Say “confinement nanny” and what springs to mind is a kindly Chinese-speaking auntie who pops over from Malaysia to care for a new mother and her newborn for the first month.

It is an Asian tradition for mums to hire such nannies to help out during those sleepless, confusing first weeks, on top of any other help, such as hovering mothers-in-law and regular maids.

But get set for that “auntie” image to change.

This month, the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and the Women’s Initiative for Ageing Successfully jointly introduced their first confinement nanny programme to train more Singaporeans – a sign that the job of tending babies is growing up.

Indeed, LifeStyle found a handful of confinement nannies who are upgrading themselves to meet new needs of busy professional mums these days.

Meet confinement nanny Madam Ee, or Aunty Carrie, as grateful clients call her.

She is a walking encyclopaedia of infant and mothercare, as well as being tech-savvy and a fluent English speaker.

She charges $1,800 for 28 days working from 9am to 6pm.

The 58-year-old mother of two advertises her services on the Internet and responds to inquiries via e-mails before meeting potential clients.

She says the Internet allows her to “reach out to English-speaking couples and expatriates”.

One of her clients, 32-year-old bank officer Sky Tan, says: “Carrie’s ability to converse in English is a plus.

When I first met her, she did not look like a confinement auntie. She is modern and well-groomed.

“I picked her as some agencies charge at least $2,000 for an experienced day-nanny.”

Day-care confinement rates range from $1,300 to $2,200 for 28 days, and from $1,500 for a live-in nanny.

Just how much these modern-day confinement nannies are in demand can be seen by their bookings.

Madam Ee, for example, takes up to seven assignments a year, although ideally she would like a four to six-week break between jobs.

In the last two years, agencies that offer confinement services have seen more demand for English-speaking nannies, especially from the expatriate community.

Mums wanting such nannies include Japanese, Koreans, Indians, Europeans and Indonesians.

PEM Confinement Nanny Agency sees up to two such bookings a month now, compared to only two bookings over several months, before that.

The two-year-old Confinement Nanny agency has had three monthly bookings this year, compared to just two bookings in several months for last year, says manager Josephine Tan.

Indian expatriate Monali Gaikwad, 32, a manager, hired an English-speaking nanny this year to care for her newborn.

The mother of two, who has lived in Singapore for eight years, recalls: “I learnt about the role of a confinement nanny through local friends. But five agencies I contacted said they did not have a Chinese nanny who spoke English.”

But those who can converse in English do not earn a premium, although the demand for them is growing.

And experienced nannies are sought after by repeat customers.

Those like Madam May Ping, 50, who has more than a decade’s experience, sees up to eight clients a year.

Designer Sally Leong, 41, re-hired the Malaccaborn nanny this month to care for her week-old daughter.

She says: “May Ping is good at what she does. She cared for my second child and I am comfortable with her.”

On the downside, nannies are away from their own families and sometimes have to put up with demanding clients.

Nanny Diana Ong, 50, recalls: “Some babies prefer to sleep on their tummy but the mothers don’t like it.

Others insist that I feed the baby at special times even if it means waking it up from sleep.”

Madam Ee, who has been a nanny for more than four years, adds: “There are times when the mother doesn’t heed my advice and listens to her in-laws instead.”

But the job has its rewards.

Nannies usually receive red packets, ranging from $50 to $200 each, at the end of every assignment – on top of their monthly fees.

Madam Ee fondly recalls: “Sometimes, I get emotionally attached to the babies and I find it hard to say goodbye. But seeing the mother and baby doing well also gives me a sense of satisfaction.”

caravm@sph.com.sg

This article was first published in The Straits Times.