We, the health education group, have gone through the second day of our field experience in Tianjin, and it has been an incredible experience so far.

This morning we started at Hexi Maternity Hospital where we were thrilled to observe the pioneering foot massage technique which helps to stimulate the flow of breastfeeding. This hospital has been instrumental in disseminating this practice throughout Tianjin, and the practitioners have published several articles in scholarly journals promoting the efficacy of these methods. We had the amazing opportunity to witness the massage technique on a new mother who had given birth 3 days previously. This method of massage is something we would recommend bringing back to the U.S. to incorporate with the post-partum maternal standard of care. This hospital prides itself on being "baby friendly" and strives to have the newborn baby with the mother within 30 minutes of a natural delivery, and as soon as possible with other methods of delivery.

An experience that all of us thoroughly enjoyed was the floating baby. In this practice, the newborn is placed in a warm pool of water (body temperature), being comfortably supported by a musical flotation device. For ten minutes, the baby is comforted by the simulated feeling of being in the mother's womb. The attending nurse also assisted the baby's limbs in gentle exercise movements.

Overall, our experience with the host country's interpreters and CDC and hospital staff have been spectacular. We have received a warm welcome as they have shared their cultural practices and professional expertise. We're looking forward to the remainder of our stay with them!