Hiring a Confinement Nanny: Cost & Other Things to Consider

Ready for your baby’s arrival? Do you already have a checklist of things to buy for after the arrival of your newborn? That’s great! Now, one question, what is it filled with? If it has mostly newborn’s needs like bottles, diapers, and baby cot — you are far from being fully prepared. That list is the ‘Newborn checklist’. 

Now, what about the ‘New Mom Checklist’? Some moms do not even think about what they may need or want after giving birth, and if you do not have a separate checklist with all the things on it are meant for your personal use, you are probably one of them.

All you think about is your newborn. While this is simply a natural instinct and there is nothing wrong with it, you should definitely have a ‘Mom Checklist. In it, list down the items that would help ease your confinement and postnatal periods.   

Are you now all set with that ‘New Mom Checklist’ of yours? Now you can start checking the boxes. As you cross things off one by one, you may suddenly realise that you are overlooking one thing – your future confinement nanny! Where do you even start with that one? Do not panic, for you have obviously come to the right place to begin your hunt. 

The good thing about hiring a confinement nanny service is that almost everything can be discussed and compromised. If you are a bit particular about certain issues or are strict when it comes to hygiene, you can make sure they know how serious you take matters like this and understand how they should work in accordance to that.

That said, we can’t run from the topic of finance. So, apart from the actual rate itself, what else should you keep in mind before hiring your confinement nanny?

Utility bills 

This is one of the most obvious – and at the same time overlooked – aspects of having another person in your house. So many people may get shocked by what they see on their bills at the end of the month as if there are two people have started living inside their house. Spoiler alert: there are, in fact, going to be two new people living inside your house; your confinement nanny and your newborn. 

Your baby’s clothes need to be hand-washed, and trust us when we say you would be surprised by the amount of laundries that can come from your little one can create. In terms of your confinement nanny’s task, the preparation of some traditional confinement dishes like herbal soups would naturally require a long time for your nanny to prepare. 

Levy

It can cost around $2 per day for a confinement nanny’s service, so calculate based on the period of time your CN will be staying with you. Even if the levy changes, it still might not be too far off from the aforementioned amount. Per month, you would pay approximately $60 to the CPF board.

Angbao

No matter what kind of confinement nanny services you engage, you are expected to prepare two angbaos in total for your confinement nanny. The first is to be given to them on the day of their arrival, and the second on the day of their departure (i.e. their last day in your house). 

Now, you can be as generous (or as calculative) as you’d like to be. Most parents give a smaller amount inside the angbao on the first day and give more on her last day based on her performance. At the end of the day, it is completely up to you and your partner’s discretion. 

Other things that may cost you: 

Extra room

Keep in mind that you would need to prepare the necessary items on your own. For example, if you do not have an extra room, you still need to somehow prepare a proper one so your nanny can have their privacy. Likewise, if you do have an extra room, you would need to fill it with items that can accommodate another adult human being. All of these need to be taken into account.

Cooking ingredients

Since a confinement nanny would cook for you, you have to provide the ingredients as well. Depending on the kind of meals you would like to have during confinement, you may have to stock up different kinds of ingredients as well.   

With all of the above said, there are also other aspects that play a role in determining the overall cost of the hire. For instance, if you have a twin, the rate might hike up to double the original amount.

Some parents think they would be paying less for live-in nannies, but this is often not the case. You will most likely pay the same amount in case you consider hiring a live-out nanny. Putting other aspects aside, you are still hiring the service provided by another human being. They are living with their employer, so by right, their ‘working hours’ are also longer.

You May Also Read this : What to Include in Your Daily Confinement Meals?

Is getting a confinement nanny worth it?

All in all, do not look at it as spending money, but rather look at it as an investment for the betterment of your recovery and your newborn’s development. After all, a well-rested mother can always tend to her baby better. Compared to a freelance nanny, you are dealing with fewer risks when you opt for a confinement nanny from an agency.    

If you are still at a crossroads, do ask yourself: what exactly are you paying for? No, it is not just a newborn care service. You are paying for an experienced caretaker slash guardian to help you as you step into the new world called parenthood. 

Engaging this service helps to take care of your mental state and body and make sure you can get a good night’s sleep, especially knowing there is a reliable person who is looking after your little one. You are also paying so you could focus on smoothly recovering from the pregnancy and delivery. 

The point is, you simply have to look at it from a different perspective. Sure, many moms strongly believe that they hire a confinement nanny only for the sake of their newborn, but the confinement nanny is also improving their lives in so many more ways than just one or two.     

Women, especially, are affected by the stigma that a mother should be able to do it all – raise a baby, go to work, keep the house clean and organised, all the while recovering from birth well – but that’s just impossible. Mothers are extraordinarily strong, but they do not have 5 separate bodies that can perform hundreds of task at once.

So, even if you have ever wondered whether you can ‘stiffen yourself up’ through the confinement period, there is still no harm in asking for help. So do – do ask for help. Weigh your options and if you need to, find out the confinement nanny cost Singapore parents normally engage. When you are ready to know about PEM confinement nanny price and let us help you!

Author

  • PEM Confinement Nanny Agency

    We are a group of frontliners and support team members who are passionate about sharing our knowledge and experience in confinement care. Representing the largest confinement nanny agency in Singapore which has served over 250,000 mothers in over 30 years, we are all about sharing useful and insightful information based on our experience to help new parents navigate this exciting chapter of their life better.