Confinement Lady Woes

Don't mean to condemn all the Confinement Ladies (CLs) out there but I truly had bad experience with them this very first time. Call them hoax or liars, if they really had the 20 to 30 years of relevant working experience, why do we still face problems with them? Shouldn't they be some experts right now and know every tiny whiny details about baby and confinement by juz a snap of the fingers?

I have 101 reasons why these CLs are such a pain in the ass and why we shouldn't be hiring them:
1. The original CL I've hired was booked 6 months in advance with the recommendation of a gf. Although reminder calls were given to her on my assignment, she still agreed to take up 1 assignment prior to mine, which was only 2 weeks apart from my edd. Shouldn't they know that we don't pop on the exact day of our edd? So as expected, I popped 11 days earlier and she couldn't make it to S'pore on time cos' she couldn't clear the Singapore customs. She then referred this agency to me who turned out to be a total nightmare!

2. The agency got me this CL. She didn't quite really make it on the first impression, but I told myself not to stereotype. One the first day of work, she demanded my parents to buy this, buy that and commented that my kitchen is not well furnished. Subsequently she made a whole mess of my kitchen, staining my stove, spoiling my kitchen top, dirty my common toilet, everywhere was like a war zone and I was totally stressed up with her working style!

3. Not only was that CL messy, she was also unhygenic. I looked in horror when she was washing my cup with detergent in the basin where she placed a piece of raw pork thawing there! I told her off that she shouldn't do that, but she replied that she will wash the meat again before she cooks. WTF?!?

4. Besides about cooking and washing, she didn't handle my boy well too. Garreth boy was developing heat rashes around the neck for a couple of days already and all she did was to apply the DIAPER rash cream on his neck and keep proclaiming that the cream do magic and the rashes will be gone soon! They never did and there were more instead, so much so that the rashes started to spread to the bottom of his head too!

5. She was argumentative too. Told her to cook with care (cos' she has burnt all the whatever pots and pans I have in the cupboard!) but she insisted that cooking is like that, the stove will more or less be stained. I know it will be stained, but the problem was she doesn't bother to wipe clean, leaving all the oil spurts and food stains overnight. Usually I was the one who sneaked out of the bedroom to clean up her mess and got nagged by Hubby Goh instead.

6. I don't know why she is so dirty and messy but still she made a point to stay clean herself. Within a day, she can change 2-3 sets of clothings at home. The bedsheet which I have changed for her before she came, she demanded that she wants a new set of bedsheet to be changed only after 9 days of work! I refused to budge, but she was smart to remove the bedsheet and placed them in the laundry basket that I can't do anything but to dig out the spare bedsheet for her! I nearly commit murder, I tell you!

7. The last and final straw was when she requested my mum to buy more poultry and seafood to cook for me when my checked the fridge and realised that those which she has bought for me were not cooked and has turned bad and gave out foul smell. Those stuff actually cost my mum about $50 and it was wasted like that juz because of her muddle-headness!! Enough is enough, I picked up the phone the next morning, complaint to the agent and demanded for an immediate replacement!

8. The new one came after 2 days. She's slightly better but I wouldn't say she's good. Well at least she keeps the house clean by cleaning the floor everyday and tidied my kitchen after that terror CL left. But this one is a bad cook, doesn't bother to cook breakfast for me, leaving me to eat bread or instant cereals everyday. Her porridge sucks too, plain and no ingredients (although there are plenty of meat and fish in the freezer!), and let's not talk about the overcooked broccoli for dinner and the saltish chicken with overdose of black soy sauce. Yucks.

9. This auntie is defensive as well. When you try to explain and rectify her, she will say that it's not her fault. My point is not to scold her for the problems she has caused, but to enlighten her so that she will do it right the next time. But no, she don't see it and still do her own her way.

10. Not sure if being talkative links directly with age? This one can repeat her stories over and over again everyday, like a spoilt radio. She tells my parents story one, she can repeat it to my in-laws the next day, and then to my sis, my hubby and so on... Come on..I need peace during my confinement, besides baby's cries, I dun wish to hear any other blabberings!! Keep those to your family and friends when you're back home ok, auntie?

11. Somehow when the baby coos and cries, this auntie will shove the milk bottle to him to keep him quiet. Doesn't she know that she should check if the diaper is wet or if baby Garreth has pooed? No wonder the new can of milk powder is gone only after a week!! And that's only for night feeds ok?!? She better not waste them, else I'm gona cut her salary! Hmpf!!

Sigh! Feel so much better after venting about all these CLs. I've learnt my lesson and if there will be the 2nd time again (not so soon I hope!), will better do some research and findings before hiring one. Cos they not only stressed me and Hubby Goh out, they also caused headaches to my mummy and MIL! Cos they know that this CL doesn't cook well, they take turns to cook nice food for me. Suddenly I feel so bad to trouble all of them during this confinement...given a choice, I would only want them to come visit me and Baby Garreth and not go through all these stress for us.

I better be grateful.