Just to get the story straight: I'm not pregnant, but an unusual amount of women in China are at the moment. A baby boom in a country in the world's most populace country is always grounds for a bit of curiosity, especially since China is so renowned for its one-child policy.
 

My colleague and I were having lunch one afternoon, when I was surprised to note five pregnant women displaying watermelon-sized bumps in a span of a few minutes. Me: "Ummm, Pedro, why is everyone knocked up at the moment?" Pedro: "Why Rebekah, haven’t you heard? It's a lucky year to get pregnant cause it's ‘Year of the Golden Pig by the lunar calendar. This year only comes around every sixty years."
 

Millions of Chinese and Koreans believe that a baby born this year will be showered with wealth good fortune. Year of the Golden Pig is expected to trigger a mini baby boom. Last year, many couples born under the one-child per couple policy got married in preparation to have their baby this year. According to media reports, the boom has caused shortages in the hospitals of major cities, with long line-ups for routine tests, maternity doctors working double shifts and bed shortages. Even from the womb, these 'lucky' babies are competing with each other for hospital beds for their mothers and then for the rest of their lives for universities, jobs and future spouses. There are also fears of labor shortages in companies with large percentages of women taking maternity leave around the same time.
 

I live five blocks from a maternity hospital. In order to get to one of my favorite restaurants, I have to walk up the street leading to the hospital and thus walk past four maternity clothing shops with pregnant mannequins thrusting their ballooned bellies towards me as I quicken my pace and avert my eyes in shame. For some reason, pregnant mannequins are incredibly creepy. Or perhaps I am just feeling the peer pressure. There will be no golden pig baby for me this year. It seems I missed the get-pregnant deadline, ah well.
 

And just so you are prepared, this Chinese New Year the party is in the maternity ward, popping out babies rather than champagne corks. Luckily, the first cries of a million newborns will be drowned out by the festive sound of a million firecrackers.