Soon after becoming a mother, Hong Kong resident Sarah Tam enjoyed eight hours of sleep a night and yoga sessions at a post-partum care centre in neighbouring Shenzhen, where carers looked after her newborn around the clock.
Tam, a 30-year-old social worker who gave birth in mid-July, spent a month at the facility in mainland China, recovering from delivery with total peace of mind.
She said she felt completely at ease leaving her baby in their care, which allowed “mothers to truly focus on resting”.
In Hong Kong, new mothers commonly hire a specialised post-partum carer, known locally as a pui yuet, to assist with baby care and recovery at home.
However, round-the-clock confinement care in the city can cost upwards of HK$70,000 (US$8,927). The steep price tag prompted Tam and her husband to cross the border to a post-partum care centre in Shenzhen.
For just HK$40,000, Tam stayed in a hotel-style room equipped with a queen-sized bed, en suite bathroom, sofa, steriliser, bottle warmer and fridge.
The package also covered six meals a day, daily essentials such as nappies and baby clothes, 24-hour newborn care and maternal wellness treatments including massages and facials.