Amid declining birthrate, luxury postpartum care centers on rise

Taiwan''s low birthrate has led to the closure of nearly 100 OB-GYN clinics over the past decade. But there''s one business category in the natal market that''s growing fast. According to new government data, there''s been a rise in the number of professional centers that care for mothers and their newborns. These facilities are luxuriously appointed, pampering moms as if they were staying at a hotel.According to health ministry data, Taiwan lost nearly 100 OB-GYN clinics over the past 10 years. In that same time, 60 pediatric clinics closed down. And yet, the number of postpartum care centers has increased from 74 facilities to 267. Last year, the number of mothers who chose postpartum centers reached 100,000 for the first time.Walk in, and it looks every bit the five-star hotel. The bathroom has a built-in air heater. The faucet supplies not tap water, but water treated first with a boiler. No detail is too small. With the increase of nuclear families, it’s become more uncommon for mother-in-laws to provide postnatal care. As a result, professional care centers for moms are flourishing, even as other natal services decline.Hsieh Yu-chiehPostpartum care operatorBack in the day, postpartum care centers weren’t as mainstream. Moms would be at home sorting out meals and nursing the newborn. It was a very difficult and lonely journey.In rural areas, OB-GYN clinics are under threat of closure, due to insufficient manpower and resources. Amid a declining birthrate, many OB-GYN clinics have switched to specializing in gynecology instead. In response, major hospitals and chain clinics now provide one-stop service from pregnancy check-ups to postpartum care. These all-in-one packages have proven popular with moms.Hsieh Yu-chiehPostpartum care operatorA pediatrician visits twice a week. Every week, there’s an obstetrics and gynecology specialist. These are all attending physicians based at a hospital.Today postpartum care centers are shifting toward high-end amenities, high-quality services, and medical care provided in partnership with major hospitals. And as Taiwan has fewer and fewer children, more families are willing to splurge.