World News for Students of English

26-11-2014 15:00

When it comes to bringing a new life into the world, there are few who would argue that women don’t get the raw end of the deal. Well, moms, now s hospital in China is giving would-be fathers a chance to get an idea of how it feels to experience one of the tougher aspects of becoming a parent – giving birth. Aima Hospital has decided to offer taster sessions where men can experience something of the pain giving birth.

Pads attached to a device are placed above the abdomen carrying electric shocks which the hospital says create a feeling similar to that of giving birth.

Once the electric current begins to flow the fathers to-be writhe in agony, as the nurse gradually steps up the intensity of the pain on a scale of 1 to 10.

“Basically, it felt really painful. I feel like giving birth to a child is actually really not that easy. I felt like my heart and lungs were being ripped apart. It was basically really painful. You can’t even describe how painful it was.”

Compared to Europe and North America, Chinese men are relatively absent from the process of giving birth. Some state-run hospitals still don’t allow men to witness the birth of their children.

Difficult words: the raw end of the deal (when something is not fair and you must do the harder part), taster (short experience of something), abdomen (belly), writhe (to make twisting movements of the body), agony (extreme physical or mental suffering), gradually (slowly), witness (observe).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com