SINGAPORE: Drawn by lower prices and the convenience of a specialised team caring for their newborns, more parents from Singapore are heading to Johor
Confinement centres in the Malaysian state said in response to CNA queries that there is a growing proportion of Singaporean mothers among their clientele compared to Malaysians, doubling from pre-pandemic levels.
But while the added convenience and lower cost may sound attractive to parents, postpartum experts said that there are some safety risks that they need to consider.
For one, travelling so soon after delivery could interrupt mother and baby's care, especially if complications were to arise, several obstetricians and gynaecologists told CNA.
A postpartum practice followed by many Asian cultures, confinement is a period after childbirth where a mother recuperates indoors typically with the aid of a hired nanny or close relatives and lasts for around a month or more.
In Singapore, couples typically hire "confinement nannies" hailing from Malaysia, who cook nourishing meals for mothers, care for the newborn and teach the parents how to look after the baby.
There are no formal training requirements for confinement nannies. The service is also not regulated in Singapore due to the nature of such
Confinement nanny services are private arrangements that are "decentralised, varied and highly personalised in nature" and hence were not amenable to standardisation and regulation, MOM said.
One alternative to live-in nannies that has gained traction among Singapore couples are confinement centres, which are facilities staffed by a team of care personnel who can assist the parents and their newborns.
While such centres also exist in Singapore, those in neighbouring Malaysia are surging in popularity, with some mothers likening them to vacations and retreats.
Ms Joey Chai, 28, described her stay at Lullabe Postnatal Care in Johor Bahru as a "truly restful and healing experience".
"It’s more than just a confinement centre — it’s a place where mothers are genuinely cared for, both physically and emotionally," the mother of two said, adding that the facilities were "more like a resort than confinement centre".
Many of these Malaysian centres have been operating since 2012, according to a Malaysian study last year that analysed industry trends and growth factors of postpartum care centres there.
The paper, published in the International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, placed Malaysia as one of the regions with the highest concentrations of confinement centres, alongside China, South Korea and Taiwan.
Separately, a 2021 report commissioned by the United Nations Population Fund said that the growth in demand for confinement centres for Malaysians was driven by a shift towards urbanisation, as well as higher educational levels and nuclear family trends.
"The service demand has led to commercialised confinement centres operating as private businesses with primarily female staff, offering mothers a wide range of services, delivery modalities (mobile or non-mobile) and price points," the paper said on the growth of the industry.
But in Johor, some
In Malaysia, typical 28-day packages can cost between RM18,888 (S$5,788) to RM40,000, while a similar package in Singapore could cost upwards of S$15,888 (US$12,360) in Singapore, according to websites that collate prices across Singapore centres such as SassyMama and HoneyKids.
In comparison, a live-in confinement nanny in Singapore also costs at least S$3,000 for a month, but couples will need to cater for the nanny's residential needs, such as by providing a comfortable mattress in a private space at home. Prices increase for experienced and sought after nannies.
Cheong Dam Postpartum Care Centre founder and CEO Shin Young Sik said 150 couples have signed up since May this year and more than half are from Singapore. His firm operates a confinement centre in Iskandar Puteri.
"Before I opened, I thought maybe 10 per cent or 20 per cent will be Singaporean, but ... more than 70 per cent were Singaporean. I was a little bit surprised so many Singaporeans come here," Dr Shin said.
Amazing Postnatal Care had operated in Kuala Lumpur for four years before opening a branch in Johor's Iskandar Puteri. Its CEO and founder Elieen Kong, said the business started at time when confinement centres were mostly smaller in scale and operated out of residential houses with fewer rooms.
Clients felt that her services were different from others as they operated out of a commercial building, said Ms Kong.
Ms Kom Hui Wen and her newborn checked into LYC Mother & Child Centre in Johor Bahru in September 2025. It is the second time she has spent her confinement there after her firstborn two years ago. (Screenshots: Instagram/huiwen_stcouple)
A mother at Ladies Paradise Confinement Centre having her hair washed with herbal water, as part of the services offered by the centre. (Photo: Ladies Paradise Confinement Centre)
These confinement
Several centres, such as Ladies Paradise Confinement Centre and Lullabe, employ traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to care for mothers, while others like Amazing Postnatal Care offer courses where parents learn to care for babies.
Barring traffic congestion, all the centres are within half an hour drive from either Woodlands or Tuas Checkpoint.
