Making Caregiving
More Transparent

"I’ve been busy lately and only just remembered to share our experience. Auntie Que worked in our home for a full 42 days. When she left, my mother held her hand and said, “Nannies like this are really rare these days.” I completely agree. When it came to caring for the baby, Auntie Que was the kind of person you could trust even while asleep. Starting on the seventh day after our baby was born, the baby began having trouble settling down to sleep and would wake up like clockwork at two or three in the morning. My husband and I took turns holding the baby until our arms went numb. On Auntie Que’s second night with us, she said, “I’ll take tonight.” She first figured out the baby’s crying patterns, made sure the bedtime feeding was sufficient, then burped the baby, swaddled them, and dimmed the lights. After that, the baby went from waking every hour to sleeping soundly for four hours at a time. She was even more meticulous during the day: she never missed the twice-daily umbilical-cord care, always tested the bathwater with her elbow, and the baby never got diaper rash. Once, the baby developed a few little bumps on their face. I did not think much of it, but she had already reminded me to watch whether the baby was too warm and whether we should remove a layer of clothing. Sure enough, they were gone the next day. She was more alert than we biological parents were. As for postpartum meals, Auntie Que’s cooking truly made both my husband and me gain weight. She never repeated dishes, and she did not make the kind of overly greasy “nourishing” meals that become sickening. One plate of broccoli with sliced meat had broccoli arranged around the edge, tender slices of meat, wood ear mushrooms, and carrot slices—it looked beautiful and was nutritionally complete. Her braised prawns were plump and fragrant with scallions. Paired with a bowl of clear meatball soup, which was light and fresh and sprinkled with scallions and red pepper rings, plus a plate of garlic greens and a small bowl of black rice to cut the richness, the meal made me feel especially reassured. Steamed fish was another one of her specialties. She controlled the heat perfectly; the fish separated into flakes with one lift of the chopsticks and was tenderly sweet. Topped with shredded scallion and ginger and finished with a spoonful of hot oil, all of its fresh flavor came through. What I miss most is that bowl of milky-white soup—winter melon slices, tofu, and fried egg simmered into a rich white broth. One hot spoonful warmed me from my stomach through my whole body, and my milk supply increased as well. What was most valuable was her sense of boundaries and temperament. She never made decisions on her own and always discussed things with us first. As she worked, she also taught us: how to burp the baby, how to tell whether the baby was hungry or sleepy, and how to bathe the baby without getting water in their ears—she explained everything clearly, step by step. My emotions were unstable during my postpartum recovery, and she never lectured me with empty words. She simply worked quietly and brought meals to my bedside so I could eat them while they were hot. Forty-two days is neither a long nor a short time, but during that time, our baby grew from just over six pounds to nearly ten pounds, and I went from being unable to get out of bed because of the pain from my incision to being able to go out for a walk on my own. Auntie Que supported us day by day through it all. She cooks well, understands babies, and is a genuinely dependable person. Meeting her was good fortune for our whole family. If anyone around me needs a maternity nanny, she will be the first person I recommend."

"Because I delivered two weeks earlier than my due date, the nanny specifically changed her flight and cut her vacation short to return from China early. I’m quite grateful to her for that. Our baby was a slow feeder and often took a long time to finish a feeding. Starting in the second week, the baby also had fairly noticeable gas and colic, especially at night, and did not sleep very soundly, often waking up shortly after being put down. The nanny was quite patient with feedings and repeatedly burped the baby. When the baby was uncomfortable at night, the baby often needed to be held and soothed continuously, sometimes for quite a long time, which was indeed hard work. The nanny was also efficient and proactive with household tasks. She generally cleaned up promptly after using the kitchen, and she washed the baby’s bottles, nipples, and clothes very frequently every day. Later, after the pediatrician found that the baby had thrush, she took it seriously and was even more meticulous about cleaning and sterilizing the bottles and nipples. She also gave the medication on schedule, and the baby recovered fairly quickly. Overall, the nanny was diligent and efficient, and patient with the baby. Especially during the later weeks, when our baby was difficult to care for due to slow feeding and severe gas, she truly helped us shoulder a lot of the burden."

"Auntie Zhang is a very patient, attentive, and professional postpartum nanny. She was especially patient with our baby and fed and cared for the baby carefully and consistently every day. Our baby had a low birth weight at birth, and Auntie Zhang paid close attention to the baby’s feeding and weight gain. With her attentive care, the baby gained weight very well, which gave us as parents great peace of mind. In addition, Auntie Zhang was also very professional in caring for the mother. From helping initiate milk production and relieving blocked ducts at the beginning, to carefully preparing postpartum herbal drinks every day, to postpartum recovery support, her extensive experience and professional caregiving skills could be felt at every stage. I especially want to mention that her massage was truly amazing: while promoting uterine contraction and recovery, it also had a significant effect on pelvic-floor muscle recovery. She adjusted the postpartum drinks according to different tastes and physical conditions. Not only was she thorough in her care, but she also adjusted her approach promptly based on the mother’s physical condition, making postpartum recovery go more smoothly. Throughout the postpartum confinement period, Auntie Zhang was not only a caregiver for the baby and mother, but also gave us a great deal of help and support, easing much of our anxiety as first-time parents. Because I had always been anxious about breastfeeding, she patiently comforted and supported me. She also helped me store so, so much breast milk, building up a large supply of food for the baby. You could truly feel that the baby digested and absorbed breast milk very well! Thanks to Auntie Zhang’s excellent breast-massage and duct-clearing skills, when I had blocked milk ducts, they were cleared promptly, and I had no mastitis at all. She really helped us solve many difficulties. We are extremely grateful to Auntie Zhang for all her effort and care during this time! If any friends need to hire a postpartum nanny, I would sincerely recommend Auntie Zhang."