人家总问我，在曼哈顿当月子保姆，晚上睡客厅习惯不？哎，这话说的，有啥不习惯的！我们干这行的，别说客厅了，只要能打个盹的地方都是好地方。

我在纽约干了快十年月嫂，中城、上东区、金融区的公寓都待过。曼哈顿这地方您也知道，卧室能有多大？睡客厅太正常了，我这老腰早就适应各种沙发了。

现在这家是80多街的老公寓，客厅还挺宽敞。我那个沙发一拉开就是张床，比有些家的折叠床强多了。晚上宝宝睡旁边的摇篮里，我一伸胳膊就能够着，多方便！要是睡在别的房间，宝宝哭了我还得跑过去，那才叫折腾呢。

最开始那家雇主可不好意思了，天天跟我说“委屈您了王姨”，我说这有啥委屈的？我们月嫂就是24小时待命的，睡客厅正好，离厨房近，烧水热奶都方便；离大门近，取个快递外卖也不用穿过整个屋子；离卫生间也近，洗洗刷刷省事儿。这叫啥来着？对，黄金位置！

说实话，夜里宝宝有点动静，我眼睛还没完全睁开手就已经伸出去了。在客厅反而自在，不会觉得自己占了人家卧室，起来走动也不会吵到雇主休息。有时候宝爸半夜回来，看我还在哄孩子，就蹑手蹑脚地去厨房倒水，我们还小声聊两句：“今天小家伙乖不乖？”“挺乖的，就是睡前闹了会儿。”

People always ask me if I'm used to sleeping in the living room at night as a confinement nanny in Manhattan. Well, what's the problem? For those of us in this profession, let alone the living room, any place we can nap is a good place.

I've been a confinement nanny in New York for almost ten years, working in apartments in Midtown, the Upper East Side, and the Financial District. You know how big a bedroom can get in Manhattan? Sleeping in the living room is perfectly normal; my old back has long been accustomed to any sofa.

Our current apartment is an older one, around 80th Street, and the living room is quite spacious. My sofa pulls out to become a bed, much better than some fold-out beds. At night, my baby sleeps in the bassinet next to me, and I can reach him with just an arm's reach. How convenient! If I slept in another room, I'd have to run over if the baby cried, which would be a real hassle.

At first, my employer was embarrassed, constantly saying, "Sorry for the inconvenience, Auntie Wang." I said, "What's the inconvenience?" Our confinement nanny is on call 24/7. She sleeps in the living room, perfect for heating water and milk, close to the kitchen; close to the front door, so she can pick up food without having to walk through the house; and close to the bathroom, making cleaning a breeze. What's that called? Yes, prime location!

Honestly, if the baby stirs at night, I'm already out before I even fully open my eyes. Being in the living room is much more comfortable; I don't feel like I'm invading someone else's bedroom, and I can get up and move around without disturbing my employer. Sometimes, when the baby's father comes home in the middle of the night and sees me still coaxing the baby, he'll tiptoe to the kitchen to get some water. We'll even chat quietly: "Was the little one well behaved today?" "Very well behaved, just a little fuss before bed."

曼哈顿的夜景是真好看，特别是从高层公寓看出去。有时候宝宝半夜醒了不肯睡，我就抱着他在窗前看夜景，指着下面的车流说：“你看，纽约也不睡觉呢。”小家伙好像真能听懂似的，瞪着大眼睛往外看，看着看着就又睡着了。

睡哪儿不是睡啊？我们这行最重要的就是把宝宝照顾好，把新妈妈照顾好。沙发软不软、客厅大不大，那都是次要的。说实话，现在我回家睡自己卧室的大床反而有点不习惯了，总觉得离厨房太远，听不到宝宝的呼吸声心里空落落的。

所以您别觉得月嫂睡客厅是受委屈，对我们来说，客厅就是值班室，沙发就是工作站。看着一个个小宝宝在我们怀里一天天长大，那才叫真的踏实。在纽约这座城市里，能有缘分会到一个家庭里，帮着带新生命，睡哪儿都不是事儿！

The night view of Manhattan is truly stunning, especially from a high-rise apartment. Sometimes when my baby wakes up in the middle of the night and refuses to sleep, I hold him by the window, looking out at the night view, and say, "Look, New York doesn't sleep either." He seems to understand, staring out with wide eyes, and then falling asleep again.

It doesn't matter where you sleep. In our line of work, the most important thing is to take good care of the baby and the new mother. The softness of the sofa or the size of the living room are secondary. Honestly, I'm a little uncomfortable sleeping in my own big bed now. It feels so far from the kitchen, and I feel empty inside when I can't hear my baby's breathing.

So don't think it's unfair for a confinement nanny to sleep in the living room. For us, the living room is our duty station, and the sofa our workstation. Watching each little baby grow in our arms is what gives us true peace of mind. In New York City, when you're lucky enough to be with a family and help raise a new life, sleeping anywhere doesn't matter!