To find out what swayed their decisions to head across the border for their confinement periods, CNA spoke to five mothers on their experience staying in these centres and how much they paid.
Ms Chai said she spent RM21,988 for a 28-day package at Lullabe, but that the price point was "significantly more affordable" compared to Singapore centres.
Ms Kom Hui Wen, who spoke to CNA during her confinement at LYC Mother & Child Centre after the birth of her second child in September, said the prices of Singapore's confinement centres were enough to "hire two or three nannies".
She said she spent close to RM20,000 for her confinement period with "no other big expenses" as the centre provided diapers and meals.
"We just need to bring our milk powder or breast milk," the 31-year-old project manager added.
Other mothers found the cost of a live-in nanny more or less the same as a stay in Johor.
First-time mother Stella Lee, 35, who completed her confinement at Minka Postpartum Care Centre (Adda Heights) in October, said: "The overall costs were quite similar, but hiring a nanny would mean needing to provide her accommodation, adjust to living with a stranger, and buy all the essentials like cooking ingredients, diapers, and milk powder ourselves."
Fellow first-time mother Patricia Toh said she would have incurred S$8,500 - including food delivery and cleaning services - if she had spent her confinement at home.
"And that’s not including the effort, coordination, and logistics needed to manage all these different services and people.
"I would still have to arrange the nanny, food, cleaning, and TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) on my own, while also waking up every few hours to pump milk," the 31-year-old said.
"That’s when I felt a confinement centre might be worth the investment. Everything is handled for me ... so I can truly rest and focus on my baby without worrying about daily tasks or schedules," said the financial consultant, who stayed in Young Flower Confinement Centre between September and October last year.
Ms Ng Jing Mei stayed at Cheong Dam Postpartum Care Centre in Johor for her confinement, with her husband and her firstborn staying over in the first week. (Photo: Ng Jing Mei)
Ms Ng Jing Mei, 34, who spoke to CNA from her confinement in Cheong Dam, used estimates from her first pregnancy where her electricity bill and food came to about S$1,800.
Add about S$4,000 for a confinement nanny and the price would be "comparable" to a confinement centre in Johor, the tuition teacher said. Her stay at Cheong Dam cost less than S$6,000.
She also noted that hosting a nanny in her flat would be a squeeze, as her home only had two rooms.
Ms Joey Chai enjoyed five meals a day - breakfast, lunch, high-tea, dinner, and supper - while at Lullabe Postnatal Care serving her confinement in June last year. (Photos: Joey Chai)
Ms Chai, who stayed in Lullabe in June last year following the birth of her second child, said the experience was an improvement from her first confinement at home.
"During my first confinement, everything was quite hectic — from managing meals to caring for my newborn with little support. It was exhausting both physically and emotionally," said the director of car detailing company Wet Dreams Auto Detailing.
Ms Chai had hired a nanny who only came in the day.
"That’s why for my second journey, I decided to stay in a Malaysia confinement centre, and honestly, I’m so glad I did," she added.
Ms Toh noted that one nanny could not care for the child around the clock.
"There’s always a risk that if the nanny falls asleep from exhaustion and the entire household is asleep too, nobody might notice the baby crying," she said.
At a centre, she felt assured knowing there were multiple caregivers at her baby's side.
Ms Patricia Toh's newborn undergoing a health check (left) and doing a photoshoot (right) at Young Flower Confinement Centre in Johor, where Ms Toh stayed between September and October last year. (Photos: Patricia Toh)
Lullabe's marketing manager Candy Heng said live-in
"In their mindset, when you give birth, you cannot stay under a fan, you must eat a lot of ginger, and you must consume plenty of tonics from the first day of delivery.
"Now a lot of mothers want to maintain a good figure. If you overdo the tonics, it will be hard and a slow process when you are trying to restore your original figure," she said, adding that Lullabe will recommend the consumption of tonics at a suitable time after delivery.
LYC's chief operating officer Lim Yan Tong said: "Many Singaporean mothers choose to stay with us at LYC Mother & Child Centre in Johor Bahru because they find that we offer the right balance of professional care, comfort, and value.
"Our guests and their babies receive 24/7 care and are supported by a full team of trained nurses, lactation consultants, doctors, nutritionist, wellness therapists, and experienced chefs, something that goes beyond what a single confinement nanny can provide."
As for Ladies Paradise, co-founder Mavis Law said that her centre also offers yoga classes and courses, which are meant to keep the mother's mind occupied during the confinement.
