“The good days are over. No more nursery.”

That’s what the security guard said to us as we left the 月子中心 (Yuezi Center)- what I can best describe as essentially a postpartum recovery center, where we spent the past 30 days living in a suite in the central Zhongshan District of Taipei where Nina had 5 meals a day delivered to our room, I ate mostly delivery/takeout of various cuisines since pretty much any kind of restaurant exists in Zhongshan. Celina had weekly pediatric appointments, Nina had weekly on-site massages and hair appointments, a session with an IBCLC consultant, and we had a few parenting classes to attend (well, I only went to the bathing class, Nina also went to breastfeeding clases and mommy postpartum yoga).

And, yes, there was a nursery downstairs, so when we wanted to get some rest, or just go out for a coffee/walk in the park without baby, we just took Celina down to the nursery for the nurses to take care of for a bit.

We did a week and a half without sleep during labor, delivery and the first 3 days in the hospital, but for these past 30 days at the 月子中心(postpartum recovery) we pretty much slept 8 hours a night. Celina slept in the nursery most nights, then they would bathe her in the morning and send her back to us around 8am.

They also did a newborn photo shoot for us and gave us one picture for free (and then we bought 20 more, because they are just tooo precious)

Some new parents in Taiwan stay for 10 days, some stay for 40. It’s a chance to rest and be pampered for a bit after giving birth.

We wavered between staying 20 or 30. Ultimately deciding to stay 30. A full 月子 (Yuezi).

But, the 30 days are up. Our baby is a month old. 老婆坐完月子了！

This experience was pretty much the whole reason we came back to Taiwan to give birth.

But now, it’s back to reality… and in a little over a week, back to California.