"Pregnancy is exhausting, childbirth is cruel, the process of recovery, that is embarrassing." In 2020, the Korean drama "Postpartum Conditioning Hospital" described it this way when describing the process of postpartum recovery.
"Confinement" is a traditional Chinese fertility custom. After experiencing the pain of childbirth, the living confinement was the mainstream solution. At the end of the last century, the concept of confinement center was introduced to the mainland from Taiwan. It was not until 1999, when the first professional confinement center in Beijing was established, that the confinement center began to start in Chinese mainland.
The advertisement played by the confinement center not only has a comfortable and high-end environment, but also the concept of "scientific confinement" and the so-called professional and meticulous nursing services, at the same time, the new mothers can also try to clean up and avoid conflicts with their parents. As a result, more and more women are paying for it, even if it is expensive.
According to data, the median price of the North,100 Shenzhen-Hangzhou Yuezi Center is more than 50,000, the middle and high-end level is not less than 70,000, and there is even no shortage of "sky-high" packages with a price of 200,000 or even 480,000 yuan.
The services offered by confinement centers are highly similar: three meals and three snacks a day; regular rounds by obstetricians and pediatricians; specialized maternal and child care; and additional services such as baby photos and full moon parties. At the confinement center, maternal feelings are a top priority.
With the introduction of the two-child and three-child policies, in recent years, confinement centers have sprung up. According to the data, the market size of China's confinement center has increased from 1.78 billion yuan in 2013 to 16.76 billion yuan in 2020, with an average annual compound growth rate of about 47%, and it is expected to reach 24.3 billion yuan in 2023.
However, some insiders said that 95% of the Yuezi Center stores are struggling with losses, and fixed costs such as hardware investment, rent and water, meals, and labor costs remain high. Of the five confinement centers that have been or have been listed, only one can maintain a small profit.
Under the high price, "frequent chaos" is another label of the confinement center. On social media, many new mothers make long lists and share their experiences when booking confinement centers. Some netizens summarized the "minefield" of the confinement center, including unprofessional nursing staff, postpartum repair projects of chicken ribs, and frequent access of staff to disturb rest.
The various accidents and chaos that are frequently on the news have repeatedly plunged the Yuezi Center into a crisis of trust. In March, the incident of a mother-and-baby care club in Shiyan, Hubei Province, causing a 28-day baby to be fractured by a baby that caused concern, once again putting industry chaos on the table.
In September 2018, the General Requirements for Maternal and Child Health Care Service Places were officially implemented. The requirements put forward general norms in terms of operation and management, practitioners, service content, professional technology, disputes and complaints.
However, this standard is a "national recommended standard" and is not mandatory. Regarding the supervision of the confinement center, it is still in the "self-discipline" stage.