Minka Postpartum Care's two tiers of rooms, the 339 sq ft Diamond room (left), and the 239 sq ft Sapphire room (right). (Photos: Dennis Terng)
As for whether such cross-border arrangements were ideal, postnatal experts said rest, nutrition, emotional and medical support were essential to the confinement period, and travelling long distances might impede these.
"The primary objective of good postpartum care is recovery from the process of childbirth," Dr Jason Lim Shau Khng, head and senior consultant from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Singapore General Hospital said in an email interview.
Care for the mother encompasses her diet, mobility, wound recuperation, pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation and mental health among others, he said.
National University Hospital's (NUH) Associate Professor Su Lin Lin said continued care was especially important for mothers who underwent caesarean deliveries, had significant blood loss, or pre-existing medical conditions.
"Hence, if one chooses to spend this period in centres outside of Singapore, it is important to ensure that one can access prompt medical help or postnatal follow-up if complications such as wound infections, breastfeeding issues or mood changes arise," added the head and senior consultant of the division of maternal fetal medicine under NUH's Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital's (KKH) Dr Angeline Chua pointed out that postnatal checkups varied based on the mother's delivery method and mother-and-child's health statuses.
Mothers who deliver vaginally typically have reviews at six weeks after birth, while those with caesarean deliveries are usually seen earlier for wound assessment and recovery monitoring, Dr Chua, a consultant from KKH's Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said.
Ms Toh, the first-time mother, returned to Singapore twice during her confinement in JB for follow-ups even though there were hospitals close to her centre.
She said she preferred doctors who were familiar with her case and wanted a "proper record" in Singapore's medical system.
Other mothers felt that the Johor hospitals, such as Gleneagles Hospital Medini Johor and Columbia Asia Hospital Tebrau, would suffice in the case of emergencies.
Ms Ng in Cheong Dam pointed out that Gleneagles was less than 10 minutes drive away, and her infant's jaundice level was monitored daily by staff.
Ms Lee had her baby checked for jaundice at the clinic next to Minka. The clinic also referred her to Gleneagles for pain in her abdomen.
Confinement centres usually have a team of doctors and nurses for basic care and common conditions, such as breast engorgement, and can direct mothers to hospitals or clinics for treatment.
KKH's Dr Chua said mothers should also consider the emotional demands of travelling with a newborn while managing feeding, bonding and travel logistics.
"Having support from family or friends is valuable but this may not be possible when they are away in another country," she said.
She stressed that newborns should use a proper infant car seat, and not for more than half an hour. They should also be supervised by an adult.
LYC Mother & Child Centre's nursery (left) and hair salon (right) at its postpartum centre in Johor Bahru. (Photos: LYC Mother & Child Centre)
While the mothers CNA spoke to had considered these possible medical risks, what mattered to them was that the centres were also able to help inexperienced parents adjust to a new life with the baby after leaving the support of the centre.
To this end, the confinement centres said mothers are encouraged to interact with their newborns. Minka and Amazing Postnatal Care said mothers spend between one and two hours with their babies when baby rooms are undergoing disinfection.
While at Minka Postpartum Care, Ms Stella Lee and her husband went through various courses, including how to bathe your baby (left), after which they practised with their daughter in Ms Lee's room (right). (Photo: Stella Lee)
"They learn how to be with baby so that its smoother in the future. In the past, when we didn't used to do this, mothers were very relaxed when they stayed at the centre and see their babies for 15 to 20 minutes. When the baby cried, they will pass them back to the nanny.
“But 30 days, or 28 days later, when they go home, they panic," Minka's founder Dennis Terng said.
At Cheong Dam, Dr Shin said that mothers get to spend more time with their babies towards the end of the confinement.
"So at the night time, before they sleep, we encourage them to stay together, and our many nurses stay together and teach them (how to handle their baby)," said Dr Shin.
Confinement centres also offer courses on baby care, including how to shower infants and differentiate their cries.
Some centres also provide post-confinement care to their clients even after they return to Singapore.
Customers who sign packages with Minka, are "accompanied for 1,000 days", meaning that the centre continues to help them by offering advice or additional nanny services when they return home, Mr Terng said.
Ms Lee, the first-time mother, said she and her husband "tried to learn as much as (they) could" around 10 days before they left Minka.
While at home, she could still text a nanny for help.
"Overall, the transition was quite smooth and we managed to cope quite well," she said.
