Growing interest in Korean “postnatal retreats” highlights dearth in maternal care in North America

Over the past 10 years, Hyesook Jeon and her husband Michael have shared their time between her home in South Korea and his in Canada. They met in Seoul in 2004 and currently live outside of Toronto. When it was time to give birth to their daughter in 2010, Seoul was the natural choice for delivery because of Korea’s unique postpartum culture. “Koreans believe postpartum care is significantly important for a new mum’s wellbeing,” says Jeon, now 45. “Recovering is the priority. . . and a healthy mum physically and mentally can take [better] care of the baby.” Jeon delivered her daughter by caesarean section. After five days in hospital, she moved to a postpartum centre, called a sanhujoriwon. She spent the next two weeks recovering, with certified nurses caring for her baby when she needed rest, nutritious meals cooked for her, scheduled doctor’s visits for her newborn, and educational…
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