How Do I Choose The Perfect Confinement Centre In 2023?

Confinement centre helps mothers rejuvenate themselves especially after giving birth by providing comfortable accommodations, nutritious energy-replenishing meals, and relaxing services.

Nowadays, the centres are growing in popularity among the parent's community because parents can enjoy a relaxing yet speedy recovery from the centre’s services while embarking on their parenting journey. But, first-time mothers would wonder, “How do I choose a confinement centre that fits me best?”  Here are some tips that you can take into consideration.

#1 Service Packages and Cost

For starters, parents can browse through the centre’s service packages and price to see which package is the most suitable for them. Usually, confinement centres offer several confinement packages to their customers to choose from. Most of the time, the lodgings are accommodated based on the pricing. 

For example, the cheaper option is a standard confinement package that comes with a small room, meals, support staff and laundry service. Meanwhile, a luxury package may be a bit costly but it includes benefits that are not offered in a standard package like a queen-sized bed in a large room with a panoramic view and private bathroom. Besides that, some centres even provide a separate wardrobe with a baby changing area. 

#2 Additional Benefits 

Every confinement centre has its own values, beliefs, and methods of helping a mother with her recovery journey. Within the recovery methods, most centres can provide different additional benefits to parents as they understand that every mother has different needs. Some of the add-ons parents can look for when selecting a confinement centre includes:

• Child hygiene products: Diaper, nappy cream, baby soap & shampoo
• Parenting classes: Learn useful hacks to keep your motherhood a joyous journey
• Wellness classes: Massage, yoga, aesthetic services that could keep you active
• Spa or facial services: Treat yourself to some fun and relaxation
• Husband and children stay-in: This is to have your loved ones be by your side and support you in your recovery journey

#3 Location is Important

You have just given birth to your baby, and of course you don’t want to exhaust yourself by travelling too far. Travelling a long distance would be stressful for both mothers and babies when your goal is to relax and go into motherhood at a slow pace. Hence, consider going for a confinement centre that does not take too long to reach. For instance, the confinement centre should be:

• Near your own residence
• Near or accessible to husband’s workplace or children’s daycare
• Childcare centres
• Nearby to medical centres
• A calm and peaceful surrounding
• A safe neighbourhood or environment

#4 Support Staffs

The support staff is usually a midwife, a nurse and a trained professional who can care for mothers and their children. Most importantly, they are physically and medically equipped with an understanding of the needs of parents and babies. These staff can provide parents continuous support and are often available in the centre 24/7. Parents should check if the centre has:

• A registered nurse and/ or midwife
• Team of consultants; Obstetrician, Pediatrician, Nutritionist, Physiotherapist, Child & Family Development Specialists
• Culinary chef specialising in confinement meals 

As a parent and their valuable customer, if you want to know more about their staff, you can ask them questions like:

1. How experienced are their confinement ladies?
2. Are the nurses and midwives registered professionals?
3. Is the cook trained in preparing hygienic confinement meals?
4. Are the included services and classes run by qualified experts?

You can also add on if you have more!

#5 Meals, Nutrients and Drinks

Food and drinks are incredibly important in a mother’s diet as the nutrients help in strengthening the body, speed up the healing process and increase the production of breastmilk. In order to ensure this, confinement centres would tailor their meals based on the mothers’ needs. So, parents can have peace of mind and satisfy their taste buds to their heart's content. But just to be safe, parents should consider:

• Are ingredients used to support healing and health improvement?
• Are there special diets for complicated birthings?
• Are the meal preparation and hygiene good?
• What about the accessibility of ingredients? (for continued nutrition at home)
• Will the diets ensure breast milk quality and quantity?
• Will the diets that bring back mothers pre-pregnancy vitality and body?

#6 Facilities

Confinement centres are not only for postnatal rejuvenation but it is also for recovery from childbirth, time for bonding, adjusting and learning parenting skill sets. It would certainly be a positive addition to your choice of confinement centre if they offer facilities that support activities and classes carried out. Since mothers will be staying there for a long period of time, it is best to consider if the following facilities are provided:

• Single rooms with attached bathrooms
• Security
• A surveillance camera at each room and nursery
• Laundry and housekeeping help
• Wi-Fi access
• Ample of parking lots

#7 Insurance Coverage for Mothers and Babies

Apart from the facilities and additional benefits, some confinement centres also provide insurance coverage for mothers and their children. To make sure that the mothers and children can have a safe and relaxing stay, confinement centres would offer insurance that covers injuries on the body caused by violence, accidents, and external factors. They also include injuries that result in death, permanent disablement, and medical and surgical treatment. They would allow mothers to claim insurance for even the smallest injuries like an accident that caused a small cut on the head. Thus, The insurance coverage that mothers should consider are:

• Accidental Death
  
• Permanent Disablement
  
• Accidental Medical Reimbursement
  
• Alternative Medical Expenses
  
• Funeral Expenses (due to Accidental Death only)

As a bonus, here is another tip for parents when choosing a confinement centre. Be sure to start looking into confinement centres early, and you’ll be able to visit the centre in order to see if it is the perfect place for your recovery journey.

Want to read more? Check out these amazing facts about the Malay, Chinese and Indian's traditional confinement practices.