If you are looking for a confined nanny or perhaps you are considering going into business, it would be very important that you know and understand the duties of a confined nanny. These duties have evolved and changed over time just like the babysitters themselves.

A babysitter is no longer necessarily curt, stuffy, and tight-lipped with ankle-length dresses and a tight bun on top of her head. They are no longer the epitome of the school teacher and are just as strict as the principal.

First, let’s get this down to the basics and clarify what a lockdown babysitter is to begin with. Some people may have never heard of one and others know them by another name.

What is a nanny lockdown?

To make this quite simple, a confinement babysitter is a caregiver who helps care for a newborn and, to some extent, the mother postpartum for a specific period of time after birth. The principle was conceptualized somewhere in Asian postnatal practices as a means of allowing the mother to regain balance with nature.

The ancient, but somehow still modern principles of yin and yang are the basis of the confinement nanny, sometimes also called the confinement lady. The approximately 30-40 day period that the babysitter assists the new mother gives the mother time to recover, rebalance her yin and yang, and regain both physical and mental health.

This practice is deeply steeped in Chinese medicine and has been practiced by millions for hundreds of years. With the evolution of time as well, the role of the babysitter and perhaps even the desire or need for one has been questioned by many, including doctors, employers, and mothers themselves.

However, it could be a consideration worth investigating even in a westernized society, if new moms had the opportunity to have a pui yuet (30-day chaperone) to help them as they adjust to their new role. Even if a newborn is not the first child, the role of the mother is changing and therefore it will be an adjustment. Is it possible that pui yuet could benefit both mom and baby?

What duties does the confinement babysitter have?

At first glance, one might think that this shouldn’t require much thought. The term babysitter typically describes someone who has been hired in some way (either living at home or visiting) to care for a child or children. Nannies have been around for as long as anyone can remember around the world.

The confinement nanny, per Se, may or may not be different than what is normally thought of as a nanny. This is likely to depend on whether you should hire the individual one-on-one or through an agency.

Regardless of how or where a lockdown babysitter is obtained, the most important part of determining your duties and responsibilities is communicating exact expectations. Really, the best way to make sure everyone is on the same page and that there are no homework questions is to have some kind of agreement in writing. This can be as official as a contract or as unofficial as a computer generated agreement (essentially a house contract). All parties involved should read and sign the agreement and it should detail the duties, hours, full expectations, payment, duration, and considerations for terminating the contract if either party needs it.

The containment babysitter’s duties may also vary based on her hours. Do you want a live or daytime babysitter? These are things to consider.

Generally Accepted Confinement Nanny Duties (Day Nanny):

Baby care: attending to each and every one of the newborn’s needs as required by the mother.

Cooking for mom

Buy if mom or baby needs it

Basic cleaning – often very basic (sweeping, mopping, cooking)

Laundry for mom and baby

The Live in confinement babysitter would provide all of the above, but in addition baby care would be 24 hours a day, as indicated for the mother’s break time.

A babysitter may be able to do more (help with dad’s food, help with other children, etc.), if agreed in advance. This should be included in your contract and the payment should be adjusted according to the amount of work you expect from your babysitter.

Remember that your babysitter is here to help your family at a very important time in your life. Make sure your communication is perfect ahead of time so there are no unforeseen problems.