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Confinement centres in the Malaysian state said in response to CNA queries that there is a growing proportion of Singaporean mothers among their clientele compared to Malaysians, doubling from pre-pandemic levels.
But while the added convenience and lower cost may sound attractive to parents, postpartum experts said that there are some safety risks that they need to consider.
For one, travelling so soon after delivery could interrupt mother and baby's care, especially if complications were to arise, several obstetricians and gynaecologists told CNA.
A postpartum practice followed by many Asian cultures, confinement is a period after childbirth where a mother recuperates indoors typically with the aid of a hired nanny or close relatives and lasts for around a month or more.
In Singapore, couples typically hire "confinement nannies" hailing from Malaysia, who cook nourishing meals for mothers, care for the newborn and teach the parents how to look after the baby.
There are no formal training requirements for confinement nannies. The service is also not regulated in Singapore due to the nature of such
Confinement nanny services are private arrangements that are "decentralised, varied and highly personalised in nature" and hence were not amenable to standardisation and regulation, MOM said.
One alternative to live-in nannies that has gained traction among Singapore couples are confinement centres, which are facilities staffed by a team of care personnel who can assist the parents and their newborns.
While such centres also exist in Singapore, those in neighbouring Malaysia are surging in popularity, with some mothers likening them to vacations and retreats.
Ms Joey Chai, 28, described her stay at Lullabe Postnatal Care in Johor Bahru as a "truly restful and healing experience".
"It’s more than just a confinement centre — it’s a place where mothers are genuinely cared for, both physically and emotionally," the mother of two said, adding that the facilities were "more like a resort than confinement centre".
Many of these Malaysian centres have been operating since 2012, according to a Malaysian study last year that analysed industry trends and growth factors of postpartum care centres there.
The paper, published in the International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, placed Malaysia as one of the regions with the highest concentrations of confinement centres, alongside China, South Korea and Taiwan.
Separately, a 2021 report commissioned by the United Nations Population Fund said that the growth in demand for confinement centres for Malaysians was driven by a shift towards urbanisation, as well as higher educational levels and nuclear family trends.
"The service demand has led to commercialised confinement centres operating as private businesses with primarily female staff, offering mothers a wide range of services, delivery modalities (mobile or non-mobile) and price points," the paper said on the growth of the industry.
But in Johor, some
In Malaysia, typical 28-day packages can cost between RM18,888 (S$5,788) to RM40,000, while a similar package in Singapore could cost upwards of S$15,888 (US$12,360) in Singapore, according to websites that collate prices across Singapore centres such as SassyMama and HoneyKids.
In comparison, a live-in confinement nanny in Singapore also costs at least S$3,000 for a month, but couples will need to cater for the nanny's residential needs, such as by providing a comfortable mattress in a private space at home. Prices increase for experienced and sought after nannies.
Cheong Dam Postpartum Care Centre founder and CEO Shin Young Sik said 150 couples have signed up since May this year and more than half are from Singapore. His firm operates a confinement centre in Iskandar Puteri.
"Before I opened, I thought maybe 10 per cent or 20 per cent will be Singaporean, but ... more than 70 per cent were Singaporean. I was a little bit surprised so many Singaporeans come here," Dr Shin said.
Amazing Postnatal Care had operated in Kuala Lumpur for four years before opening a branch in Johor's Iskandar Puteri. Its CEO and founder Elieen Kong, said the business started at time when confinement centres were mostly smaller in scale and operated out of residential houses with fewer rooms.
Clients felt that her services were different from others as they operated out of a commercial building, said Ms Kong.
Ms Kom Hui Wen and her newborn checked into LYC Mother & Child Centre in Johor Bahru in September 2025. It is the second time she has spent her confinement there after her firstborn two years ago. (Screenshots: Instagram/huiwen_stcouple)
Related:
A mother at Ladies Paradise Confinement Centre having her hair washed with herbal water, as part of the services offered by the centre. (Photo: Ladies Paradise Confinement Centre)
CHEAPER, LACK OF SPACE FOR LIVE-IN NANNIES
These confinement
Several centres, such as Ladies Paradise Confinement Centre and Lullabe, employ traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to care for mothers, while others like Amazing Postnatal Care offer courses where parents learn to care for babies.
Barring traffic congestion, all the centres are within half an hour drive from either Woodlands or Tuas Checkpoint.
To find out what swayed their decisions to head across the border for their confinement periods, CNA spoke to five mothers on their experience staying in these centres and how much they paid.
Ms Chai said she spent RM21,988 for a 28-day package at Lullabe, but that the price point was "significantly more affordable" compared to Singapore centres.
Ms Kom Hui Wen, who spoke to CNA during her confinement at LYC Mother & Child Centre after the birth of her second child in September, said the prices of Singapore's confinement centres were enough to "hire two or three nannies".
She said she spent close to RM20,000 for her confinement period with "no other big expenses" as the centre provided diapers and meals.
"We just need to bring our milk powder or breast milk," the 31-year-old project manager added.
Other mothers found the cost of a live-in nanny more or less the same as a stay in Johor.
First-time mother Stella Lee, 35, who completed her confinement at Minka Postpartum Care Centre (Adda Heights) in October, said: "The overall costs were quite similar, but hiring a nanny would mean needing to provide her accommodation, adjust to living with a stranger, and buy all the essentials like cooking ingredients, diapers, and milk powder ourselves."
Fellow first-time mother Patricia Toh said she would have incurred S$8,500 - including food delivery and cleaning services - if she had spent her confinement at home.
"And that’s not including the effort, coordination, and logistics needed to manage all these different services and people.
"I would still have to arrange the nanny, food, cleaning, and TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) on my own, while also waking up every few hours to pump milk," the 31-year-old said.
"That’s when I felt a confinement centre might be worth the investment. Everything is handled for me ... so I can truly rest and focus on my baby without worrying about daily tasks or schedules," said the financial consultant, who stayed in Young Flower Confinement Centre between September and October last year.
Ms Ng Jing Mei stayed at Cheong Dam Postpartum Care Centre in Johor for her confinement, with her husband and her firstborn staying over in the first week. (Photo: Ng Jing Mei)
Ms Ng Jing Mei, 34, who spoke to CNA from her confinement in Cheong Dam, used estimates from her first pregnancy where her electricity bill and food came to about S$1,800.
Add about S$4,000 for a confinement nanny and the price would be "comparable" to a confinement centre in Johor, the tuition teacher said. Her stay at Cheong Dam cost less than S$6,000.
She also noted that hosting a nanny in her flat would be a squeeze, as her home only had two rooms.
Ms Joey Chai enjoyed five meals a day - breakfast, lunch, high-tea, dinner, and supper - while at Lullabe Postnatal Care serving her confinement in June last year. (Photos: Joey Chai)
SUPPORT FROM CARE TEAM
Ms Chai, who stayed in Lullabe in June last year following the birth of her second child, said the experience was an improvement from her first confinement at home.
"During my first confinement, everything was quite hectic — from managing meals to caring for my newborn with little support. It was exhausting both physically and emotionally," said the director of car detailing company Wet Dreams Auto Detailing.
Ms Chai had hired a nanny who only came in the day.
"That’s why for my second journey, I decided to stay in a Malaysia confinement centre, and honestly, I’m so glad I did," she added.
Ms Toh noted that one nanny could not care for the child around the clock.
"There’s always a risk that if the nanny falls asleep from exhaustion and the entire household is asleep too, nobody might notice the baby crying," she said.
At a centre, she felt assured knowing there were multiple caregivers at her baby's side.
Ms Patricia Toh's newborn undergoing a health check (left) and doing a photoshoot (right) at Young Flower Confinement Centre in Johor, where Ms Toh stayed between September and October last year. (Photos: Patricia Toh)
Lullabe's marketing manager Candy Heng said live-in
"In their mindset, when you give birth, you cannot stay under a fan, you must eat a lot of ginger, and you must consume plenty of tonics from the first day of delivery.
"Now a lot of mothers want to maintain a good figure. If you overdo the tonics, it will be hard and a slow process when you are trying to restore your original figure," she said, adding that Lullabe will recommend the consumption of tonics at a suitable time after delivery.
LYC's chief operating officer Lim Yan Tong said: "Many Singaporean mothers choose to stay with us at LYC Mother & Child Centre in Johor Bahru because they find that we offer the right balance of professional care, comfort, and value.
"Our guests and their babies receive 24/7 care and are supported by a full team of trained nurses, lactation consultants, doctors, nutritionist, wellness therapists, and experienced chefs, something that goes beyond what a single confinement nanny can provide."
As for Ladies Paradise, co-founder Mavis Law said that her centre also offers yoga classes and courses, which are meant to keep the mother's mind occupied during the confinement.
