Sleepless Nights with a Newborn: Navigating Parenthood, Why a Well-trained Domestic Helper Maybe for You

The arrival of a newborn is one of the most joyous occasions a parent can have, but it also brings a host of challenges. Sleepless nights become a regular part of life, especially in the early weeks. 

In Singapore, where gender equality is highly prioritized, especially in the workforce, there is a focus on supporting mothers at work. Together with the increasing standard of living, families have to juggle work, household chores, and family building. As such, managing sleep deprivation may be overwhelming. However, there is support and resources available at Homekeeper to help make this journey more manageable.

The Hospital Experience

The birth experience at the hospital is a pivotal moment for new parents. Most describe it as a roller-coaster ride, filled with emotions one never had before. Although medical care is top-notch here in our country, the emotional aspects of childbirth can be overwhelming. Parents worry about the delivery if the mother and baby will be safe without complications. This is followed by worrying about their baby’s health while waiting for the pediatrician’s first visit, next about if there is sufficient breast milk and feeding techniques, while not forgetting the recovery of the mother.

Life After Hospital Discharge

Since the baby and mother are under 24-hour best care in the hospital, returning home brings uncertainty again to most. Upon discharge, parents come home to days worth of chores to do, with the “help” of a crying baby, most of the time. Most families plan to have some help here including one or some of the following:

• Confinement nanny and confinement centers: Traditionally, mothers will take the first month to recover after giving birth, in Singapore we call it the confinement period. Mothers take herbal and nutritious home-cooked food to speed up the process while also building up breast milk supply for the baby. Some families hire a temporary live-in confinement nanny to help with this, while others check themselves into a confinement center. However it is worth noting that this option can be rather costly, and most of the time chores are left untouched by the nannies. 

• Supportive in-laws: Some families would reach out to their parents or in-laws for help. During this delicate time with so many things to juggle, extra pairs of hands are always welcomed. Supportive in-laws bring wealth of experience having brought up the mummy or daddy, but differences in opinions may surface as a problem for some people. 

• Infant-care trained domestic helper: While some families have one or both of the above arrangements, others look at having an experienced or certified infant-care helper to live in with them. At Homekeeper, besides individually screening through each domestic helper at their training centers, the selected helpers go through Homekeeper’s infant care program which is first done overseas, then later reinforced when they come to Singapore. At the end of the intense training program, these domestic helpers will be well prepared to take care of your newborn baby or toddler, while keeping your house in the best shape for the family.

Common newborn woes

We haven’t started talking about the new member in your family! Apart from managing the emotions, housework, and recovery of the mother. The newborn baby will often add on to the long list of problems, one main concern is their health and wellbeing. Some common problems a newborn baby face includes some of the below:

1. Baby not drinking enough milk
2. Overfed, leading to reflux
3. Diarrhea
4. Constipation – not having enough poo
5. Dehydration – not having enough wet diapers
6. Colic
7. Gassy
8. Fever

But fret not as every problem usually comes with a solution and our infant caretakers are well-trained to handle each one of these situations should it occur:

1. Sit the baby upright for 30 minutes after each feed
2. Prioritize breastfeeding your baby unless unable to
3. Choose formula milk from established brands and follow closely the preparation instructions e.g. ratio of milk powder to milliliters of water
4. Swaddle your baby as much as possible to keep him or her secure
5. Ask your pediatrician how to regularly perform massages on your baby to avoid gassy and colic periods
6. Feed your baby diligently to prevent dehydration and other complications

In conclusion

Having a new member in your family is one of life’s greatest joys. While it brings along many uncertainties and sleepless nights, we humbly offer you our services in helping you plan ahead to have a smooth transition on your day of discharge. This includes sourcing and arranging suitable infant care helpers for interviews with you, introducing and deploying them as part of your household during your early trimesters, and finally providing any post-deployment support you may require. 

At Homekeeper, we recommend reaching out to us once you receive the good news in the first trimester, allowing us to handpick the most suitable maid for your family and sufficient time for her to integrate into the household. Drop us a message below and let us guide you in every step!