Confinement

Choosing your confinement support
Many Singapore families arrange extra help for the first four to six weeks after birth. Our comparison of a confinement nanny vs confinement centre sets out 2026 costs, MOM Work Permit rules for Malaysian confinement nannies, pros and cons of each option, and the questions to ask before you book. Good nannies and centres are booked months ahead, so start looking early in pregnancy.
Some families mix and match, for example a week or two at a centre followed by a nanny, a grandparent or a helper at home. Whatever you choose, make sure everyone caring for your baby follows safe sleep advice and knows when to call a doctor.

Food, rest and recovery
Traditional confinement food is built on warm, nourishing meals. Our confinement food guide covers Chinese, Malay and Indian dishes and what modern evidence says about them, including drinking water, eating vegetables and alcohol in cooking while breastfeeding. For your body’s healing and emotional wellbeing, read our postpartum recovery guide and our advice on postnatal depression in Singapore.
It is fine to keep the traditions that feel right for you and adapt the ones that do not. Your doctor can help you decide which practices are safe, especially if you had a caesarean or are breastfeeding.