Chinese superstition has it that girls born in the Year of the Sheep impoverish their families. The next Year of the Sheep starts on February 19, 2015, so tens of thousands of would-be mothers across China have been working to get their child-bearing in this year, the more auspicious Year of the Horse. Chinese media say hospitals across the country are reporting “wild overcrowding.” Several hospitals are saying women need to book their spot in the fourth or fifth week of pregnancy. Anyone failing to book by the sixth week of pregnancy is finding it impossible to arrange a hospital bed.
