Tender loving care: A room at Anidar, a postpartum care centre or joriwon, in Seoul. Eight out of 10 Korean new mums go to a joriwon for some pampering after giving birth. — Photos: ©2024 The New York Times Company
FOUR mothers sat quietly in the nursing room around midnight, breastfeeding their newborn babies. As one mother nodded off, her eyelids heavy after giving birth less than two weeks earlier, a nurse came in and whisked her baby away. The exhausted new mum returned to her private room to sleep.
Sleep is just one of the luxuries provided by South Korea’s postpartum care centres.
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Postpartum pampering
Staff taking care of newborns at St Park, a postpartum care centre, or joriwon, in Seoul. — Photos: ©2024 The New York Times Company
Staff taking care of newborns at St. Park, a postpartum care center, or joriwon, in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 15, 2024. (Jean Chung/The New York Times)
Robe options for mothers on display at Anidar, another joriwon in Seoul.
Robe options for mothers on display at Anidar, a postpartum care center, or joriwon, in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 11, 2024. (Jean Chung/The New York Times)
Lee Joo-bae, chief nurse at St Park, demonstrating how to hold and burp a baby.
Lee Joobae, chief nurse at St. Park, a postpartum care center, or joriwon, demonstrates how to hold and burp a baby, in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 15, 2024. (Jean Chung/The New York Times)
Foot spa rooms at Anidar.
, a postpartum care center, or joriwon, in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 11, 2024. (Jean Chung/The New York Times)
A yoga room at Anidar. South Korea may have the world’s lowest birthrate, but it is also home to perhaps some of its best postpartum care.
A yoga room at Anidar, a postpartum care center, or joriwon, in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 11, 2024. (Jean Chung/The New York Times)
A meal is delivered to a new mother’s room at St Park.
A meal is delivered to a new mother’s room at St. Park, a postpartum care center, or joriwon, in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 15, 2024. (Jean Chung/The New York Times)
Kim, owner of St Park, showing a room that is used for pilates and educational classes for new mums.
, in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 15, 2024. (Jean Chung/The New York Times)
Chun Hye-rim, who is expecting her first child soon, plans to spend time at a joriwon after giving birth.
Chun Hyerim, who is expecting her first child soon and plans to spend time at a postpartum care center, or joriwon, at a playground in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 15, 2024. (Jean Chung/The New York Times)
A new mother’s lunch, including seaweed soup, a post-birth Korean staple, at St Park.
A new mother’s lunch, including seaweed soup, a postbirth Korean staple, at St. Park, a postpartum care center, or joriwon, in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 15, 2024. (Jean Chung/The New York Times)
Outside Anidar, a joriwon in Seoul.
Outside Anidar, a postpartum care center, or joriwon, in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 11, 2024. (Jean Chung/The New York Times)
A massage room at St Park. — Photos: ©2024 The New York Times Company
A massage room at St. Park, a postpartum care center, or joriwon, in Seoul, South Korea, Jan. 15, 2024. (Jean Chung/The New York Times)
