Africa.
“Chinese doctors don’t just fight infectious diseases,” noted a local community leader. “They care about women’s lifelong health. That kind of compassion is what we truly need.”
As newly trained midwives begin sharing these insights with other women across Sierra Leone, a China-Africa postpartum recovery guide is taking shape one built not just on clinical science, but on empathy, dignity, and cultural respect.
As the session closed, the message was clear: “Postpartum recovery is a marathon.”
And along this Health Silk Road, African mothers are now equipped to run it with knowledge, confidence, and renewed strength.