Postnatal break no longer just a pregnant pause for R

New mothers are forsaking traditional care at home to attend 'confinement clubs' that cater to their every need, but are challenging traditional notions of family support, as He Na and Liu Ce report.

Sun Yingying had just thrown a party to celebrate a full month since the birth of her daughter, but instead of glowing with the radiance of new motherhood, the 34-year-old looked exhausted. Despite four weeks of postnatal care, Beijing resident Sun said she hadn't had a decent night's sleep since the baby was born. She described her four-week confinement as "messy", "tearful", and "quarrelsome", and said several other people she'd spoken to felt exactly the same.

By contrast, WangXiao, 29, a new mother from Shenyang, Liaoning province, felt the 28-days she'd spent recuperating after giving birth in June were "happy", "satisfying", "relaxing" and "enjoyable".