English or mandarin speaking confinement lady?

blingling

Registered User
Hi there, could someone please share your experience with a good confinement lady who may speak English or mandarin?
It's my first ever pregnancy and not knowing many people who have had babies in HK, not sure what to expect.
My gal friends in Singapore raved about their live in confinement nannies. But I'm not sure how that works in HK?
Lack of space... A small flat will make it tough for the nanny to stay over with our maid as well. Do they usually stay over or just come for the day?
And what do the nannies do here? I want one who is a good balance between a sensible educated approach but still retaining some Chinese customs re food and caring for the mother's and child's fragile condition post birth.
Help please?
 
hi
the hk confinement nannies tend to do only half day, ie 10am-4pm for hkd17k (6 days a week for 4 weeks). those that do 24 hours stay in for 4 weeks charge hkd34k. they generally speak only cantonese and some putonghua.
I am due in april with my #2 and am flying my confinement nanny over from Malaysia for 56 days. she usually works in Singapore and she charges sgd2500 a month for 24 hours stay in. all the fees exclude cost of any foodstuff.
 
Hello blingling!

I have justed signed a pui yuet today. Mine will be coming 6 days a week, 9am-5pm for 2 months @$15k per month. She will look afte me and baby and cook the special foods. If you want a live in option, then the price would be $30k. From my interviews, the price range seems to be between $13k-18k. I'm a native mandarin speaker, but the majority only speak Cantonese (which is fine for me as well).
 
Hi all, Im a freelance maternity/nursery nurse. If you need some help on basic newborn care, nursing/breastfeeding, bathing and everything about your newborn please do not hesitate to messages me here or whatsapp 55422210. Im very qualified, previous experience in International Hospital and RN in Hong Kong. Messages me for details and booking...thank you! Cheers!!!


Sent from my iPad using GeoClicks
 
Hi Zergmei, congrats on your mobile 2! And thanks for sharing your experience. Your Malaysian CL sounds like a good option. Any chance you could share her contact details? Can PM me if more convenient? Thanks!

Also, do the CLs generally expect like am angpow at the end of the period? If so, roughly how much should I give?
 
Thanks for sharing your experience Pandy! Congratulations on your baby! I'm due end September... You?
Think I'll ultimately go with the Malaysian lady option... So far the ones I've spoken to speak good mandarin, and my canto is just way too basic to risk it... Lol! Am lucky I speak mandarin at least... :)
 
Where would one start to look for a confinement lady and please excuse my ignorance, does the range of service exceed a visiting mid-wife and when would I really need either one?
 
Hi MertonMummy,
You can look at the website like sassy mama and book few months ahead for confinement lady. The range of service is good but of course they are not professional and registered like midwifes or nurses. Mainly food preparation like soup for mums and feeding you baby. Most are old like 50's above so bit bossy. If you are concern more into your newborn then I suggest get someone professional and younger as my friend shared experienced that her confinement lady always in a hurry in feeding at night so she can sleep...24hours is not recommendable....theyre old and they get tired also...anyway think about it....
 
Hi all!
I got mumita's viewpoint. Getting CL is helful in someway, especially to mothers wellbeing. And especially to mothers who are from asia than to europeans mothers who are more independent. First ask yourself what is the priority, issues and concern? Then sort out.
Anyway newborn care is really a tough job to those who havent experienced yet and first time moms. But not so to those who has passion on doing so and have joy to what they are into. I actually consider this career as a calling. For me its not a job but a joy holding newborns. Thousand newborn babies come across my arms and each one is unique overwhelming experience. My point here is look for someone you can trust your newborn. Listen to your instinct and follow your heart. Cheers!


Sent from my iPad using GeoClicks
 
Hello,

If you still need one, my confinement nanny speaks mandarin (originally from china) and will be available after July when her contract with me is up.

Her daytime shift is 8 hours a day, flexible in terms of hours, for HKD 17k. She is also certified in a few courses like infant care and nutrition.

I would recommend meeting the nannies first before you commit as this person will be essentially you/ your baby's primary caretaker for a few weeks.


Sent from my iPhone using GeoClicks
 
When are you due?

From what I know, most confinement ladies in HK won't know English, but fluent in Cantonese and conversational Mandarin.

I'm due in May and I secured my confinement lady back in December. I went through agencies first and had interviewed several, however I wasn't impressed. I think it's important to be recommended a confinement lady. An auntie of mine referred a really good one to me, she's highly recommended (recommended by several local drs who had used her themselves). I interviewed her and felt comfortable with her, easy going and actually cared about you. (The previous agency ones looked like they were choosing YOU rather than the other way around and some were ridiculous with their requests).

My confinement lady is going to stay with us for 26 days, 24 hours a day. Currently her fee is $28K but may increase due to high demand.

If your due date is quite far away I could let you know how I go with mine, then recommend her to you? Let me know :)
 
Hi Jilllovesred,
Congratulations!
I'm due in December for my 2nd. The confinement lady I used for my 1st was a nightmare, and I truly wish to find a CL with recommendations.
Could you please share the contact of your CL? Thank you very much!
 
Hi all! my nanny just went back to Malaysia yesterday after 56 days (2 months). I didn't expect to be so sad for her to leave. Time flies! My son was born 3.1kg at 37.5 weeks and he was 7.1kg on Sunday @8 weeks. She did such a good job! I wish I had gotten her for my #1 in 2010. I wouldn't have been so depressed then. Sorry though her schedule is full till after Chinese new year 2015. I was telling my husband to be careful not to try for #3 till she is available!

Sent from my GT-I9505 using GeoClicks mobile app
 
Hi zergmei, jilllovesred, lemonsorbetto - im seeking a recommended confinement lady for my first baby due Aug this year. Would you mind sharing your CLs contacts with me? Thanks!!


Sent from my iPhone using GeoClicks
 
I can't help but smile politely when I read that people think that anyone over 50 years old is 'old and needs their sleep' because I am a professional Maternity Nurse and Sleep Consultant and 52 years old but I manage to look after single babies and even multiple babies on just 4 hours sleep. I am still smiling and cheerful at the end of the booking which can sometimes carry on for 4 months. After 30 years of doing this experience has taught me to be far more flexible in my work and with parents and to adapt to them. The point of saying all this is that a very thorough interview is the key to finding out whether the person who you choose to offer you guidance and support might have the same views on baby are and not the other way round.
 
I can't help but smile politely when I read that people think that anyone over 50 years old is 'old and needs their sleep' because I am a professional Maternity Nurse and Sleep Consultant and I am 52 years old. I manage to look after single babies and even multiple babies on just 4 hours sleep per day. I am still smiling and cheerful at the end of the booking which can sometimes carry on for 4 months. After 30 years of doing this, my experience has taught me to be far more flexible in my work with parents and to adapt to their beliefs. The point of saying all this is that a very thorough interview is the key to finding out whether the person who you choose to offer you guidance and support might have the same views on baby care and not the other way round. You are the parents and it is ultimately your choice how you like things done.
 
Hi there. Could u share ur confinement lady's experience with me? Kindly whatsapp me at +852 90929962. Thank u!
 
Hi Zergmei,
In fact, i am Malaysian looking for Malaysian confinement lady, could you share her contact details? Can PM me if more convenient?
Or whatspp me 91791876
Thanks!
 
Talking about confinement nanny, I remember in Oct where we were welcome our new born again, the experience is both an ordeal and rewarding at the same time. The ordeal started when after my wife delivered, she has not been able to rest well during her stay in the hospital because she was constantly ?harassed? by nurses to latch her infant during feeding hours. We are already third time parents and we do not want to be burden by breastfeeding thoughts we kept giving repeated instructions to the nurses that we do not want to latch our infant during my wife stay but still they are adamant. Finally, we are able to discharge without the nurses senseless comment about not latching and no breastmilk....! What an ordeal!

Back home, our confinement nanny (whom we have engaged all the way from Singapore) had also arrived. She was Liong, our far fetched confinement nanny. She was able to speak English, Chinese, Cantonese and equipped with excellent skills in cooking my wife's confinement food. Our experience with Liong was overall a rewarding and was in a great partnership too. During her first week with us, she helped us to get our infant to settle down and build back our ?dirty and messy home?. But already on her first day with us, Liong took the initiative to ease my wife?s agony over possible breast engorgement by aiding us with useful handling tips and diet help first and then sit down with us to understand ?our ? idea confinement practices. Liong was young (early forties) and a very fast worker, I appreciate very much. I presume because our age is near? that?s why we ?click? very well!
Her ideal of hygienic practices was in line with our habits and she is even more adamant to adhere to rules of cleanliness than us! We had a elder at the age of 4yrs earlier and she has became ?close & attached? to her and thus she is able to help her easily (e.g. bath, meals and also her bedtime). With this, Liong has actually shown us that she is not at all calculative in scope of work. She can actually handle both, my children and infant in a room to herself and we are blessed with ?precious time? to rest and to bond.
Without having a maid in our house, we actually ?appreciate? initiative help from Liong, her friendly and ever eagerness to help puts our mind and hearts at ease. We are actually writing this during my wife?s 3rd week of confinement as we had the impression that we are not able to spare anytime to write up for her after her 28th days.

You can too enjoy. Engage her at: +65 92996331 (May) Singapore
 
Back
Top