Postpartum care providers are in demand amid expectations of a baby boom, but some pregnant women are not very pleased

China's amendment to its 1978 single-child family policy, allowing couples to have two children now, is expected to not only counter a shrinking workforce and an aging population but heat up the "confinement nursing" market.

Signs of a potential rise in demand for yuesao, or a postpartum care worker, are already there in China's mega cities amid expectations of a baby boom from late 2016 onwards.

"Most of the senior yuesao have been reserved for the first half of 2016 as many moms are expecting a second baby at that time," said Cai Jie, manager of Beijing Fuyuan, a housekeeping services company based in the capital city.

Years ago, the company used to provide various household management services like cleaning, maintenance and cooking. However, as the demand for yuesao surged in recent years, Cai decided to focus on the sector, which was hitherto a minor segment in the company's range of services.

"Some moms seem to prefer having a new baby in 2016, the Year of the Monkey, compared with 2015, the Year of the Sheep, if the new demand for mother and childcare services is any indication," said Cai.

Rising incomes of China's expanding middle class are making it possible for them to hire qualified yuesao, she said.

According to Cai, who is herself a qualified yuesao, a qualified postpartum nurse in big cities usually charges around 15,000 yuan ($2,300) per month now, much higher than what was charged a year ago.

A reputable yuesao may be able to command even higher wages from private employers, including white-collar professionals working for foreign firms, she said.

In mega cities, most yuesao can expect to earn at least 7,000 yuan per month. In contrast, an experienced maid-cum-cook earns around 3,000 yuan per month.

In Shenzhen, a yuesao earns an average salary of 10,000 yuan per month. Those who can cook customized confinement meals well could earn as much as 23,000 yuan per month.

According to the Xinmin Evening News, a white-collar professional named Dong Yali, who has been working in Shanghai for 10 years, recently quit her job and joined a yuesao company, to be trained as a postpartum nurse, so she could start a new, well-paying career.

According to the newspaper, Dong said she believes demand for qualified yuesao would increase in future if the expected baby boom comes to pass. In such a scenario, yuesao could make much more than white-collar workers in metropolitan cities like Shanghai and Beijing.

According to a recent survey, more than 80 percent of the people in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, said they needed a maternity nanny to take care of both the newborn and the mother. Only 13.6 percent said they did not consider hiring a helper during home confinement, according to a report in the Yangcheng Evening News, a local newspaper.

Wang Qing, a mom of a four-year-old son who is expecting her second child in May, found for herself a yuesao when she was three months pregnant.

"My parents as well as my husband's are too old to help me. I can't handle my son's care and the newborn's at the same time," she said. "My mom would still visit me occasionally in the first few months after delivery, to oversee the postnatal care and diet, but she definitely cannot stay up all night like a yuesao."

According to Cai, most of the couples having a second baby will likely encounter similar challenges. "Women now give birth to babies at a relatively older age. This makes it more challenging for their aging parents to take care of them. So, hiring a yuesao is the best way out for many."

Pregnant Wu Jing, who is employed with a foreign company in Beijing, lives in a 55-square-meter, one-bedroom apartment with her husband. She hired a postpartum nurse five months ahead of her expected delivery date. "I made the appointment with a yuesao in July, seven months ahead of the due date. Still, I didn't have too many choices. Many of my friends, who have already given birth, said the first four weeks of taking care of the newborn alone could prove extremely stressful and testing."

The needs of new-age working moms are different, requiring specialist maternity nurses. So, Beijing Fuyuan's training program for nursing assistants covers various aspects of maternity care, including special confinement diet, said Cai.

But not everyone is convinced the so-called "qualified" yuesao are worth the money they demand.

"I didn't have much experience in looking after a newborn when I first gave birth three years ago. But my yuesao's advice was often contrary to what I had learnt. So, I fired the nanny days after giving birth. I won't hire one this time," said Sun Yiyao, a mom of a three-year-old who is expecting her second baby in April.

"She claimed she was an expert in all maternity matters and barely listened to my instructions. As it turned out, her actual nursing knowledge was less than mine. Her practices were totally at variance with what I had learnt from private hospitals and books.

"I heard that many unqualified workers are pouring in to firms that offer yuesao services. I believe they take up new jobs after just one month of training. Their knowledge of taking care of an infant is questionable, perhaps even outdated. They could pose a serious risk to families with newborns," said Sun.

She may well have a valid point. For, cases have been reported that some yuesao are way too demanding, insisting on being provided with purified drinking water, imported fruits and vegetables during their employment.

It is safe to say part of the confinement nursing market in China may have spun out of control. No wonder, the authorities concerned responded with some regulations.

A national quality standard for the mother and childcare services sector was released by the Standardization Administration of China in July, aiming to better regulate the confinement nursing market.

The new regulation, which sets various grades for yuesao to match their capacity with salary, will be implemented from February next year.

"I'm looking forward to the new regulation," said Sun. "Hopefully, some governmental intervention would constrain the feverish rise in yuesao's compensation levels or at least outlaw the unprofessional ones."

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn