After giving birth, Chinese mothers often “sit the month” to restore their bodies with the help of a confinement nanny.
在生完孩子之后,大部分中国妈妈都会选择在月嫂的陪伴下度过“坐月子”的一个月以恢复身体元气
After giving birth, it is customary for Chinese mothers to practice zuo yue zi or “sit the month.” To restore their bodies after being pregnant, these mothers will stay indoors for one month and have a “confinement nanny” assist them through cooking special meals and caring for their baby. Confinement nannies have been widely used for postpartum childcare in East Asia and among the Chinese diaspora in the U.S. In this video, we spoke with a confinement nanny working in Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Valley to learn what her job entails and the market for postpartum services. We also spoke with two postpartum care providers, a nanny assignment agency and a postpartum meal catering service, to learn about their operations and customers.