Now that China has abandoned its decades-long one-child policy, demand for maternity services is expected to grow as women take advantage of the chance to have a second child. Some of those women will be older than average and will have special health needs.
A school in Beijing, the Li Ming Maternity Service Company, is anticipating this trend by offering new training for high-end maternity matron services.
It is common practice in China for women to spend a month in bed after giving birth. During this time, middle- and upper-class families often use maternity matrons to help out, caring for both mother and baby and arranging meals up to six times a day.
The maternity service company’s general manager, Cui Jingwen, says an experienced maternity matron can earn up to 15,000 yuan (about $2,300) a month.
For 35 years, China’s family planning policy limited most urban couples to one child and rural couples to two if their first was a girl — until the policy was relaxed in October to allow parents to have two children.
Due to that change, demographics expert Huang Wenzheng says China may see more than 2 million extra births next year.
In this photo taken Friday, Dec. 11, 2015, maternity matrons pose during a class run by Li Ming Maternity Service Company in Beijing, China. Now that China has abandoned its decades-long one-child policy, demand for maternity services is expected to increase as women take advantage of the chance to have a second child. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
In this photo taken on Friday, Dec. 11, 2015, maternity matrons learn to take care of babies during training classes run by Li Ming Maternity Service Company in Beijing, China. Now that China has abandoned its decades-long one-child policy, demand for maternity services is expected to increase as women take advantage of the chance to have a second child. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
In this photo taken Friday, Dec. 11, 2015, maternity matrons use a doll as they learn to take care of babies during training classes run by Li Ming Maternity Service Company in Beijing, China. Now that China has abandoned its decades-long one-child policy, demand for maternity services is expected to increase as women take advantage of the chance to have a second child. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
In this photo taken Friday, Dec. 11, 2015, dolls are used as maternity matrons learn to take care of babies during training classes run by Li Ming Maternity Service Company in Beijing, China. Now that China has abandoned its decades-long one-child policy, demand for maternity services is expected to increase as women take advantage of the chance to have a second child. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
In this photo taken Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015, Yang Li, a maternity matron, tends to four-week-old Bei Bei at a home in Beijing, China. Now that China has abandoned its decades-long one-child policy, demand for maternity services is expected to increase as women take advantage of the chance to have a second child. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
In this photo taken Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015, Yang Li, an experienced maternity matron, gives four-week-old Bei Bei a bath at a home in Beijing, China. Now that China has abandoned its decades-long one-child policy, demand for maternity services is expected to increase as women take advantage of the chance to have a second child. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
In this Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015, photo, Yang Li, an experienced maternity matron, cares for four-week-old Bei Bei at a home in Beijing, China. Now that China has abandoned its decades-long one-child policy, demand for maternity services is expected to increase as women take advantage of the chance to have a second child. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
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