Dear all,
I would like to share my experience with 3 confinement ladies during my confinement now.
I booked Auntie Meiling from Negri Sembilan based on recommendation from website. Her tel no is 83004910 (SG)/ 60168957034 (MY)/ 60169857034 (MY) back in Feb.
In end Apr, I gave Auntie Meiling a call to tell her I'm due soon, probably early May. She was shocked and asked me why so early. I said 2-3 wks is very normal. She then say another client of hers supposed to EDD 1 Apr but just delivered on 20+ Apr. I asked her how can that be, since usually latest is 41 wks. She said she dunno. Fine.
After my delivery, I gave her a call again. She then exclaimed :'Oh, I'm doing confinement for the client who just delivered.' So I asked her how. She offered to recommend someone to do on her behalf. Having no other options, I agreed.
The CL that came after I discharge is called 'Ah Guan'. She's 47yrs old, also from Negri Sembilan. Long hair, dark and doesn't look modern. Here are the other observations:
1)According to my maid, she doesn't know how to use the rice cooker. My maid has to teach her. Pots are not scrubbed clean and my whole kitchen is oily and messy after she cooked.
2)She has never seen my Pigeon Steriliser. She claims other families use other brands???
3)For 3 meals, she used the same method of cooking veg, ie, using sesame oil and gou qi to fry with veg. There is variation in the meat dish though. I asked her if she can vary her cooking style, she claims this is how confinement should be throughout the month.
4)She cooked the pig kidney and liver soup twice and both times both ingredients are hard and overcooked. Doesn't she know both don't need much cooking??? She didn't know how to answer when I asked.
5)Pt 2/3/4 led me to worry whether she really has any exp. She claims she has, but only in KL. All her dishes taste awful and even my hubby commented that. Then her face turn black. Auntie Meiling also said that when I called her. I asked her why did she recommend someone like that to me and she said she thought she'll be ok.
Both claimed the method of doing confinement in KL is different. They eat very light and can eat the same dishes throughout the month. True? I dunno.
6) She doesn't respect privacy. When I'm napping, she will come in and ask me to have lunch or dinner. Even after seeing me sleeping, she will keep coming in till I go out. I told her before I don't eat early. But she's used to eating early so she can cook like at 3pm and dinner is ready at 5pm! My dinner time is 7pm...
7) 1st day I told her I can't take too much wine or ginger as I'm bf. 2nd day all 3 meals and each dish has heaps of ginger on it. I asked her what happened and she pretended to say 'oh, that's what I told other clients before but they said not true'
On 3rd day early morning after she carried bb over for nursing, she came into my rm to cry and said her dad fell and she needs to go home. My hubby immediately woke up and called a cab for her and we paid her 2 days salary.
Auntie Meiling called shortly and asked y did I not call her to tell her Ah Guan is leaving. I said I'm still nursing and Ah Guan can't wait to leave. She told me she's lying and I shouldn't have paid her cos she already took $100 from her. I told her this is between the 2 of them, they should settle themselves. But I was upset that I got cheated. Auntie Meiling said her current client is willing to let her go to help me. I was suspicious whether she is good or not since the client let her go after only a wk. But I decided to go ahead to try. She seems alot better than Ah Guan on the 1st day, more knowledgeable and more modern. However, things start to slide after that:
1) Day 2, she increased my bb's feed from 60-70ml to 100ml at night w/o asking. I had EBM and portion to 70ml. He's only 1 wk old! She wiped out all my EBM stock and passed comments that my BM is so little after each pump. Gynae n PD advised she is overfeeding and we told her to reduce. She's unhappy and keeps hinting that bb is hungry and don't want to sleep at night.
2)She requested to buy good food like drumstick to cook for the maid (more like she wants to eat)
3) Complains that it is very troublesome for her to cook for the maid since she can't eat pork.
4) Always talking on her mobile. Her ringtone is very loud and keeps on ringing. I wonder if my bb can sleep wells since he sleeps with her.
5)Requested for $200 advance payment on day 2 though I have already paid her $300 deposit. Wanted some time off to go and meet her friend to buy things.
6) Told me she might not be able to do full 28 days cos her next job is on 7th June (3 wks away from my EDD!) I'm quite upset that she doesn't intend to do full right from the start, so unprofessional! Now I realised her Apr 1st job is supposed to be Apr 30th and I bet she took it knowing that short gap to my EDD in mid May.
On day 3 night, she told us that her mum is in coma in hospital (sounds familiar???) She needs to go back the next day and asked if I want a replacement which she will recommend. I told her let me think about it. But she proceeded to call her friend and arranged.
On day 4 when she's going to leave, she said her friend who is supposed to come suddenly fell sick. Asked me if I want to look for my own or still need her to recommend. Thankfully my friend gave me her CL's contact and luckily she's available.
That ends my misery of the 2 CL's from Negri Sembilan. I have nothing against people coming from there (sorry I can't remember which town), just upset that both are similar in pattern (unwilling to take criticism, used the same old excuse)
Please please take extra caution and not hire this Auntie Meiling. Seems like she is more interested to earn commission from her hometown friends than doing a proper confinement for us. She is fair and quite chubby with mid-length hair, 44 yrs old. Has a house in JB as well.