Once we get over the excitement of knowing a baby is on the way, we have to come down to earth and start making preparations for baby’s arrival. Most of us will have a checklist of to do things such as shopping for baby’s essentials etc. I think that one of the most important aspects of preparation is deciding who is going to look after your newborn baby. What are your options?

Looking after your baby yourself

Some questions you and your husband may have to consider
• Can you make do with one income?
• Can you work part time or work from home?
• Do you have the mindset to spend 24 hours a day with your baby?
• If this is your first baby, do you have any support with caring for your baby? This includes physical, emotional and psychological support as it is not always easy looking after a newborn baby.

If you answer yes to all the questions above than you will make a good stay at home mum. If you cannot answer yes to all the questions or after a few months of staying at home with your baby, you decide that you want to go back to work, than you will have to consider other child care options for your baby. The options for child care facilities are slightly different in Asian countries compared to Western societies

Sending baby to grandma

This may be ideal if grandma lives nearby. However many grandmas live in another town or state which means that you will only get to see your baby once a week at weekends or an even longer period if the distance is too far. I have seen many cases where the baby does not know his parents at age 1 year. If grandma is a bit elderly she may not know how to properly stimulate your baby and there is also the possibility that grandma will spoil your baby. I have children who come to my centre after spending months with grand parents who carry them all day long that they do not know how to sit or crawl at the age of 10 months. They are very clinging and refuse to be left alone except when they are sleeping. If your parents are looking after your baby do make sure that you encourage them to allow your baby to learn normal developmental activities like rolling over, crawling and exploring their environment.

Having a care giver in your home

For many parents this arrangement is very appealing as your baby will be in familiar and comfortable surroundings. You do not have to spend time sending and collecting your baby from an outside caretaker. Your baby gets one on one care and would be exposed to fewer people and germs. Your care giver may do some light housework while your baby naps which would allow you to spend quality time with your baby when you come home. In the past, it was easy to get a local mature lady to live-in as amahs but nowadays it is getting more and more difficult to do this and it is quite expensive to employ local amahs or nannies. Nowadays, many parents in Malaysia and Singapore employ foreign maids to care for their baby. I have a suspicious nature when it comes to leaving newborn babies with foreign maids who may decide to run away leaving your baby at home alone, or worse, taking your baby with her. In addition, most foreign maids do not have any experience in looking after a newborn baby. Do remember that the first 2 years of your baby’s life is eventful as he will be more prone to fever associated with immunizations, teething etc. This is also a time when he is learning a lot and if the maid cannot provide the right stimulation your baby’s development will be slightly slower.