• 美国南加州月子中心遭扫荡，个别月子中心关门大吉，一些涉外月嫂借机转型，有的凭一手好饭菜绝活自创品牌、闯荡商海，也有的与先前雇主建立友谊入豪门服务。成功转型的月嫂表示，月嫂肩负新生宝宝安全、健康责任重大，赚的都是辛苦钱，虽然如今收入水涨船高，但遇上极品雇主处处刁难，不仅钱赚不到，身心更是受折磨。

    The raids on maternity centers in Southern California have led to the closure of some, prompting some international postpartum caregivers to seek new careers. Some have built their own brands based on their culinary skills, while others have established friendships with former employers and entered the workforce at higher-end establishments. One successful postpartum caregiver stated that while the safety and health of newborns are paramount, and earnings are hard-earned, the constant harassment from difficult employers can be detrimental, resulting in financial hardship and emotional distress.

    曾经在洛杉矶罗兰岗孔雀园做月嫂的华裔金姐(化名)，凭着一手家常面点、炒菜的好手艺，闯出了圣谷华人区小有名气的私房菜小灶，老饕、新客络绎不绝，小小家庭作坊日进斗金。她表示，针对孔雀园和橙县几家大型华资月子中心的扫荡，影响的是整个月子中心“产业链”。

    金姐说，“闹出那么大动静，很多月嫂为了避风头都不得不另谋职业”。一年多前，技艺熟练的月嫂一天工资大约在280到300美元，如果要给孕妇做饭则增加20元，每月月底结帐时加上10%小费，大约可以赚到7200至8000美元不等。如今随着需求增多、月嫂减少，费用也涨到服务一天就要260元至280美元，小费则涨至20%。

    Jin (pseudonym), a Chinese-American woman who used to work as a postpartum nanny at Peacock Garden in Rowland Heights, Los Angeles, built a well-known home-cooked meal business in the San Gabriel Valley's Chinatown with her excellent skills in making homemade noodles and stir-fries. Her small family-run operation attracted a steady stream of customers, both seasoned and new, and was raking in profits daily. She stated that the crackdown on Peacock Garden and several large Chinese-owned postpartum care centers in Orange County has impacted the entire postpartum care center "industry chain."

    Jin said, "With such a big uproar, many postpartum nannies have had to find other jobs to avoid the storm." A little over a year ago, a skilled postpartum nanny earned about $280 to $300 a day, with an additional $20 for cooking for pregnant women. At the end of each month, with a 10% tip, they could earn around $7,200 to $8,000. Now, with increased demand and fewer nannies, the cost has risen to $260 to $280 per day, with tips increasing to 20%.

    她指出，虽然月嫂工资可观、还不用报税，但挣得是份辛苦钱，每天孩子只要哭闹就得赶紧起床照料，而且毕竟不是持证上岗受法律保护，有时遇到极品雇主，要么就得提前辞工，否则被坑了也敢怒不敢言。她说，曾经就遇到过抠门雇主，月底结算本该加算小费，但对方挑三拣四故意说出一堆毛病就为省下几百元，还有雇主故意给服务加码，说好的只是照顾产妇，但有时让把洗手台擦净，有时又说房间脏乱，把月嫂当保姆使唤。

    在尔湾一富豪家中做保姆的华裔秋姨(化名)，曾经也是圣谷地区小有名气的月嫂，如今帮助照料这家在美读书两个孩子。她表示，刚爆出月子中心被扫案时，她刚在尔湾某月子中心照料完产妇，由于美国身份还没拿到，怕受牵连、“美国梦”碎，于是决定就此转行。

    She pointed out that although postpartum nannies earn a considerable salary and don't have to pay taxes, it's hard-earned money. They have to get up immediately every day to care for a crying baby. And since they aren't licensed and protected by law, they sometimes encounter terrible employers. They either have to quit early or suffer in silence. She said she'd encountered stingy employers who, instead of adding a tip at the end of the month, would nitpick and deliberately find fault to save a few hundred dollars. Other employers would deliberately add extra services, saying it was just to care for the new mother, but sometimes asking her to clean the sink, sometimes complaining about the room being dirty, treating the postpartum nanny like a babysitter.

    Aunt Qiu (pseudonym), a Chinese woman working as a nanny in a wealthy family in Irvine, was once a well-known postpartum nanny in the San Gabriel Valley area. Now she helps care for the family's two children studying in the US. She said that when the raid on the maternity center was first reported, she had just finished taking care of new mothers at a maternity center in Irvine. Since she had not yet obtained her US citizenship, she was afraid of being implicated and having her "American Dream" shattered, so she decided to change careers.

    秋姨说，对于很多大陆赴美没有身份，或是家庭条件不好的中年妇女来说，做月嫂是实现美国梦的捷径，但很多人因为不懂得分辨雇主、保护自身权益而吃哑巴亏。当有雇主聘用时，月嫂也该不卑不亢，仔细观察对方举动，比如一个眼神甚至一个手势，是否让人感到不安和不舒服，若如此，应该留个心眼、尽量谈好每日结算，在对方得寸进尺时及早抽身。

    Aunt Qiu said that for many middle-aged women from mainland China who come to the US without legal status or from poor families, becoming a postpartum nanny is a shortcut to realizing the American Dream. However, many suffer in silence because they don't know how to distinguish between employers and protect their own rights. When hired by an employer, a postpartum nanny should remain neither servile nor arrogant, and carefully observe the employer's behavior. For example, a glance or even a gesture might make someone feel uneasy or uncomfortable. If so, the nanny should be wary, try to agree on daily payments, and withdraw as soon as possible if the employer takes advantage of the situation.