Big need for mother-and-baby nurses (4)

The threshold price for the service in Yuan's high-end yuezi club is 58,800 yuan and the highest is 288,800 yuan. The sums are based on the types of home clients have and the frequency of services they will have access to, as well as a subsequent medical service they are able to enjoy after they leave the club.

Unlike ordinary household service agencies, the club justifies its costs by only recruiting professional gynecological and obstetrics nurses or doctors with several years of practical work experience in hospitals with triple-A ratings from the national authority.

For example, the club's President Ren Yingchun, used to be the matron at Beijing Friendship Hospital, and have 35-year experience in the field.

For Baby Care & Education Co Ltd, in order to improve the professional skills of its employees, it offers a training course to both staff and those who haven't officially signed an employment contract with them.

"We invited a professor from Beijing Normal University undertaking research in early childhood education to give classes, as well as professional dietitians," Cui said.

"Currently, we have about 80 potential clients who have made inquiries by telephone. Their babies are due between March and September," said Gao Ang, general manager of Better Care confined club.

The company has established links with dozens of private and prominent public hospitals to promote its business. They include Beijing Friendship Hospital and Beijing Chaoyang Hospital.

A majority of household service agencies are in partnerships with hospitals. These networks enable agencies to have a greater chance of reaching potential clients, Xu said, adding that a significant number of customers will also contact agencies themselves based on their reputation.