Confinement and newborn care helpers in Singapore

Help for the first weeks with your baby

The weeks after birth are tiring for every family. Whether you are looking for a confinement nanny in Singapore or a live-in helper who can stay on after confinement, Femme5 can match you with helpers experienced in caring for newborns and supporting new mothers at home. As a licensed agency (MOM licence 19C9763), we work like a confinement nanny agency but also cover the months after confinement, so you are not starting a new search when the first month ends.

What newborn and confinement support covers

• Bathing, changing and settling the baby
• Sterilising bottles and preparing feeds
• Night-time help so parents can rest
• Preparing nourishing meals for the mother
• Laundry for the baby and the household
• Keeping the home clean and calm

A helper supports you at home, but she is not a nurse, midwife or doctor. Questions about feeding, jaundice, fever or the mother’s recovery should go to your doctor or the hospital where you delivered. In an emergency, call 995.

Confinement nanny or long-term helper?

A confinement nanny usually stays for the first month after birth. A live-in helper with newborn experience can support you through confinement and then stay on to help as your baby grows. Tell us which you need and we will advise on the options and timing.

Things to weigh up

• How long you need help. If you only want support for the first month, a short arrangement may be enough. If you are going back to work, or want help with a toddler later, a live-in helper avoids a second search.
• Who else is at home. Grandparents who help in the day, older children and the size of your flat all change how much help you need.
• Night duties. Decide early who does night feeds and how the helper will still get proper rest. A tired helper is no help to a tired family.
• Extra hands for the house. Some families add our part-time help on top. Normal cleaning is $25 an hour on weekdays and $30 on weekends, and home cooking is $30 or $35 an hour with a 3-hour minimum.

Read more: how to hire a maid for newborn care and nanny or babysitter for your newborn.

How hiring a newborn helper works

A live-in helper is hired on a Work Permit for a migrant domestic worker, so the same Ministry of Manpower (MOM) steps apply as for any full-time helper.

1. Tell us about your family. Your due date, who lives at home, the languages you speak and the help you want before and after the birth.
2. Review profiles and interview. We screen every candidate through her certificates, an interview and a skills test before we put her forward. We share helper profiles on request (see our maids). Ask each candidate about babies she has cared for and how she handles night feeds and a crying baby.
3. Attend the Employers’ Orientation Programme (EOP) if you are a first-time employer. It must be completed at least 2 working days before the Work Permit application. The online EOP takes 2 hours and costs $29 to $36. An expectant mother due within 1 month may send a representative instead. See MOM’s EOP page.
4. Apply for the Work Permit. The application fee and issuance fee are $35 each, and processing takes about 1 week online. You will also need a $5,000 security bond, medical insurance with an annual claim limit of at least $60,000 and personal accident insurance of at least $60,000. See MOM’s insurance requirements.
5. Arrival, medical and Settling-in Programme. She must pass a medical examination within 2 weeks of arrival. A first-time helper must also attend the 1-day Settling-in Programme within 7 days of arrival (excluding Sundays and public holidays) and can only start work after it.

If you are short of time, a transfer maid who is already working in Singapore is another option. A transfer needs her current employer’s consent, and her Work Permit must be valid for more than 30 days.

Plan early

Hiring a helper takes time, from shortlisting and interviews to the work permit and her arrival. Start talking to us in your second trimester so your helper can settle in before the baby arrives.

A helper who arrives a few weeks before the due date can learn your home, your cooking and your routines while things are still quiet. That is far easier than teaching her in the week you come home from hospital.

What it costs, and the levy for your baby

Ongoing costs include her salary, food and accommodation, insurance and the monthly levy. MOM sets no minimum salary; you pay the salary declared in the Work Permit application, no later than 7 days after the end of each salary period. Our maid agency packages page lists our fees for each nationality.

The normal levy is $300 a month for your first helper. Once your baby is born, a Singapore citizen child below 16 qualifies you for the concessionary levy of $60 a month. If you are the parent, the concession runs from the child’s birth and is applied automatically, usually showing in your next 2 levy bills with the difference backdated. If a grandparent or another relative is the employer, the concession runs from the date they add the child as a household member in FDW eService. Check the details on MOM’s levy concession page or in our maid levy guide.

MOM rules to keep in mind during confinement

• Rest days. Your helper is entitled to 1 rest day a week. At least 1 rest day each month cannot be replaced with pay. If she agrees to work on her other rest days, pay her at least 1 day’s salary (monthly salary divided by 26) for each one. Plan cover for her day off before the baby arrives. See MOM’s rest day rules.
• Accommodation. She needs adequate space and privacy, a mattress, pillow and blanket, and must not share a room with a male adult or teenager. If she sleeps in the nursery for night feeds, it still has to meet these standards. Tell her where any cameras are; none may be placed where she sleeps, changes or bathes. See MOM’s accommodation guidelines.
• Where she works. She may only work at the address declared to MOM. If you plan to spend confinement at your parents’ home, she can look after your child there only if you notify MOM first and have her written agreement.

Preparing for her first weeks

• Write down the baby’s routine, the mother’s dietary needs and any foods to avoid.
• Show her how you want bottles sterilised and stored, and where the baby’s things are kept.
• Keep the hospital, clinic and 995 numbers somewhere she can see them.
• Agree on how she should reach you when you are resting or out.
• Expect a settling-in period. Our guide to building trust in the first 30 days has practical ideas.

Clear instructions and a calm first fortnight help most helpers become confident with a newborn quickly, and they make the confinement month easier for everyone at home.

Frequently asked questions