Confinement Nanny or Confinement Centres?

Hello! Was just wondering if i could get any advice on this. My EDD is in Dec but one issue we have is that we don't have our own house yet. Both my husband and my family houses do not have space either. However, the cost of a confinement centre is too much. Not sure if we should just forgo on a nanny, rent a place for a month for confinement or just spend the money to go to a confinement centre? If anyone has been in the same situation before, your advice would be greatly appreciated!

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Hi there! Congratulations on your pregnancy! It's completely understandable to be unsure about what to do in this situation. It can be challenging to figure out the best option, especially when considering cost and space constraints. One possible solution could be to look into renting a place for a month for confinement. This could provide you with the space and privacy you need during this special time without the high cost of a confinement centre. You could also consider hiring a confinement nanny who can come to your rented place and provide you with the care and support you need during the postpartum period. Another option could be to reach out to friends and extended family members to see if anyone has a spare room or space where you could stay for the confinement period. This could be a more cost-effective solution while still providing you with the support you need. Ultimately, the decision will depend on your personal preferences, budget, and what will work best for you and your family. It's important to weigh the pros and cons of each option and consider what will make you feel most comfortable and supported during your confinement period. I hope this helps, and I wish you all the best as you navigate this decision. Congratulations again, and take care! https://invl.io/cll6she

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If you or your husband know how to take care of a baby like feeding milk, bathing, burping, changing diapers etc then maybe you don’t need a confinement nanny. It’s very important your husband (not you) must be the main person to take care of the baby for at least the first two weeks because you need to recover and rest. If you miss the golden period to recover, especially on your uterus, I’m afraid there will be a lot of issues with your health in the future! You should try to minimise your activities like walking around the house, house chores etc after delivery. You also will be tired from waking up every 2-3 hours to pump breast milk if you are intending to breast feed. Another points to consider is your confinement meal and house chores. Who is going to prepare or will you be ordering confinement meal package? Who is doing the housework? I believe your husband will be too tired to do all these as well. It is not an easy process for the first few months. Additional help is really needed! It would be good if your mother or mil is helping out too.

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Hello! I was faced with a similar situation as yours and decided to go ahead with a confinement centre in jb. No regrets! It helped to take a huge mental load of my husband and I as we feel like we are v inexperienced ourselves. Being in a confinement centre meant that I had proper facilities and food that are essential to my recovery. My baby is also being taken care of by trained nurses while I’m recovering at the same time. That said, I was also figuring out the whole breastfeeding routine and all. We also made it a point to spend time with our baby to bond and understand her cues, learn how to handle her (w nurses on standby if you need help). Cherry on top was making friends at the cc, which made the experience a lot better because most are experiencing the same phase in life as well! I can go on and on about cc but I’ll stop here! Price wise, if you were to add confinement meals, CN, angbao, rental, I’d say jb’s pricepoint is actually quite attractive and comparable.

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6mo ago

Thank you for your input; it is very helpful. I have the same thoughts as you about heading to the cc in JB. Also, I believe that going to the cc in JB requires a passport for the baby. Do you mind sharing how long the procedure is to get a passport for a newborn baby?

We didn’t have a CN for my #1 cos my hse is very small. My hub was very hands-on when it comes to taking care of me: he boiled the red date tea, the soup and even cooked “confinement” meals for me after watching YouTube. So we saved a bit on CN. Our parents provided rather strong support where my mum took leave to take care of the baby, and my in-laws did the marketing of ingredients. Now that we’re expecting baby2, we don’t intend to get a CN too 💪🏻💪🏻

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Same situation, we only went with confinement food in the end. Hands on from the first day, no issues by the end of first month so I personally feel there’s no need for CN (for me). Don’t forget if your EDD is in Dec, your confinement falls on CNY period (Jan 2025) which will hit the extra surcharge (I was quoted an extra $1K cause mine falls on CNY period as well).

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I think CN not a must these days. Just order confinement food and get a part time helper if you need help with housework and you should be able to cope if both parents are very hands on. Husband just need to be understanding and help more too. Everything you can learn from YouTube no need CN to teach anything these days.

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if you need a CN and don't mind having her sleeping in the living room, you can make a request with the confinement agency too. that is what I am doing for my confinement as my bto is not ready yet and the existing house with my parents dont have an extra room for the CN.

my house it too small. so I am considering not getting a confinement nanny too. instead will be ordering confinement meals while hub help out for the first 2-3 weeks. understand it is workable just abit tired for night duties. need to have common understanding.

5mo ago

Hi! My SIL and husband did without confinement nanny for their first kid to save money. She told me it was the biggest regret ever. So much friction and tension because both of them are inexperienced and so tired. If you could, pls consider getting some help. Even a helper would be good.

careful now if you want to take confinement food. there's news regarding the food being undercooked or mouldy. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/sakura-buffet-food-supplier-licence-cancelled-case-4328891

Same situation here, I rented a place and preordered confinement meals. My mum is helping out as well, it’ll be good to get an extra pair of (experienced) hands if you decide not to go with a confinement nanny.