Making Caregiving
More Transparent

"Hiring Auntie Yang was the best decision I made during my postpartum confinement. But what benefited me most was not how clean she kept the home or how delicious her postpartum meals were; it was the care she put into understanding my baby’s emotions—something I had not seen in any of the several postpartum nannies I interviewed before her. My baby was high-needs: he startled at the slightest noise and was very hard to soothe once he started crying. During confinement, he had gas pains once and cried so hard he could barely catch his breath. My husband and I took turns holding him, but nothing worked; the more anxious we became, the more chaotic things got. Auntie Yang took him over. She did not immediately rock him or feed him. Instead, she first held him upright against her shoulder, steadily supporting his back with her palm. In a very soft, slow voice, she responded along with his breathing rhythm, “Mm—mm—,” while using her other hand to massage his little belly clockwise. In about three or four minutes, his crying changed from heart-wrenching wails to little sobs, and eventually he fell asleep on her shoulder. She told me, “He isn’t hungry right now; he’s scared. His body is uncomfortable and no one understands him. You first need to let him know that someone is there to catch him.” Only after that did I understand that Auntie Yang truly “reads” children. She could tell from his cries whether he was hungry, sleepy, gassy, or simply wanted to be held—and she responded completely differently to each kind of cry. If the baby suddenly turned his head while playing, yawned, or stared blankly, she would immediately put away the toys, dim the lights, and swaddle him. She never waited until he started crying to deal with it. Afterward, our home almost never had those situations where he cried completely out of control. What impressed me even more was how she built the baby’s sense of security. She never got annoyed just because he cried, and she never used any so-called “cry-it-out” method. Before changing his diaper, she would first say, “Auntie is going to change you now.” When bathing him, she warmed her hands before touching him. After giving him a massage, she always held him for a while before putting him down. She said that even though babies are small, they remember everything—you need to respond every time so that they feel the world is safe. She was proven right. When Auntie Yang left, the baby was only a little over forty days old, but he was already smiling at people, cooing when amused by voices, and able to play quietly by himself for a while when awake. He was not like other babies who melt down the moment they are put down. Now he is nearly six months old, and his temperament is clearly steady, cheerful, and easy to care for; everyone around us compliments him. I know that this foundation was built little by little by Auntie Yang during those first several dozen days. She also taught us, step by step, many ways to “read” our child: how to recognize overstimulation, how to hold space for a child’s emotions, and how to step in before the child has a meltdown. These have been more useful than any parenting book. Meeting Auntie Yang was a blessing for our child and for our whole family. I sincerely recommend her to every first-time parent—skills can be learned, but a heart that truly understands children is far too rare."

"During the time Auntie Huang cared for my baby and me in our home, our whole family was extremely satisfied, and we feel very fortunate to have had her help during my postpartum confinement period. She took especially thoughtful care of me as a postpartum mother. Right after giving birth, I was uncomfortable physically and found many things difficult to do on my own. She helped me bathe and wipe down, and washed my hair using postpartum herbal water. She was very patient throughout the process and always considered how I felt. Beyond practical care, she also gave me a great deal of emotional support. During confinement, it is unavoidable to sometimes feel exhausted and anxious. She was willing to listen to me and would comfort and encourage me, making me feel understood and that I had someone to rely on. Auntie Huang was also very experienced in caring for the baby. She was meticulous and patient, and it was clear that she genuinely liked babies. She carefully cared for the baby's foreskin and umbilical cord, and both healed very smoothly afterward. As a first-time mother, whenever there was something I did not understand or was worried about, I felt reassured communicating with her. In addition, she paid close attention to personal hygiene, liked things clean, and worked efficiently and neatly. She has a lovely personality, was easy to get along with, and we also enjoyed chatting in everyday life. Caring for both a mother and a newborn during the postpartum period is not easy. Auntie Huang's thoughtfulness, patience, and companionship helped us through this important time. We are very grateful for the care she gave my baby and me, and sincerely recommend her to families looking for a postpartum nanny. I also wish Auntie Huang continued success and all the best. 🌷"

"This is my second child, and I also hired a maternity nanny for my first. By comparison, Auntie Jiang is truly very professional and handles the baby with ease. She is meticulous and well-organized with daily care such as feeding, bathing, and hygiene. The baby is especially well behaved with her, so I hardly have to worry about anything. She is very loving and patient with the baby, carefully observes the baby’s condition every day, and makes me feel very reassured. In addition to caring for the baby, she often makes all kinds of delicious pastries and snacks for me. They taste wonderful, and every time I eat them I feel so comforted and well cared for. Communication with her is also very smooth. When I occasionally felt down or emotionally up and down after giving birth, she patiently talked with me and helped ease my worries. She also consistently gave me massages every day to reduce swelling. Her service is especially thoughtful and attentive. Compared with the maternity nanny I had for my first child, Auntie Jiang is clearly more professional, more careful, and more patient. The overall experience has been so much better. I sincerely feel that I hired the right person and highly recommend her to mothers who need help!"