Korea's Postnatal Care
How Koreans take care of themselves after giving birth
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In our last post, we took a look at Korea's marriage culture. In this post, we're going to take a look at the culture and customs surrounding pregnancy and giving birth. We have some interesting customs with postnatal care, so let's take a look!
Korean Postnatal Care：1. What is postnatal care?
In the dictionary, postnatal care is described as a period of rest and healing to recover from the energy spent and the stress the body has gone through while giving birth. Around 6 to 12 weeks postpartum is considered the lying-in period. This is the period during which the body heals and reverts back to the state it had been in before pregnancy. Postnatal care then refers to the attention and methods taken to encourage this healing.
Korean Postnatal Care : 2. Why is it important?
Postnatal care is important to make sure that the body heals completely. Giving birth leaves the woman's body at a vulnerable and listless state for a while, even more so than pregnancy. The joints and muscles are left weak, and all the bleeding during birth substantially brings down nutrition levels.
The postnatal care is vital in getting the stretched muscles and joints to their original state and to supplement nutrition. Good postnatal care will allow the new mother to avoid any health complications that can follow giving birth such as postpartum depression, low blood pressure, osteoporosis, obesity, mastitis, and hip problems.
Korean Postnatal Care : 3. Korean Postnatal Care Culture
In the United States, they advise the mother to take a shower and to press an ice pack to the perineal section and don't say much about eating cold food or being in cool breezes. In East Asia, on the other hand, any coldness to the body is strictly advised against during postnatal care.
The differences here are due to body types. Caucasian women tend to have wider, rounder hips that are more suited for giving birth. Asian women have comparatively smaller, oval-shaped hips that can complicate giving birth, along with lower levels of muscle, and smaller bone structure. The lower levels of muscles make the body more sensitive to temperature; this is why keeping the body warm a quintessential part of postnatal care.
Korean Postnatal Care : 4. Postnatal Care Center vs. Postnatal Care at Home
| Pros | Cons | |
| Center | 1. You can focus on healing your body while being cared for by a professional. 2. Various programs and amenities are available for your use. 3. Your meals are planned to suit your nutritional needs. 4. You can make friends with other mothers in the postnatal care center. | 1. Not very economical (super expensive). 2. Less time with family, more time alone. 3. There is some risk of infection from others at the center. |
| At Home | 1. Emotional comfort by being home and with family. 2. You can eat whatever you want. 3. More time with your newborn as well as your other children, if you have them. 4. No schedule to follow. You can get massages for as long as you like. 5. You can use a helper to get one-on-one help. 6. Economical. | 1. Difficult to rest completely. 2. Difficult to get the temperature difference needed between the newborn and mother (baby needs to be cool, mother needs to be warm). 3. No new mom friends. 4. Not enough professional knowledge. |
Korean Postnatal Care：5. Famous Postnatal Care Centers in Korea
Famous Postnatal Care Centers in Korea : 1. Heritage
General Room: 960,000 Suite: 20,000,000
Address: 서울 강남구 삼성로 635
This center is famous because several high-class celebrities such as Go Soyoung or Jeon Jihyeon had used its facilities. It uses an entire building so that sanitation standards can be kept high, and only the certified nurses are allowed in the infant rooms. The center focuses on newborn care, so many mothers concerned about the well being of their newborns prefer this center.
One nurse is allowed to take care of only up to two babies, so the care is customizable and they give a lot of help towards breastfeeding as well. The high price reflects the luxury hotel-type facilities and amenities, and the meal plans are super varied, high-quality, and nutritious. The con is that the general rooms only includes four breast massages.
Famous Postnatal Care Centers in Korea : 2. Olivium
General Rooms: 4,700,000 Suites: 6,200,000
Address: 서울특별시 종로구 통일로16길 4-1 올리비움
Olivium recently became famous as celebrities such as Park Soojin and So Ihyun used its facilities. Another center that uses an entire building so as to have control over the sanitation standards, it's operated by Seran Hospital so that any health complications can be addressed right away if they were to arise.
Olivium is strict with their one nurse, one newborn policy, and they have a separate children's hospital department so that the baby's health is thoroughly looked after here. The price is on the lower end of the spectrum compared to the other famous postnatal centers in Korea, but the rooms are no less nicer and the amenities are still comparable to those of a five-star hotel.
Famous Postnatal Care Centers in Korea : 3. Seorae Meren
Entire Room: 7,000,000
Address: 서울 서초구 동광로49길 7 양지빌딩
This center is located in Sorae Village, right in front of Monmarte Park. Many choose this center for its location and calm atmosphere. The meals are also taken separately in your own room rather than at a cafeteria, so it's great for mothers who prefer some quiet alone time.
The babies are cared for one-on-one and provided with a daily check up with a pediatrician. Most postnatal centers dedicate an entire floor to keep all the infants, but this center has an infant room on each floor so that the mothers and their newborns can be kept close. The rooms here are all the same price, and are not divided into a general and special suite.
Famous Postnatal Care Centers in Korea : 4. The Bless
General Room: 8,500,000 Suite: 9,800,000
Address: 서울 강남구 학동로97길 21-3
This center has been used by celebrities such as Kim Taehee, Song Yoonah, and Jeon Doyeon. The Bless uses an entire building as well for sanitation control to provide a clean environment. It's also partnered with Cheongdammari ob/gyn so that professional health services to both the mother and the child can be provided. A pediatrician makes daily rounds in the infant room to ensure the health of all the new born children.
Each floor has a infant room so that customizable one-on-one care can be provided. The nurse brings the child to the room for breastfeeding rather than have the mother get up and move around. However, as this center is strictly individualistic, it is not recommended for those who are looking to make friends with other moms.
This blog post is about Korea's Postnatal Care. If you have questions about information not covered in the blog post, please email us at help@creatrip.com