Horse Race

Monday, Jan. 27, 2003 By SUSAN JAKES AND JODY XU/BEIJING
Born under a bad sign: The Year of the Sheep has many Chinese avoiding childbirth
KEVIN LEE/NEWSMAKERS
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Wine experts know there are good years and bad years for Bordeaux. The Chinese feel the same way about babies. So as the Year of the Horse gives way to the Year of the Sheep, a popular resolution seems to be: suspend all efforts to procreate. Chinese tradition holds that kids born in sheep years are doomed to a life of baaaahd luck. And since most mainland couples can legally have only one child, they're not taking any chances; as Jan. 31, Chinese New Year's Eve, draws nigh, maternity wards are reporting deliveries in record numbers, with some seeing increases of up to 40%. The phenomenon is partly due to nesting pairs checking their calendars about nine months ago and realizing that if they wanted a child with an auspicious sign, they had to get amorous fast. Some expectant mothers are asking doctors to induce labor to help them avoid the curse. As we went to press, frazzled maternity workers were bracing for one last big push. "Come Friday, we'll be much freer," says Liu Jing, deputy chief of obstetrics at Beijing's Medical University Maternity Hospital. The Year of the Sheep may be unlucky for some, but for Chinese obstetricians it'll be perfect for a holiday.