8 Reasons Why I Need a Confinement Lady (Pei Yue)

I am lucky to book the confinement lady who has did for my SIL in her 2nd pregnancy. With the experiences and advices I gathered from my friends and SIL, I think it is better to hire a confinement lady instead of getting your close one to do it.

My MIL offered to do it for me but in most of her conversation, she mentioned about how easy it is to prepare for confinement food. Yes, Mum. Actually food is not so much of concerns to me! It is the works and energy needed while taking care the baby during the confinement period. After all, Hubby also strongly agreed to get one CL too.

Let me share why we need a confinement lady instead of getting Mum to do it!
  1. During confinement month, we'll become very emotion, suspicious and sensitive due to the hormone after giving birth. Since I'm staying with in-law, I worry that Iots of misunderstanding might happen during this times.

  2. If my Hubby is working in KL, I am worried of slipping into postnatal depression if I was unable to cope alone with the baby, especially I'm a new mum. I can't be asking my MIL to do this and that for me right? With a CL, it is so much easy to instruct her anytimes I want.

  3. If I have to go through c-sect, I will not be able to move around due to the painful wound for about 2 weeks. It means baby will have to take care by someone, especially at night. I doubt MIL can handle our baby for this 2 weeks time as she has vertigo and also hypertension. She needs rest and we do not wish to burden her health. With a CL around, I will able to rest very well and recover from a painful labor. Moreover, I do not need to worry of her taking care of our baby.

  4. It is a fact that not every baby is the same. Some babies can sleep through the night but some babies are not. Most of the times babies will wake up easily 2 times a night. For eg. Lucas passed motion 3 times a night for continuous few days. Imagine that if I'm just recovering from my labor and MIL gotta take care our baby, it will be a very dreadful and tiring task for her.

  5. CL can take over the night feeds and fed my baby with expressed breastmilk. I will have a good night rest so that it will not affect the production of my milk. Some of my friends failed to produce milk due to the stress and and lack of rest during the confinement period.

  6. As I'm a person who needs a good night sleep, I will prefer to have a CL to take care of the baby at night. I get easily agitated if I do not have a good sleep.

  7. As a new mum, I will feel nervous bathing my newborn baby. So it will be good to have her around to show me how to do it.

  8. Again, REST plays the most important role in confinement period. SIL said that due to the lack of rest and the poor services given in her 1st pregnancy, she fell sick easily. But for her 2nd pregnancy, she was well taken care by this CL (the one that I've booked) and she has peace of mind without worrying of her baby. She told me that she really feel the differences of her health compared to her 1st confinement. That's why she strongly recommended me to get a confinement lady.

With this 8 reasons given, don't you think it is much better to get a confinement lady to do for your confinement instead of getting your MIL to do it?

14 comments:

sinlee said...

hehe..for me who do not really want to follow all the pantang larang, i prefer to have my mum do the confinement for me...but of cos with confinement lady, it'll be easier for u lar..but Li, even with c-sect, u can move around ler..i by the 4th day can move around easily liao...i have c-sect for both my kids...

Tak Feng and Li Li said...

Hey my SIL did her C-sect & it takes about 10 days for her to move around le. My friend too. Maybe diff ppl have diff recovery rate.

Anonymous said...

Hi Sis,

I agree with the idea of getting a CL as well. As a young woman, is very hard to express to an older woman what are your wants and needs and then expect her to serve you.

We Asians are not used to doing it, it feels rude.

When you get a CL, you know she is hired to work for you so you can expect her to do what you want or need her to do.

Anonymous said...

i agree too, one of my friend staying with her MIL without CL during her confinement month, a lot of things happen even a small tiny thingy can makes both party not happy.. dun worry so much just enjoy your pregnancy period!! take care!

sinlee said...

oh..wow so long one...me on the 2nd day can get down and walk slowly to the bb room liao to carry my bb (early in the morning lor..b4 they push in the bb....)

but i do agree lar that if ur MIL takes care of u during confinement, sure got bo song things one. that's y i want my mum to do for me. Own mum easier to kao tim mah...cos she understands u and u understand her...;)

chloeyap said...

Yeah steph, its easier to get a CL, moreover this is your irst child, no experience. It'll be easier to instruct d CL to help you do thgs rather than MIL, imagine midnight oso you wun feel good waking ur MIL up for feeds if baby cries, with a CL will be very handy cos they are used to taking care of bb at nite. it'll be good ur mil is around to help together wif a cl cos there will be alot of running to do, like buying this and that, and is your bb need to go in and out the hosp to check for jaundice and stuff. *wink* *wink*

Tak Feng and Li Li said...

Hi Sis, thanks for the support. Ya, it is not so nice to do so lor. Hopefully Mum can understand us. :P

Hi May, this is what I heard in most of the cases. So better avoid it.

Hi Sin, meaning both of ur anak also u did it at ur mum's house? So nice ya. Haha.

Yeah Chloe. You are the most experience one. So you can understand better kan? Actually we do not wish to burden our Mums, especially with their age and sickness they have. So better to hire a CL to save up all the troubles.

Chinneeq said...

CL is a must and not worth saving the money to make ourselves suffer. Afterall we deserve some treats after giving birth, right?

Anonymous said...

yeah, definitely better to have cl. new mum get to rest well, baby taken good care off, and hence, new daddy would be happy coz no complains from wife coz she will be happier . both would be less stressful coz no sleep disturbance hence less argument. FIL and MIL also would have more time to entertain frens and visitors.
my dear SIL, PLEASE DO NOT STRESS over this!!! Pregnant lady shud be cheerful and happy , your bb inside your tummy would be disturb by your emotions!!!enjoy your pregnancy!!!

Anonymous said...

hi, came across ur blog and find it interesting. I also insisted my wife to get a CL during her last pregnancy. I do not want my wife and my mum to have any arguements over this 1 month period. After all, there is another month for her to take care. So good forboth parties.

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm.... Knowing you, i think it is more for the food that the CL can cook :P You do know that you are not allowed to eat preserved manggo during your confinement, right?
I do agree with the idea of not burdening you MIL, especially at night.... What a thoughtful DIL....
DO get one if you are more comfortable with it... F&B - peace of mind, enough rest so can produce breast milk, wont get so agitated, not a burden to your MIL.....

Tak Feng and Li Li said...

Yes Chin Nee, my hubby & I also think that it is no point saving out the money and ended out with misundersatnding later.

Yes, my SIL. We totally agreed with you. It is an good idea and it benefited all in the family.

Hi Kok, thanks for visiting my blog. Thanks for ur support in this issue. :)

Learning Golf? Must be you, KELVIN WEE. That is not really preserved mango le. After all, it is my brother who bought for me to eat. Haha... Are u my friend ah? Food is not so important for me. Just b'cos I crave for certain food during my pregnancy, then you said I'm particular in food. Cis........
Actually we do not wanna burden our mum. She can't be handling the baby for nights without getting enough rest, esp she has hypertension. Just want her to relax and has more times to play with the grandchild.

Unknown said...

i strongly agree n support that you must have a confinement lady. i didnt hire for my 1st bb, coz as you said my in law can help, somemore mine is during CNY, the price is double. dont ever save the money, it is best to have a CL during confinement period. I regret that i didnt hire one that time.

Tak Feng and Li Li said...

Hi Shirley, most of my friends who have got their MIL did for their 1st confinement has also turned to CL when it comes to their 2nd pregnancy.

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