Welcoming a newborn to your family is such a wonderful feeling and the arrival of a baby is a blessing for every parent. When taking care of an infant, parents need to ensure that they have the best support system in place to give the newborn the best care and attention he or she needs. In this article, we will discuss some aspects of hiring a maid for the care of a newborn and I will also be sharing some tips on what the maid needs to know before caring for a newborn baby.
“I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle.” —Vincent Van Gogh
Whilst it is all exciting welcoming a newborn into your household, it can also be a source of anxiety especially if you plan to return to work after maternity leave. New parents usually find it extremely difficult to strike a balance between work life and taking care of a newborn. Therefore, planning is very important before the arrival of your child. Some might arrange for their parents or in-laws to help look after the baby but not all parents or in-laws are able or available to take up the task. This leaves two other options, to seek external support from foreign domestic workers or send the baby to an infant care center. Many families in Singapore, especially when both husband and wife are working, choose to hire a domestic helper to take care of their newborn and help out with household chores.
When hiring a maid to look after a newborn, a maid with similar work experience is preferred. A newborn baby needs extra care and gentleness when handling. A maid with relevant infant care or child care knowledge will give you peace of mind knowing that your newborn is receiving the best care at home. Look for a maid who has undergone infant care or child care training, this is helpful to ensure that the maid has the necessary skills to help take care of your newborn baby. In addition, employers can enroll their maids in some basic infant care education and first-aid courses too.
Choosing the right maid to look after your newborn is not an easy task and it’s not to be taken lightly. When selecting the perfect helper, always look for a reputable maid agency. A trusted maid agency in Singapore will match your requirements and recommend potential maids with infant care or childcare experience for your family. At Hire A Maid, we match skilled domestic helpers for our customers ensuring they get the help they need 24/7.
Newborn Care Tips
One of the main concerns with hiring a maid to look after a newborn is trust. Start the hiring process by writing down your priorities and needs. Arrange to have interviews with the maids, this will ensure that she is trustworthy and that she possesses the right qualities such as a love for babies, a caring personality, and previous experience in newborn care. As putting your trust in a maid might not be easily achieved, you can try to reduce the stress by hiring a maid a few months before the arrival of your newborn. This will ensure that the maid knows what is expected of her and how to best fit into your household routines and needs.
Below are some basic newborn care tips.
Infant Care Experience: Maids with previous experience in infant care are preferred. This will allow employers to dedicate specific tasks and instructions for the maid in a fast and efficient manner as compared to an amateur. Having previous experience in handling a newborn is crucial as newborn babies’ bones are very soft and need to be very gentle when carrying them. Maids that have infant care experience will know how to carry a baby properly, swaddle the baby, bathe the newborn, keep track of feeding time, change diapers, and other basic newborn care needs. Preparing the maid in advance before the arrival of your baby will greatly reduce the stress level and allow the mother to have a good rest after the delivery.
An Attentive Mind: Your maid should be attentive to newborn needs such as feeding time and bath time. Prepare the milk for the newborn on time and ensure the temperature of the milk is not too hot or too cold. Giving milk that is too hot will hurt the baby’s mouth and if milk is too cold, it might cause the newborn to have a tummy upset. Burping the newborn after each feed requires some patience and skills. It is important to burp the newborn after each feeding so that the baby can sleep well, without having trapped air which can cause discomfort.
Hygiene Rules: Remind the maid to practice good hygiene like washing her hands with soap before feeding the baby and after changing diapers. Newborn babies have very low immunity and are very skeptical of illnesses, this is why practicing good hygiene is so important. Make sure that the surfaces are sanitized and baby’s bottles are sterilized before use. Clean the house regularly to eliminate dust particles that might cause allergies in newborns. A clean home is your first defense against all kinds of baby illnesses. It is also essential that the maid maintains good personal hygiene.
Patience And Gentle: It is important to remind your maid that caring for a newborn can be challenging and tiring. Encourage her to take a rest when the baby is sleeping. Employers can write down on a sheet of paper the routines for the maid to follow daily to help her prioritize her duties. A trustworthy maid will make the newborn feel safe and comfortable. Allow your maid to develop her confidence to look after the baby on her own. Your maid should be able to communicate with you honestly about how her day went with the newborn. Communication is key!
Emergency/First-Aid: Enroll your maid in a first-aid course in infant care and baby CPR. Who should your maid call in case of an emergency? Remember to write down your contact number in a convenient and visible location. Train your maid to look out for signs that the baby is unwell. Your maid should know how to get to the nearest hospital in case of an emergency or call for an ambulance.
Indeed, hiring a maid greatly helps new parents manage the demands of family, career, and personal pursuits. Welcoming a new little member to your household can be both exciting and daunting at the same time. Without the help of family and friends, many Singaporean couples rely on foreign domestic workers to provide infant care for their newborns. A newborn baby needs extra care and attention. It is recommended that employers choose maids that have similar working experience. This round-the-clock care without the steep fees does require some planning. Hiring a maid from a trusted maid agency in Singapore can alleviate some of this stress.
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