Confinement Nanny Part 1

Last evening, my confinement maid called to inform me that her husband is hospitalized due to a sudden stroke.  Which means she can’t help me out for the whole month of confinement after Ruth’s birth.  I’ve to get someone else and she has a contact who is available to fill her gap.

I was overwhelmed with a sense of panic at that very instant and my heart-rate went up.  Ruth must have sensed my emotions as she was also very restless for quite a while. 

Then the word “Blessed” came to mind.  Lynette was just sharing with me yesterday afternoon that the word came to her when thinking about me.  God must have known all my struggles dealing with the unknown and the unexpected and is training me to trust Him.  Trust Him to give me a good and healthy baby; that He will give me a good domestic helper (which He did hand-pick one, nothing but the best); to take care of our family finance and physical health; and now even the selection of the confinement maid.

I had all along engaged a confinement nanny after my children’s birth.  And my encounters were interesting.  The first one was not my choice, she took over her mother’s task since her mum was old and ill.  But she was reluctant to come and was trying to recommend someone else at the eleventh hour.  But because I insisted, she relented and came over, from Malaysia.

On her first week of work, I found out that her only daughter was caught amd imprisoned some weeks ago with her boy-friend while he carried drugs in his car, here in Singapore.  This poor mother was worried sick and yet she had to perform her duties in my household.  She was very responsible for her tasks, from caring for Rachel and me to marketing to cooking and cleaning the house.  She was orderly and routine, very efficient and clean.  During the month when she was here, the court was hearing the daughter’s case and visitations were allowed.  So she asked for permission to attend those hearings and visitations.  What I liked about her is that she would take care of everything before she went out, such as bathed and dressed Rachel, cooked my meals and all other necessary chores so I won’t have to worry about them during the few hours she was away. 

The only complaint I have about her is that she doesn’t support total breastfeeding, which was a little discouraging for a first time mother, because she always felt that my milk supply was not enough and needed to add supplements and water.  But from her I learned that babies can be fed a little water in between by the teaspoon (since I don’t want to use milk bottles), just to let them get use to the taste of water.  My children drink lots of plain water by the cupfuls, other than milk, since weaning time, to the envy of many mothers.

What stressed me most was that my mother didn’t like this confinement lady, not only because she had to attend to personal matters, but most of all she did not subscribe to my mom’s way of doing things or cooking.  So mom complained to me daily about her, whether over the phone or in my house.  Everything the lady did just didn’t go down well with her.  The only same ground they shared was on the breastfeeding issue, which brought great distress to me.

But my heart went out towards this mother in distress because of her wilful daughter, and I gave her the freedom to go out as often as she needed to.  I don’t know what was the outcome of her daughter’s trial, but I know deep within this lady’s heart she was grateful for my understanding and she actually made an extra visit here some months after the confinement, something she would never have done in the past, bringing titbits for our family as a token of appreciation.

I believe that was a divine encounter.  Wish I remember where I have kept her contact….