Minka Postpartum Care's two tiers of rooms, the 339 sq ft Diamond room (left), and the 239 sq ft Sapphire room (right). (Photos: Dennis Terng)
INTERRUPTION IN POSTNATAL CARE
As for whether such cross-border arrangements were ideal, postnatal experts said rest, nutrition, emotional and medical support were essential to the confinement period, and travelling long distances might impede these.
"The primary objective of good postpartum care is recovery from the process of childbirth," Dr Jason Lim Shau Khng, head and senior consultant from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Singapore General Hospital said in an email interview.
Care for the mother encompasses her diet, mobility, wound recuperation, pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation and mental health among others, he said.
National University Hospital's (NUH) Associate Professor Su Lin Lin said continued care was especially important for mothers who underwent caesarean deliveries, had significant blood loss, or pre-existing medical conditions.
"Hence, if one chooses to spend this period in centres outside of Singapore, it is important to ensure that one can access prompt medical help or postnatal follow-up if complications such as wound infections, breastfeeding issues or mood changes arise," added the head and senior consultant of the division of maternal fetal medicine under NUH's Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital's (KKH) Dr Angeline Chua pointed out that postnatal checkups varied based on the mother's delivery method and mother-and-child's health statuses.
Mothers who deliver vaginally typically have reviews at six weeks after birth, while those with caesarean deliveries are usually seen earlier for wound assessment and recovery monitoring, Dr Chua, a consultant from KKH's Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said.
Ms Toh, the first-time mother, returned to Singapore twice during her confinement in JB for follow-ups even though there were hospitals close to her centre.
She said she preferred doctors who were familiar with her case and wanted a "proper record" in Singapore's medical system.
Other mothers felt that the Johor hospitals, such as Gleneagles Hospital Medini Johor and Columbia Asia Hospital Tebrau, would suffice in the case of emergencies.
Ms Ng in Cheong Dam pointed out that Gleneagles was less than 10 minutes drive away, and her infant's jaundice level was monitored daily by staff.
Ms Lee had her baby checked for jaundice at the clinic next to Minka. The clinic also referred her to Gleneagles for pain in her abdomen.
Confinement centres usually have a team of doctors and nurses for basic care and common conditions, such as breast engorgement, and can direct mothers to hospitals or clinics for treatment.
KKH's Dr Chua said mothers should also consider the emotional demands of travelling with a newborn while managing feeding, bonding and travel logistics.
"Having support from family or friends is valuable but this may not be possible when they are away in another country," she said.
She stressed that newborns should use a proper infant car seat, and not for more than half an hour. They should also be supervised by an adult.
LYC Mother & Child Centre's nursery (left) and hair salon (right) at its postpartum centre in Johor Bahru. (Photos: LYC Mother & Child Centre)
ADJUSTING TO POST-CONFINEMENT LIFE
While the mothers CNA spoke to had considered these possible medical risks, what mattered to them was that the centres were also able to help inexperienced parents adjust to a new life with the baby after leaving the support of the centre.
To this end, the confinement centres said mothers are encouraged to interact with their newborns. Minka and Amazing Postnatal Care said mothers spend between one and two hours with their babies when baby rooms are undergoing disinfection.
While at Minka Postpartum Care, Ms Stella Lee and her husband went through various courses, including how to bathe your baby (left), after which they practised with their daughter in Ms Lee's room (right). (Photo: Stella Lee)
"They learn how to be with baby so that its smoother in the future. In the past, when we didn't used to do this, mothers were very relaxed when they stayed at the centre and see their babies for 15 to 20 minutes. When the baby cried, they will pass them back to the nanny.
“But 30 days, or 28 days later, when they go home, they panic," Minka's founder Dennis Terng said.
At Cheong Dam, Dr Shin said that mothers get to spend more time with their babies towards the end of the confinement.
"So at the night time, before they sleep, we encourage them to stay together, and our many nurses stay together and teach them (how to handle their baby)," said Dr Shin.
Confinement centres also offer courses on baby care, including how to shower infants and differentiate their cries.
Some centres also provide post-confinement care to their clients even after they return to Singapore.
Customers who sign packages with Minka, are "accompanied for 1,000 days", meaning that the centre continues to help them by offering advice or additional nanny services when they return home, Mr Terng said.
Ms Lee, the first-time mother, said she and her husband "tried to learn as much as (they) could" around 10 days before they left Minka.
While at home, she could still text a nanny for help.
"Overall, the transition was quite smooth and we managed to cope quite well," she said.
Continue reading...