Chinese Postpartum Nanny — Confinement Care Rooted in Tradition
A Chinese postpartum nanny — often called a Yue Sao (月嫂) — is a trained caregiver who supports both mother and newborn during the postpartum recovery period. This role is grounded in the Chinese tradition of zuo yue zi (坐月子), or “sitting the month,” a practice built around rest, nourishment, and dedicated care during the weeks after birth.
My Asian Nanny is a referral agency that connects families with experienced Yue Sao for live-in confinement care. We do not employ nannies directly — we match families with qualified, independent caregivers based on your needs, timeline, and preferences.
What a Chinese Postpartum Nanny Does
A Yue Sao provides focused, hands-on care for both your baby and your recovery. This is supportive, non-medical care — focused on rest, daily routines, and traditional recovery practices. It is not general childcare or housekeeping. It is a specific type of postpartum support designed to help your family through the first weeks after birth — when rest matters most and routines are still forming.
Newborn Care
Your postpartum nanny handles the daily and nightly rhythms of newborn care so you can rest and recover. This typically includes:
- Feeding support, including assistance with breastfeeding positioning, bottle preparation, and tracking feeding schedules
- Bathing, diapering, and umbilical cord care
- Sleep routines and soothing techniques to help your baby settle
- Overnight newborn care so that you can get uninterrupted sleep
- Monitoring your baby’s basic health patterns and alerting you to anything unusual
She works alongside you — not in place of you. The goal is to give you the space to recover while keeping your baby safe, comfortable, and well cared for.
Mother’s Postpartum Recovery
What sets a Chinese postpartum nanny apart from most other newborn caregivers is the attention given to the mother. In the zuo yue zi tradition, the weeks after delivery are treated as a critical recovery period — not just for your body, but for your energy, sleep, and emotional adjustment.
Your Yue Sao supports this recovery by helping you maintain rest, managing the baby during your sleep hours, and following traditional postpartum practices that many Chinese and Asian-American families value. This may include guidance on staying warm, avoiding cold foods and drafts, and encouraging adequate rest even when the instinct is to push through.
She is not a doctor or medical provider. She does not diagnose or treat. But she brings hands-on experience with the physical and emotional reality of the postpartum period — and that kind of steady, knowledgeable presence makes a meaningful difference when you are exhausted and adjusting.
Confinement Meal Preparation
Nutrition is a central part of traditional confinement care. Your Yue Sao will typically prepare meals designed to support postpartum recovery — warm, nutrient-rich foods rooted in Chinese dietary tradition. These meals are meant to aid healing, support milk production, and restore energy during a time when most new parents barely have time to eat.
Meal preparation varies by nanny and by family preference. Some families follow strict traditional confinement menus. Others prefer a lighter approach. Your Yue Sao will work with what matters to your household.
For a closer look at what confinement meals typically include, visit our guide to Chinese postpartum meals.
Household Support During Recovery
Your postpartum nanny may assist with light household tasks that are directly related to baby care and your recovery. This generally includes baby laundry, bottle cleaning and sterilization, keeping the nursery and feeding areas tidy, and maintaining the kitchen after meal preparation.
This is not a housekeeping service. A Yue Sao is focused on you and your newborn — not on general cleaning, errands, or caring for older children. Setting this expectation early helps families get the most from the confinement period.
How Confinement Care Works — What to Expect
Knowing what the day-to-day actually looks like helps families feel prepared. Confinement care is not a rigid program — it is a rhythm shaped by your baby’s needs, your recovery, and your household.
Typical Daily and Nightly Routine
Every family’s experience is a little different, but a representative day with a Yue Sao tends to follow a general flow.
During the day, your nanny is typically focused on feeding support, newborn care, and meal preparation. She may prepare a warming breakfast and lunch for you, tend to the baby between feedings, and handle baby laundry or bottle preparation. When the baby sleeps, she may use that time for meal prep or light tidying in the nursery area.
In the afternoon and evening, she continues rotating between baby care and your recovery support. Many Yue Sao will prepare an evening soup or tonic as part of the confinement meal routine.
At night, your postpartum nanny takes over newborn care so you can sleep. She handles overnight feedings — whether by bottle or by bringing the baby to you for breastfeeding and then settling the baby afterward. For most families, this overnight support is the single most valuable part of having a Yue Sao. Sustained sleep during the postpartum period is not a luxury. It is part of recovery.
The rhythm adjusts as your baby grows and your recovery progresses. A good Yue Sao reads the household and adapts — she does not follow a script.
Duration of Care
Most families hire a Chinese postpartum nanny for somewhere between 26 and 90 days, with 30 days being the most common starting point. The name zuo yue zi — “sitting the month” — reflects this traditional timeframe.
Some families extend care to 40, 60, or even 90 days depending on recovery needs, the baby’s feeding patterns, or whether the mother is returning to work. Others feel ready to transition sooner. There is no single correct duration — it depends on how your recovery is going, how confident you feel with the baby’s routines, and what kind of support you have once the nanny’s time ends.
If you are unsure how long to book, that is completely normal. Most families make this decision during pregnancy and adjust after the baby arrives. We can help you think through what makes sense for your situation.
