Do we really need a CL?
Benefits of having a CL (confinement lady) during confinement
- someone to manage the household
- gets hot steamy home cooked confinement food
- I get to “order” food that I want to eat
- someone expert to manage the baby
- mummy gets to sleep and rest better
- bath water well prepared
- laze around on my home theater seating
I am lucky that both my CL (confinement lady) from my first and previous pregnancy are good. Both of them eat only very little, mainly only vegetable and most importantly, they are very expert and gentle with my babies.
But one thing about having CL during confinement which I guess most mummies would agree with me.
“There is someone there to watch over me if I am feeding the babies well”
Although they mean well, the truth is that I feel the pressure when CL starts to question me my if babies are full if they still crying after feeding, asking me if still got milk to feed them, ask me if she should make some milk for them. Sometimes it just confuse me if I am producing enough. I admit, I have lost all confidence in breastfeeding this round as my sons cry non stop, each time after I feed them.
After the CL left, our routine now gets better. I somehow feel the whole environment more peaceful. At least I am in control in feeding, and how much I need to top up with formula.
If only I have another baby again (I think only yeah…), I will probably do my confinement without hiring a CL (providing it is not another TWINS pregnancy again).
What about mummies out there? Do you prefer a CL or without one?
I had a lousy CL for the 1st 3 weeks of my confinement. She cook western food, went out to buy MSG to add in her cooking, and hold & shake my son to sleep….Then we change another CL. She was wonderful, I wish I had her since the beginning. Though with bad experience, I still feel CL is important….If I got pregnant again..sure I will get a CL.
Hi Chinnee, I do agreed that CL will interupt our breastfeeding process! But, with their help, we have time to rest too. So, there is pro and con.
if i got pregnant wif no.3 (i think oni arrhh) i will definitely get CL, my first CL was very good, she very good in taking care of my baby, cooked good food till i gained xtra pounds and clean my house whereas the 2nd one very lousy.
hmmm. my MIL & her maid was my CL ladies. it was ok ler. no complaints.
maybe a CL would give gr8 help lor in my opinion. like wat Alice said, ada baik ada buruk.
yeah yeah they check whether we have enuff or not and so on,. But then they only meant well, that’s how we look at things +ve way la.
i didnt’ have a CL. My mum and MIL were around. Also a lot of pressure because there were a lot of suggestions and comments. sigh…..the mothers meant well but it has been many years since they took care of any babies so their styles are a bit different.
So fast think of another baby liao ah?
Anyway, I’m the lucky one. I got my mum to be my CL. No pressure, someone to chat with and give me full support. Where to get wor!
so fast u think of another pregnancy?
i don like to hire CL and i just hate to live in with stranger.
Me either..prefer not to have CL especially my hubby. Not used to having a stranger at home. Lucky for me that my aunty helped me during my 2nd baby.
I have never hired a CL..so i dont’ know how it feels. But, that being said… with or without CL, there will still be some “aunties” who will alayaws ask if u hv enuff milk.. coz babies always cry somehow, after a feed….blearghhhhhhhh!
CL is a nuesence but sometimes also may help.
I think if your older child is young, you’ll probably need a CL for 2nd child. I didn’t have for my 1st, but had for 2nd, bc’so I didn’t want to spend too much time doing things for the baby, and ignore the older child (who is not that old to understand what’s happening)
I think most old fashioned CL don’t really support BF. But then, I’m just speaking from what I observed la, coz my mum and MIL cooked for me, no need to get a CL. If you do not have anyone cooking for you and no maids around, I guess it’s a good thing to have a CL to help out so that you can rest more.
I love the cooking from both my CL and of coz the double boiled chicken soup every night…yummy!
Lucky for me, I had my mum to be my CL when I gave birth to Shern.
i never had CL, and never will. my mom took care of me; only the cooking and bathing baby. the rest is mine, never get to rest during confinement. baby is mine day and night. when i read about those having CL, i so envy!
