Over the CNY holiday, my family and I traveled to Houston, Texas to visit my brother, and his wife, daughter and newborn son. On our last night in Houston, we ate a beautiful home cooked meal at their house. On the menu was a hearty chicken casserole, a fancy spinach salad and a sumptuous homemade carrot cake.

My sister-in-law, Leslie, just five days postpartum, is not a super-woman. Rather, a group of her friends organizes meal delivery services for each other during the first month postpartum. Shortly after Leslie gave birth, she received a meal plan by email from one of the organizers providing for delicious home cooked meals three times a week for a month. Each of the mothers in the group is responsible for the delivery of one or more hot meals –including appetizer, main course and dessert.

This meal delivery system seems like a great way for friends to support each during the typically trying postpartum period. Perhaps, in Shanghai, we do not need the actual meals as much as in the US given that most of us have ayis cooking for us. But, a home cooked meal made with love and friendship might be more comforting during this stressful period than our standard Chinese fare. Just an idea!