The Live-In Arrangement
Postpartum confinement care through My Asian Nanny is a live-in arrangement. Your Yue Sao stays in your home for the full duration of her placement, typically in a private room or a dedicated sleeping space near the nursery.
This is not a drop-in or hourly service. The live-in model exists because postpartum care is around-the-clock work. Your baby does not follow a 9-to-5 schedule, and neither does recovery. Having a Yue Sao in the home means there is always experienced support available — during a difficult night feeding, an unexpected fussy stretch, or a morning when you simply need to stay in bed.
Families do best when they prepare the sleeping space before the nanny arrives and discuss household expectations openly. Small things — like kitchen access, quiet hours, and how the family prefers to communicate — go a long way toward making the arrangement comfortable for everyone.
For more about how live-in postpartum care works day to day, see our live-in postpartum nanny page.
Who Hires a Chinese Postpartum Nanny
Families come to this decision from different directions. Some grew up with the zuo yue zi tradition and always planned to have a Yue Sao. Others are learning about confinement care for the first time and want experienced help during a period that feels overwhelming.
Many of our families are first-time parents who want knowledgeable support during the steep learning curve of the newborn stage. Others are experienced parents who did not have help the first time and are determined to prioritize recovery this time around. Some families do not have parents or relatives nearby to help — and a Yue Sao fills that role with warmth and competence.
You do not need to be Chinese or Asian to hire a Chinese postpartum nanny. What matters is that you value rest, recovery, and attentive newborn care — and that you are open to the approach a Yue Sao brings.
How a Yue Sao Differs from Other Postpartum Care
If you are still comparing your options, here is a simplified view of how a Chinese postpartum nanny compares to other types of postpartum support.
A doula focuses primarily on emotional support, birth preparation, and sometimes early postpartum adjustment. Most doulas do not provide overnight newborn care or prepare meals. Their role often ends within the first week or two after delivery.
A night nurse (or newborn care specialist) provides overnight baby care, typically on a 10- to 12-hour shift. They do not usually support the mother’s recovery or prepare meals. Their focus is the baby’s sleep and feeding during nighttime hours only.
A general nanny provides ongoing childcare, often for older babies and toddlers. They are not trained in postpartum recovery, confinement practices, or the specific demands of the newborn stage.
A Chinese postpartum nanny (Yue Sao) combines newborn care, mother’s recovery support, confinement meal preparation, and household support related to the baby — in a single, full-time, live-in role. It is the most comprehensive form of postpartum support available to families.
For a more detailed breakdown of these differences, visit our postpartum care comparisons page.
How My Asian Nanny Connects You with a Yue Sao
Our Referral Process
My Asian Nanny is a referral agency. We do not employ postpartum nannies directly. Instead, we maintain a network of experienced, vetted Yue Sao and match families with candidates who fit their needs.
The process starts with a conversation about your due date, your preferences, your household, and what kind of care matters most to you. From there, we present candidates whose experience and availability align with your family. You have the opportunity to review backgrounds and ask questions before making a decision.
We guide you through the process, but the choice is always yours. For a complete look at how each step works, visit our referral process page.
Service Areas
My Asian Nanny serves families throughout California, with strong availability in areas with established Chinese and Asian-American communities — including the San Gabriel Valley, Orange County, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the greater Los Angeles area.
For families outside California, we offer nationwide placements on a live-in basis. Availability and candidate background may vary for out-of-state placements, and candidates may be non-Asian depending on the location and timing of your request.
If you are looking for a postpartum nanny in a specific area, visit our postpartum nanny near me page to see where we currently serve families.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Chinese postpartum nanny cost?
The cost depends on the duration of care, the nanny’s experience, and your location. Rather than listing a single number, we encourage you to use our postpartum care cost calculator to get a realistic estimate based on your specific situation. You can also review our service fees page for transparency on agency referral costs.
Do I need to speak Chinese to hire a Yue Sao?
No. Many of our referred Yue Sao speak English in addition to Mandarin or Cantonese. During the matching process, we take language preferences into account so that communication between your family and your nanny feels comfortable and clear. If bilingual care is important to you, let us know — it is one of the factors we consider when presenting candidates.
Can I hire a postpartum nanny for nighttime only?
Postpartum confinement care through My Asian Nanny is a live-in, full-time arrangement. If you are specifically looking for overnight-only newborn care, a night postpartum nanny may be a better fit. We can help you figure out which option matches your situation.
What if I am not Chinese — can I still hire a Yue Sao?
Yes. Our families come from many backgrounds. What they share is a desire for experienced, dedicated postpartum support. While the confinement care tradition originates in Chinese culture, the practical benefits — rest, nourishment, expert newborn care — are universal. Your Yue Sao will adapt her approach to your household’s preferences and comfort level.
How far in advance should I book?
We recommend reaching out during your second or early third trimester. Experienced Yue Sao are in high demand, and earlier inquiries give us more flexibility to match you with a strong candidate. That said, we understand that plans change and not everyone starts early. Contact us wherever you are in your timeline — we will do our best to help.
