"Few People in Japan Receive Postpartum Care"
"Some Do Housework Just 5 Days After Giving Birth"
A practicing obstetrician in Japan pointed out the country's poor postpartum care culture and praised Korea's culture.
Japan's online media for women in their 20s and 30s, 'Online With,' recently posted a column titled "Korea's postpartum care is at the level of treating mothers like princesses... An obstetrician sounds the alarm on Japan, a backward country in postpartum care" on the portal site 'Yahoo Japan.'
"Many people in Japan probably don't know about 'postpartum care'"
The column's author, Naomi Miura, director of Senshin Clinic, said, "In Korea, mothers who have given birth are treated like 'princesses.' According to some statistics, one out of two Korean mothers uses postpartum care centers, and even Japanese celebrities are known to visit Korean postpartum care centers. However, Japan is a backward country in postpartum care, and even those who have given birth rarely receive proper postpartum care."
Director Miura emphasized, "Far fewer people in Japan have heard about postpartum care. I have worked as an obstetrics specialist for a long time, and I think this is a serious problem. Postpartum care is very important to protect the mother's body and mind."
He said, "In Korea, it is considered natural for mothers to entrust all surrounding tasks to others and focus solely on resting during postpartum care. There are many lodging facilities specializing in postpartum care, and some use those, while others rely on their parents."
He continued, "Although the number of facilities where postpartum care can be received is gradually increasing in Japan, it is still difficult to say that a postpartum care system is established. In Japan, even after giving birth, many endure hardships thinking 'it's not an illness,' and those around them tend to accept this as natural," he pointed out.
"Returning to work just two months after childbirth... shocking"
He also said, "I was shocked to hear that recently, many working mothers in Japan return to work just two months after childbirth. This is not limited to working moms; many people return home after a short hospital stay of about five days and immediately resume household chores as before."
He added, "Even if they are physically able to move, resting the body is what I want to convey. Many mothers who start moving around immediately after giving birth later face various problems. Especially as childbirth is delayed, fully recovering physical strength and muscle strength will be the key to future health conditions."
Earlier, Sayuri, a TV personality who chose to be a voluntary single mother, also mentioned that there are no postpartum care centers in Japan. She appeared on the KBS2 variety show 'Problematic Men in the Rooftop Room' in March 2021 and said, "In Japan, it is believed that giving birth naturally and breastfeeding makes a good mother. There is an atmosphere that emphasizes the mother's sacrifice." She added, "There were no postpartum care centers in Japan, but one has been established. They said it was learned from Korea."
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