It’s always good to have someone there who knows the ropes inside out, don’t you think?
my CL is my MIL, but only do cooking and bathing. So the baby solely under my care, lucky I have my hub to help me feeding sometimes.
My MIL was my CL, she cooked for me only. I took care and bathed the baby during confinement and like what Miche said, ‘Never get to rest during confinement’. How I wish I have someone(my mum/CL) to take care of me and my baby!
Luckily both my CLs were quite alright (tho I won’t recommend to others). If wanna complain, sure got lots to complain. But as long as she’s good with bb, we just close 1 eye. I’ll def want a CL, the advs outweigh the disadvs, unless she’s a real pain in the *ss n good for nothing lor.
for me, if u engaged a good cl, i think its good.
for me, i was fortunate as my cl was good. and my family n friends who visited me, they also commented on the food the cl make to me rejuvenate again. the cl is there to assist us.
I prefer to have a CL la..hehe…pros more than cons
After my second confinement, I feel like to have it one more time….he he.
It’s a very relaxing confinement with a CL around. Maybe my CL is very
experience until I enjoyed so much as compare to my first confinement which
my MIL took care of me. My advise, never save cost to have a good CL.
Your health is more important.
My husband was my confinement man for both my babies. Haha. It was tough but worth it because he knows how hard it is having to deal with it first hand and he has a close bond with the kids as a result. We knew nuts about babies the first time and did a lot of reading and checked the internet regularly. We opened up two whole files just for baby articles. Haha. For food, we just catered special confinement food.
for me, i’ll surely get one just so that mumy won’t be so restless……only 1 month wat, blink blink already pass….
plus good confinement food is important during that 1st month !!
Previously MIL help me out during confinement. I take care my bb day n nite. Although it’s hard for me to take rest and nap but things still going fine with her help. If next confinement I would order confinement catering food so MIL has less hassel to think what to cook for me.
It’s also luck to get a good or bad CL … and also prons and cons. if i were preg 2nd bb, i will get a CL . so i can rest more and also hv time with the 1st child not all 100% to the 2nd bb.. so i still think CL is needed. Unless MIL was there full time helping.
Hi CN,
From my experience as a mother of 4 , and a modern mum, I dont really nid a CL. All I need is a cook who can cook basic confinement food for me. Anyway if you are a lactating mum, u r suppose to be eating all kinds of food to get enough nutrients for breastfeeding. As long as u abstain from allergens like peanuts, certain fish like sardin or kembung and all those that ur M.I.L or CL would prohibit I think you should be OK. I had my CL after my 1st delivery because I wasnt sure I could cope. Later I see that she was quite free besides cooking coz bbs were with me breastfeeding most of the time and she got to sleep because I didnt want formula for the twins. For my 2 and 3rd delivery, ,my maid cooked for me. I ate almost anything except those prohibited. I’m fine and able to regain my ideal figure faster.
BTW I bathed the babies myself..mother bb bonding!
Tell me bout it Chinnee, I shares your feeling because I wan exactly going through the same.
When I b/f Dillon last time, CL/MIL will be like that loh, keep asking (esp MIL), and depress me some more by saying that my milk is not enough for him etc etc….
Learning from that experience, when I b/f Kaith then I just go into the room & lock the door, hahahah
Hey when shall we meet up again ya? No more vinegar pork trotters for me already I guess?
i definitely prefer to have 1 haha..but must be a good one. i agree they always worry baby not fed enough. U know what i did…i just hid my formula milk hahaha…i told her tarak, so got no choice feed BM oni LOL…and cause i started pumping early, so got stock for Vyktore, so after 2 wks she never bising me bout not enugh milk LOL. in fact after 2 yrs now when i told her i bf till 1yr old, she was vy impressed
if i would need to have a good rest, then hiring CL is the best way. Else, i will never think of CL.
having a CL is always better!! she did help mummy A LOT. she’ll do all the cooking, cleaning/washing, n bathing the babies!
juz that the one thing of my CL is… she ask me to stop bf as i got no milk supply!! argh!!!
Having a good CL is excellent, having a lou yah one really drive you up the wall!!!