Maedeup Monday!

This week's "Maedeup Monday" comes from our recent visit back to South Korea. My maedeup teacher had recently given birth to a baby boy. In the old days the baby was not taken out of the home until 100 days because of the high mortality rate. It's not quite so strict but most do not take the baby out for a month just to be safe.

Su-Mi lives south of Suwon so Hellena (my Korean girlfriend), Rocketman and I took a bus and taxi to reach her apartment. She wanted us to come visit her so badly and I'm wouldn't have been able to without Hellena's help.


We came for lunch so while the girls slaved away cooking, I took care of the baby. It was a joy and delight.

I have found that sometimes when we would go to a Korean home for a meal, it was 50/50 if the meal had been prepared in advance. In this case, Su-Mi hadn't started cooking so Hellena helped her.

She made this delicious tofu and rice side dish. We also had spaghetti with garlic toast. It was the first time she had made either and she had to check on the Internet for the recipe. The spaghetti came with what I call Korean shrimp meaning that the shrimp looked just like it came out of the ocean, eyes and legs still attached. I had no idea how to get the meat out but Hellena didn't even wait for me to ask. She took my shrimp and like a surgeon only with chopsicks she removed the meat in seconds. She is amazing!

We saw the baby's room and this is a diaper cake she had received as a gift.

I had never seen anything like this before but this is what now I know is a hooter hider where you can breastfeed and see your baby. I found them on the Internet here too but they weren't quite like the one Su-Mi had. Su-Mi wanted me to take this picture and it turned out great.

This is what the hooter hider looks like from the front. This was in Su-Mi's bedroom. The bedroom reminded me of a little girl's room with all the roses and pink. It was really frilly and I wondered what her husband thought of it. She loved it so that's all that matters.

I learned some more things about Korean new mothers. Su-Mi wasn't suppose to bathe for a month but she only lasted 3 days. She also keeps pretty covered up with blankets because if you don't, you could become arthritic when you are older. They also keep the baby warm even when it is very hot, the baby is swaddled tight in a blanket.

Su-Mi's mother-in-law stayed with her a lot to help out and make the seaweed soup that she had to eat every meal for the first month. It helps you recover from childbirth. Her husband has been traveling a lot so I'm sure she appreciates the help. Hellena told me that her sister actually went to a place for mothers after they deliver. There they take care of mother and baby. No bathing! Her sister stayed for a month and it was 1100 WON ($1100 US). I would get pretty stinky after a couple of days and in the summer, forget it.

It was so good to see Su-Mi. I will be taking more classes when the baby gets a little older. She is hoping to start teaching maedeup in her area then too.

Rocketman took a lot of great pictures with his new camera.