I spent two weeks at £1.4k retreat with my newborn being massaged and fed

A mum spent £1.4k on a two-week "retreat" with her newborn - being massaged and fed and says she "doesn't regret" leaving her husband and toddler at home.

Mei Shields, 38, decided to check into a postpartum centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, after the birth of her second child, Anna, now seven months in April 2023.

The mum-of-two had struggled looking after her son Aden, two, while also recovering from a c-section.

She and husband Daren Shields, 42, an engineer, decided to do things differently second time around and when Anna was born Mei checked into the centre.

The centre provides postnatal care for mum and baby and Mei had a private suite and was brought full meals and was given massages whenever she wanted.

Mei had a "confinement lady" - an employee from the centre who continued to look after her and the baby - for six weeks when she did head home.

Mei, a social media marketer, from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, said: “I have no regrets at all.

“I would do it again.

“I would highly recommend it.

“You can recuperate properly.”

Mei found raising Aden "hard" following the birth in June 2021 – as she had no to help due to the pandemic.

She said: “Everything became so much harder than I had thought.

“It was a shock.

“I thought I was prepared.

“The lack of sleep was hard.

“My first month with the baby was hard.”

When Mei fell pregnant with Anna in July 2022, she decided to look into centres for a different postnatal experience.

She said: “We thought ‘I think this is what we need to do'.

“My older boy is so clingy. I thought ‘how do I take care of a baby with a clingy toddler? It’s impossible’.”

Postpartum confinement centres are common in Malaysia and mothers often stay for 28 to 48 days.

Mei decided to opt for just 14 days - so she wasn’t away from her son for too long.

Mei went straight to Esther Postpartum Care centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from the Pantai Hospital, three days after the birth, and was set up in a private suite with baby Anna.

She said: “With my first child the experience I had was I had to care for him and no one was taking care of me.

“My husband could feed me and get me a drink but he couldn’t help with anything else.

“I’d never been away from my son but we both agreed it was a good idea.”

Mei was able to have hands-on help with breastfeeding – when Anna was struggling with latching – and was brought five meals a day without having to ask.

She was brought an array of food from noodles, soups, fish, desserts, and herbal tea.

She could have massages when she wanted and was able to have a nurse take Anna when she needed to rest.

The room had a fridge and bathroom attached and Mei’s husband and son were still able to come and visit when they wanted.

Mei said: “I could rest. The food just arrives.

“There was a nursery for Anna whenever I needed.

“I had some time to myself – while feeding I could put Netflix on.

“The lack of sleep is still quite bad.

“I had one to one time with the baby for the first two weeks.”

Mei still struggled being away from her husband and Aden.

She said: “After the first week I started to feel like I missed them a lot.

“But it’s two weeks away versus the whole of his life.”

The centre cost £100 a day - £1.4k for the two weeks Mei was there - and provides constant care for the mum and baby with a paediatrician and nurses on hand.

She said: “It does cost quite a bit but it’s the same as a hotel.

“If you can afford it, it’s a good option.”

When Mei returned home she had a ‘confinement lady’ who stayed for six weeks to look after her and the baby.

Mei said: “In our culture there is a lot more emphasis on the mum.

“She gives great massages and took care of the baby.

“It was a pleasant experience.”