When Should I Start Looking For A Confinement Nanny?

When should I start looking for a confinement nanny? If you plan on giving birth in Singapore, you might be considering hiring a confinement nanny. You should start looking for one about 4 to 5 months before the estimated due date. Why? Because getting a good caregiver who fits into your family can take time.

In addition, most good nannies will have a few other people looking at her profile and probably want to explore their options too. So if you intend to look within 3 or 2 months of delivery, it may be too late. If you are unsure what kind of person/caregiver you would like to hire for your baby’s first year (post-delivery), then don’t worry because there is no harm in delaying the search until nearer the end of the pregnancy.

If you really can’t delay it any longer and need to start looking now, this article – “When Should I Start Looking For A Confinement Nanny?” will tell you what to do:

Step 1:

Write a profile description for your ideal caregiver and send an email with that as a link to two good friends/family who know you really well (and have direct experience with children). Ask them if they would like to help in recommending someone based on what you’ve written in your profile. If they agree, ask them for their honest feedback too – What kind of person did you think of?

Did she seem right, given my situation? Why or why not? Be respectful but push for answers even though they may seem somewhat critical because no one knows better than those people whom you’ve asked to recommend a good caregiver. Be careful to choose friends who are supportive but won’t be biased or sugarcoat their responses.

Run through the following checklist and add it to your profile description, too – Will she:

• Help me breastfeed if necessary? (if you have any doubts, can you clarify them before hiring her?)
• Be comfortable with bathing my baby while I’m in confinement?
• Be patient while teaching older siblings how to take care of the new baby?
• Understand that I may not be able to get up for 3 weeks after delivery and still do everything else around the house? (note: this is normal for Singaporean Chinese women). Should we add more points that would make her a better nanny for you?

Step 2:

Write up a minimum contract before hiring her. In the meantime, hire a lawyer to review your contract and interview both you and the candidate in person if possible. If that’s not possible, ask the lawyer to check out their credentials first before agreeing to go ahead with them (make sure they aren’t just an online service).

Step 3:

Give your confinement nanny a list of instructions before she starts work – what things need to be done every day and how things should be done. For example, tell her about our family’s routine, which includes having hot water ready for me to wash my hands before preparing a bottle and how I like the milk warmed up using an electric kettle vs. the microwave.

Also, tell her about any other important things that you haven’t mentioned so far.

When choosing a confinement nanny:

• Don’t choose one who only speaks Mandarin, unless she is from China or Taiwan, because there will be times when you need to explain things clearly while she is bathing/feeding your baby. This relates back to understanding each other’s culture where sometimes there are differences in caring techniques between Singaporean Chinese and other Asian cultures.
  
• Some confinement nannies who haven’t had much experience with newborns take some time adjusting before they get used to handling them properly. One way to check this out is by seeing how she held your friend’s child during the interview – does she hold him upright facing towards her chest?
  
  If so, ask why that is because I would recommend having him lie flat while holding him upright. It’s important to understand the reason behind why she holds him that way because you are hiring her for her expertise/knowledge, not just as someone who can hold your child while you rest!
  
  Make sure you have an experienced confinement nanny on the team (and not just a helper/nanny for very young children).
  
• Don’t be too concerned about things like their educational background (e.g., non-university degree holders). I know of some highly educated people who make lousy confinement nannies because they don’t have a motherly heart or feel strongly towards children. On the other hand, my confinement nanny didn’t go to university but is the best caregiver I could ask for and has been with us since our first baby was born seven years ago.

Conclusion

When should I start looking for a confinement nanny? Before you become pregnant! Remember, she will be with you during this period only so it’s very important to have a suitable one. Pay attention to your child’s behavior (e.g., crying, moaning) during the first few days when she is with you after confinement because this will tell you if any issues should be addressed (maybe you need to provide instructions/help in some areas).

A good observation point is normally at around 2 am or 3 am when both parents and the nanny are fast asleep; this way, you can see how well she handles him/her without having a friend hovering over her shoulder watching everything she does!

If possible, ask your friends who have confinement nannies about their experiences – this saves money and time as it tells you right away if they would recommend their nannies to others. Ask your confinement nanny/friends about the good and bad things that happened during each of their confinements so you can take note of them. Good luck!