New documentary series offers a window into the world of Chinese women who struggle to have children

Wonderful Birth is generating a widespread discussion about the pressures faced by many Chinese women of child-bearing age

It also showcases the sacrifices these women are willing to make if they struggle to get pregnant

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A new documentary follows the stories of Chinese women as they try to get pregnant and start a family. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:06am, 26 May 2021Updated: 2:04pm, 3 Jun 2021

When viewers first meet 35-year-old Wenxia, she had suffered through two failed in vitro fertilisation [IVF] attempts. Her only goal was to have a child, but that was not enough for her husband, who still wanted a divorce over the failed pregnancies.

In another scene, a woman named Dandan desperately wanted a child to “repay” her husband’s love and “make a contribution” to their family. Later, audiences met a couple, Weng and Yu, who tried, and failed, to have an IVF after they lost their only child, named Dongdong.

The stories of these families are part of a new documentary series called Qi Miao de Dan Sheng, or “Wonderful Birth”, which focuses on the trials and tribulations of starting a family in China.

A Chinese couple travelled to Thailand for an in vitro fertilisation consultation in 2018. Photo: AFP

The documentary, produced by Yang Yuancao and directed by Chen Lu, both relatively unknown, premiered on Youku.com, the Chinese version of YouTube, on April 29.

The series has broadcast three out of six weekly episodes, with the last one available for streaming on May 13. However, the fourth episode, which audiences expected on May 20, was not aired.