‘No going out, no crying’: Hong Kong ‘pui yuet’ nannies support new mums with traditional routine

The first month after a woman gives birth is often difficult and exhausting. Many cultures have post-birth traditions intended to make it easier for new mums and to help in their recovery. In Hong Kong, many new mothers still practise a generations-old tradition of hiring a confinement nanny – a woman tasked with taking care of both mother and child in what is known as the “sitting month”.