Soyeon Myung: Making Mothers and Families Happy Through Postpartum Care

2025/03/17

In 2009, the author gave birth to her first child at an advanced maternal age in South Korea, her home country and a leader in postpartum care, and utilized advanced postpartum care services. This was because, at the time, Japan did not have postpartum care services like those in South Korea. In South Korea, postpartum home visit services and postpartum care centers (residential facilities) began in earnest around 2009. With government subsidies, the utilization rate of postpartum care now exceeds approximately 90%. On the other hand, Japan was overwhelmingly behind. Therefore, driven by her own painful postpartum experience and a desire to help as many postpartum women as possible, the author developed a postpartum care service tailored to the Japanese market and founded the company in 2014.

Postpartum care refers to total care for the mother's physical and mental health after childbirth, newborn health and childcare, as well as housework and family support. Pregnancy and childbirth are among the most significant and difficult periods in a woman's life, accompanied by various changes. Many potential problems lurk during this important time. A survey of postpartum care service users regarding postpartum issues revealed that direct physical and mental problems—such as "breast issues," "postpartum edema," "perineal pain," "postpartum depression (mental instability)," "joint pain in shoulders and wrists," "lack of sleep," and "hemorrhoids/constipation"—account for approximately 96% of cases.

Meanwhile, indirect problems are also occurring. These include domestic issues caused by postpartum depression and divorce resulting from "postpartum crisis," which have become social issues. Postpartum crisis is a phenomenon where the relationship between a couple deteriorates or falls into crisis after childbirth because the mother returns to her family home to give birth (satogaeri), preventing the couple from spending the postpartum period together and making it difficult for the father to develop a sense of fatherhood. Since postpartum support from husbands is important, the government and companies are encouraging an increase in the rate of men taking childcare leave. However, the author feels that there are many "nuisance ikumen" (husbands who claim to be involved in childcare but can do nothing, or who actually create more work when they are at home on leave).

These various postpartum troubles and problems can be prevented with appropriate postpartum care, which is what postpartum care services provide. Examples of physical care include breast care to prevent mastitis, foot care to improve edema (swelling), abdominal care for lochia recovery, and wrist care to prevent tendonitis. Regarding mental care, since mood swings tend to be intense, our company provides diverse support to alleviate loneliness and anxiety to prevent postpartum depression, such as providing nutritionally balanced meals, ensuring sleep, and offering childcare consultations. In other words, it can be said that postpartum helpers are responsible for "hospitality for postpartum mothers."

The following are real voices from customers who received our postpartum care support: "When I had my first child, I was doing 'one-op' (solo) parenting, and I only remember feeling anxious, tense, and lonely. I am so moved that I could have such a happy postpartum experience with my second child." "My body was a wreck and I wasn't in a state to take care of the baby, but thanks to the postpartum helper taking care of not only my body but also the meals, housework, and the baby, I think I was able to get through the most difficult period."

While these are only excerpts from many customer testimonials, I truly feel that "heartfelt support" is essential during the postpartum period, and that it makes everyone around the mother, starting with the postpartum woman herself, happy.

The background for the growth of the postpartum care market includes the fact that while the number of births is decreasing due to the declining birthrate, births at an advanced maternal age are increasing. Furthermore, with the increase in births among the more than 3.6 million foreign residents who may not have parents or siblings nearby to provide support, the demand for third-party postpartum care services is rising.

Furthermore, the "Children and Families Agency" was established in 2023. Municipalities are now strengthening "Postpartum Care Projects" to provide physical and mental care and childcare support for mothers and infants within one year of birth. Given the declining birthrate, these efforts to ensure a support system where everyone can raise children with peace of mind in a safe and secure environment are also boosting the expansion of the postpartum care market.

In Japan, the utilization rate of postpartum care is not yet as high as in South Korea, but considering the social significance and potential demand for postpartum care, further promotion of the use of postpartum care services is expected in the future.

As mentioned, postpartum women undergo rapid physical and mental changes and experience postpartum health issues, and it is clear that this situation will accelerate with the increase in births at an advanced maternal age. It is an urgent task for society as a whole to acquire correct knowledge of postpartum care, for postpartum care to be widely utilized, and for social issues such as postpartum depression and postpartum crisis to be resolved alongside the physical and mental care of postpartum women. If a support system is strengthened so that people can live and raise children with peace of mind after birth, it will help stop the declining birthrate, create a healthy and sound family environment, and ultimately serve as the foundation for Japan's growth and development.