when is the best time to get house help - during pregnancy or after birth? | ExpatWoman.com
 

when is the best time to get house help - during pregnancy or after birth?

184
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 18 July 2013 - 21:19

hi... i am considering to get house help during my pregnancy so that once the baby arrives - the maid is settled in with the house etc..and also can help me with the chores towards the end.. but then shouldn't I be looking for a nanny instead and wait till the baby is born?

111
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 July 2013 - 20:38
I got my maid to start 3 weeks before the baby arrived and after i had finished work so that I could show her what needs to be done. It was just me and DH at the time so also didn't need her to start too early. I got her primarily for helping around the house with cleaning, washing and cooking and found lots of things to keep us busy before the baby arrived. I was happy to get someone who had not much experience with babies as i did everything else for the baby myself. For me the 3 weeks was more than enough for the training. When will you be returning back to work? As KS mentioned anyone you get will inevitably help with the baby and if you have lots of good months before you get back to work you may be able to train them well enough to be reliable with the baby.
242
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 20 July 2013 - 20:10
I would definitely arrange for a maid a month or so before the birth. You will also find nearer the end of your pregnancy an extra pair of hands to do chores and other odd jobs a blessing. Our maid plans her day around us. She is up and ready to go at 6am as I leave for work at 6.45am so she helps with breakfast whilst I check we are all ready for work and nursery. Once my DH and DDs have left she tends to clean, iron etc in the morning and then she has the early afternoon for herself. When we arrive home approx. 3.30-4pm she helps with my DDs whilst I get their dinner and then she is just around tidying/playing etc until approx. 7pm or later if we need babysitting. I don't begrudge our maid the time off as the house is immaculate and organised, I have someone at home if the girls are sick and we are unable to take time off. I don't ask her to cook for us as we have different ideas but she would if I asked her without any complaint. Having the maid means all the time we have outside of work we can spend with our DDs and for my husband and I that is something we are thankful for. Good luck with your search!
184
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 19 July 2013 - 11:17
yeah will be returning back to work so certainly looking for someone trustworthy around the baby... havent really decided if my parents will be around initially but in the long run need someone reliable... its just the two of us at the moment so getting somone around 7th month would be good to train etc however what would she do through the day since we both are working... Also please suggest some good agencies .. thanks a lot My maid started 1 month before my second baby was born, in retrospect 3 months before would have been much better. I would then have had time to follow her around and teach her exactly how I'd like her to do everything. My mum came over a few weeks later and I felt obliged to take her out and about and then after my baby was born I just had no time and just left my maid to it. Its much, much harder trying to change things further down the track. Do you need a maid or a nanny? Are you planning to return to work? I'm a full-time mum so I hired a maid but at the same time, anyone who is in your house all day is invariably going to help you with your children and have an influence on them, so that was actually my primary criteria, to find someone who I thought would be soft, gentle and trustworthy around my kids. If I had been returning to work then the criteria would have been even more specific as the influence/responsibility would be greater. edited by kiwispiers on 19/07/2013
2782
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 19 July 2013 - 10:07
My maid started 1 month before my second baby was born, in retrospect 3 months before would have been much better. I would then have had time to follow her around and teach her exactly how I'd like her to do everything. My mum came over a few weeks later and I felt obliged to take her out and about and then after my baby was born I just had no time and just left my maid to it. Its much, much harder trying to change things further down the track. Do you need a maid or a nanny? Are you planning to return to work? I'm a full-time mum so I hired a maid but at the same time, anyone who is in your house all day is invariably going to help you with your children and have an influence on them, so that was actually my primary criteria, to find someone who I thought would be soft, gentle and trustworthy around my kids. If I had been returning to work then the criteria would have been even more specific as the influence/responsibility would be greater. <em>edited by kiwispiers on 19/07/2013</em>
 
 

ON EXPATWOMAN TODAY