Dear Mummies,
I'm also here to recommend my confinement lady Aunty Sabrina from Penang. I was very lucky to have managed to book her at the end of my first trimester. She is doing my confinement for me since 28days ago. Here are my reasons:
1) Contactable
It is un-nerving as first time parents to pay a deposit to someone you have never seen and whom you're gonna entrust your confinement to (especially reading a lot of horror stories of dishonest CLs). Sabrina has always been contactable via her Singapore or Malaysia mobile numbers. She even asked me to meet her during my 2nd/3rd trimester to get a list of herbs to buy for my confinement (unlike some CLs who insist you pay them to get from you from Malaysia where you wouldn't know the actual source and costs).
2) Love & Care for baby
This is my first and most important criteria for a CL and she has fulfilled it well. Despite baby fussing at night or soiling diapers immediately upon a new one changed or even dirtying her clothes by spraying poo on her, she has not once complained abt baby being not good. In fact, she will still dote on baby and say cheerful things to baby. Taking care of baby is also her first priority and at any time of the day, if she can't be with baby because she is cooking or bathing, she will always ensure it is at a good time when one of us can look after baby. Upon the first cry, she will move quickly to baby and fulfill baby's needs.
3) Care for mother
She is especially concerned about my welfare during my confinement too. Always asking me if I'm ok with the dishes, whether there is anything I particularly like or dislike and she'd try to suit my tastes within the confinement 'rules'. She is also always reminding me to be properly clothed and not get wind. She fulfills her CL duties of preparing the longan red date tea, boiled water for my usage, herbal bath for my daily baths, breakfast lunch dinner & sometimes even supper preparations. She also washes and sterilises all pump parts for my ease of use and gets a routine in place for my meals and implements an easy-to-follow process of sterilising and storing of bottles and pump parts.
4) Hygiene
This is of utmost importance and I have no need to remind her of this as she has high standards. Even if the cloth diaper (used to lay at baby's head or to swaddle baby or to lay on the breastfeeding pillow) is a little wet, she will change a new and dry one. She ensures all baby's stuff are washed cleanly and monitors when my maid does it and reminds my maid to do it thoroughly, setting the standards high so that it'd be easier for me to monitor my maid when she leaves. She herself bathes twice a day and sterilises her hands (with the hospital grade steriliser i bought) or washes her hands before touching baby.
5) Experience
She has many years of experience despite still being in her 40s, thus she has the expertise and also the energy to still deliver her duties well. She is organised and helps me to organise the baby's trolley and diaper bag and teaches me what to prepare for baby's needs. When my baby has some rashes on her face, she advises us to get the baby lactacyd and she diligently uses it to clean baby's face and the rashes have cleared up almost completely. She also prepares sterilised cotton balls wet with boiled water (in an airtight container) by my bed so that I can swiftly clean myself before pumping and breastfeeding. She has also been very patient teaching my maid on how to continue helping me with my confinement as I intend to do until 40days with my mum & maid's help.
6) Cheerful Personality
She is very bubbly and chatty. She can actually become 'bosom buddies' with my mum in these short weeks which is no mean feat as my mum is very strict at home & at work and rarely laughs and chats with anyone. She can actually cheer my mum up with her anecdotes and cheerful personality such that my mum actually opened up and they chat about many things. This is really one less problem for me because I was originally worried that my CL can't get along with my fussy mother. But now, I am so very heartened to see my mum has found a friend in Sabrina. Staying in someone's home for 28 days deprived of proper rest and sleep is not easy but her positivity and cheerfulness has helped herself and all of us pass the days so fast and in a happy atmosphere.
7) Easy-Going
At first, she was apprehensive about me having a dog at home as she is really scared of them. But she still carried about her tasks daily while trying hard to live with my dog under the same roof. And although cooking should only be restricted to herself and my hubby and me, she also did not mind cooking for my family and even patiently taught my maid how to cook. Despite me having a maid, she also helped with chores like washing, preparation of ingredients, cooking, etc although I have told her the chores can be done by my maid. She has also gotten along well with my maid and everyone else in the family.
8) Committed
She is committed to her tasks and does not request to go out etc (unlike some horror stories I read abt CLs leaving the house for hours). To ensure I have a good rest, she doesn't bring the baby to me especially when I am resting. Throughout the 28 days, yesterday night was the first and only night she brought baby to me in the middle of the night as baby was crying and not soothed despite clean diapers & EBM in bottle (the usual), as baby was looking for me and my smell as after I latched baby on, baby slept. All other nights, she has handled baby on her own (unlike some CLs who just pass baby to mothers the moment baby cries). She will always ensure all the necessary tasks are finished before she rests.
She has sort of become part of my family and I really cannot bear to see her leave tomorrow. I believe my mum and I would be in tears. Time flies and 28 days have passed. I will bid farewell to Sabrina tomorrow (later today) and I do hope to see her again soon if I can conceive a second baby. But of course I hope she'd be available then for me!
Thank you Auntie Sabrina! May you get assignments that appreciate the good work you do for the baby, the mother and the family
Here are some other recommendations for Auntie Sabrina by other mummies:
1) Zna8 (July 2009)
http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/messages/36738/2670068.html?1339917620
2) Elynntan (Jan 2010)
http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/messages/2495852/3491207.html?1281578381
3) Kaxin (Sep 2011)
http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/messages/5453919/5907554.html?1341994208
4) Duckie (May 2012)
http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/messages/6951583/6971551.html?1345186505
5) Adellez (July 2012)
http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/messages/6951583/7115176.html?1344429324
Call her at:
8105 5776 (Singapore) or
+60 16 468 1225 (Malaysia)
You can also PM or email me at
[email protected] for more details
May all mummies find an awesome CL and have a nourishing and restful confinement!!!