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THE GUIDE TO HIRING A FREELANCE CONFINEMENT NANNY

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Based on our interviews with Mummies after their confinement, almost 60% of them wish they had done a proper interview before making a down payment.
Some common complaints include:
Passing the job to another Nanny; last-minute changes & cancellation; additional charges after confirmation; refusal to refund the down payment; bad manners; over-demanding; refusing certain tasks on the job; poor hygiene; and endangering the baby.

There have also been recent reports of scams, whereby someone posing as a freelance confinement Nanny takes the down payment and disappears.
To prevent these problems from happening to new Mummies over and over again, we did extensive research and came up with this guide.

1. UNDERSTAND WORK PERMIT REQUIREMENTS (FOR MUMMIES IN SINGAPORE)

Malaysian Nannies require a visa to work in Singapore. Refer to The Step-by-step Guide on how to apply for a Work Permit for your Confinement Nanny in Singapore.

2. SHORTLIST INTERVIEW CANDIDATES

Determine the Nannies you wish to interview. If you made a job post on Facebook, a lot of Nannies available during your Expected Date of Delivery (EDD) usually respond, so it will be difficult to conduct a proper interview with each of them. This is when you filter out all those who do not meet your key criteria. Key criteria include:

2.1. Nanny’s Availability

Simply being available during your EDD is not enough. You want to be sure that the Nanny you choose has enough free days before the start date of your job. This is to avoid cases of no-show or the job being transferred to an unknown Nanny if your delivery is earlier than expected.

2.2. Your Budget

You need to be comfortable with the Nanny’s salary for the number of days you want to secure her services. The freelance community is packed with experienced confinement Nannies so there is usually enough of them who will meet your budget.

2.3. Meal Preferences

Do you have specific meal preferences such as vegan meals; halal meals; traditional Malay, Chinese, or Indian confinement dishes; or western dishes? If your answer is yes, then you need to consider only Nannies who know how to prepare your type of meals.

2.4. Spoken Language

Communication is key to successful confinement. You should only hire a Nanny who can communicate fluently in the language(s) of your choice.

2.5. Sleeping Arrangement

Some Nannies require a separate room for themselves and the baby to sleep, while others are fine with sleeping in the same room as the Mummy. Therefore, you can only hire a Nanny who you have enough room to accommodate.
We have created an easier way for you to filter out Nannies, which is by asking them to create an account on MummyNanny. With MummyNanny, you can select your key criteria from a list and only the qualified Nannies will be displayed. You can also view each Nanny’s calendar to decide if they have enough free time before your EDD. The platform is free for everyone to join so a Nanny who refuses to create an account upon your request might not be authentic.

3. FORMULATE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Make a list of interview questions to determine whether a Nanny is suitable for your confinement. Here are some points we suggest you consider when formulating interview questions:

3.1. Job Scope

You need to know the things each Nanny does and the things that are out of their job scope. Ensure their job scopes are clearly stated to avoid conflicts in the future.

3.2. Salary and Additional Fees

It is important to take note of the payment process of each Nanny. The salary is usually split into 2 parts — the Down Payment and the Remaining Salary. You need to know the exact day each part of the salary will be paid. Some additional charges may come in form of ang pows, postnatal massage fees, staircase fees, house chore fees, extra cooking fees (e.g., cooking for the entire family), health insurance, etc. Therefore, it is also important to have a clear payment agreement so that you will not find yourself being charged unexpected fees in the future. For this, we suggest you ask the Nanny to provide a list of all her additional charges.

3.3. Working Hours

It is also important to know each Nanny’s working hours and when they need to take their rest. Know the exact time and duration of their rest hours and try not to disturb them during this period so that they have enough energy to take care of your newborn for the remainder of the day.

3.4. Hygiene

Some Nannies do not consider house chores as part of their job, so confirm what they do to keep the environment clean (e.g., cleaning after cooking). Their environmental and personal hygiene must meet your expectation so that you will not have problems with how she manages your house or handles the baby.

3.5. Baby Care Knowledge

Every Nanny takes care of babies differently, so find a way to access their level of experience and knowledge about baby care.

3.6. Mummy Care Knowledge

Confinement is a period for the Mummy to recover from delivery after all. Hence, you need to understand how each Nanny plans to take care of you and determine whether it is up to your expectation.

3.7. Emergency Situation (first-aid)

It is crucial to understand each Nanny’s procedure in case of any emergency. Find out how each Nanny will respond in case an unfortunate situation occurs.

3.8. Confinement Items

Ask each Nanny about the items that need to be purchased for your confinement. This could include the type of herbs, ingredients, house furniture, and home appliances or utensils. Try to make a list of the required items so that you do not over-purchase.

3.9. Privacy Concerns

Clarify what you do not want the Nanny to do or share with friends, colleagues, or others to protect you and your family’s privacy. For example, you may want to approve the photos she can share, or you may not want her inviting friends over.

3.10. Personality Match

Mummies tend to be emotionally sensitive after delivery. To avoid disputes that may lead to episodes of high blood pressure and depression, try to determine each Nanny's personality to see if you can work with them during your confinement. A video call can give you more hints regarding your personality match.

3.11. Visa (for Mummies in Singapore)

For Malaysian Nannies, ask each of them about their visa situation so that you know when to start the visa application process.

4. INTERVIEW NANNIES

Ask them the questions you formulated and take note of what you have agreed on because this will become the Terms of Service for the job.

5. MAKE DOWN PAYMENT

Ensure the selected Nanny agrees to abide by the Terms of Service before you make the down payment.
Unfortunately, since the freelance community is open and lacking regulations, two things you cannot be sure of are getting a refund and receiving a professional service. Our solution to this is making the Nanny’s down payment through MummyNanny. This way, you can always get a refund because the Nanny will get the payment only after you confirm that she has arrived at your home. A portfolio will also be created for you and the Nanny so you are likely to receive a more professional service since you will publicly evaluate her performance after the job is complete.

6. STAY IN TOUCH

Stay in touch with the Nanny and keep her updated on your progress so that she knows when to arrive at your home.
If you made the down payment through MummyNanny, you should evaluate her performance in the job portfolio and publish it after the confinement period. Take note that the Nanny can only see your evaluation after you publish the portfolio, so we encourage you to be as honest as possible. By taking part in this process, you will be doing future Mummies a lot of good and playing a very important role in advancing the freelance confinement community.
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