Sleep, thoughtful gestures and lots of help. In South Korea the birth rate is among the lowest in the world, but they exist special postpartum centers, joriwon, which guarantee care and attention to mothers who have just given birth to their children. The treatment is similar to that of a luxury hotel: they are available facials, massages and childcare classes. And especially, nurses watch over the children 24 hours a day, while exhausted mothers can regain their strength. New mothers are only let out of their rooms when it is time to breastfeed, into a common room, where they are supervised by nurses. Those who choose not to breastfeed are free to spend their time focusing on recovery.
The stay in a joriwon of South Korea can cost from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the duration of the stay, which is often 21 days (according to Korean tradition, it is the time it takes for a woman's body to heal after giving birth). But postpartum centers haven't always been so luxurious. Two weeks in St. Park, one of the most luxurious in Seoul, costs more than 6 thousand dollarsexcluding massages, facial and hair treatments.
“When I had my first child, I had nowhere to go,” explained Soohyun Sarah Kim, 46, the owner of one of these centers. «Normally, in Korea, the grandmother takes care of the newborn, but my mother didn't have the skillsso we decided to go to a joriwon». It was 2007, and postpartum centers were not yet popular: the one where she stayed was in an office building, the room was small and uncomfortable and there were no nurses to take care of the newborns.
The following year, Soohyun Sarah Kim decided to open her own joriwon, very luxurious, inspired by a spa in Bali. «It's a bit like we are the transition between the hospital and home. We don't want mothers to have problems at home: this is our approach.” There are specialized nurses, nutritionists, paediatricians, breastfeeding experts to help mothers, but also a pilates instructor who gives tips on regaining physical fitness.
Today eight out of ten South Korean mothers rely on a joriwon after giving birth. In addition to regaining their strength, they have the opportunity to spend time with other first-time mothers like themselves. And to feel understood and welcomed.
Source: Vanity Fair
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