theIndusParent Logo
theIndusParent Logo
  • Pregnancy
    • Fertility & Conception
    • First Trimester
    • Second Trimester
    • Third Trimester
    • Labour & Delivery
    • Post-delivery Care
    • Miscarriage
    • 9 Months
  • Baby
    • Development
    • Breastfeeding
    • Weaning
    • Health
    • Behaviour
    • Gear & Wear
    • Baby Names
    • Nine Months-0 to 1
  • Toddler
    • Development
    • Health
    • Behaviour
    • Life Skills
    • Trendy Wear
    • 9 Months Season 3: Toddler Years
  • Pre-teen
    • Development
    • Health
    • Education
    • Behaviour
    • Lifeskills
    • Fashion
  • Mums
    • Awesome Working Mums
    • Celeb Mums
    • Beauty
    • Fashion
    • Sex
    • Labour Story
  • Health
    • Nutrition
    • Fitness
    • Home Remedies
    • Chakra Healing
    • Experts' Corner
  • Family & Leisure
    • Relationships
    • For Dads
    • Essential Life Tips
    • Money
    • Recipes
    • Celebrations
    • Travel
    • Vastu
    • Astrology
    • Baby Photos
    • Video
    • Events & Workshops
    • Review
    • Contest
  • हिंदी
  • தமிழ்
  • বাংলা
  • Video

What happened when this mum caught her maid breastfeeding her baby!

5 min read
What happened when this mum caught her maid breastfeeding her baby!What happened when this mum caught her maid breastfeeding her baby!

How would you react if you found out that your baby was being breastfed by your maid? This Singaporean mother captures her Indonesian maid offering her breast to her 7-month-old baby on camera

Joanna* is a working mother, a 30-year-old lawyer in Singapore. What she found on her ‘nanny camera’ is not only disturbing, but terrifying for any mother to watch.

She shares her story with us…

When I had my first child, I thought maternity leave would be lovely bonding and lots of walks, snuggly outdoor time. But I spent most of my maternity leave topless, nursing and pumping. I wanted to breastfeed till my baby girl was a year old but by the time I went back to work (4 months later), my fatigue with juggling work life and being a new mum got the better of me. I struggled for the next two months, then decided to switch to full formula feeding when Emma* was 6 months old.

Before I went back to work, I hired a maid through a reputable maid agency and Ayla* was the helper that was recommended to me. She was young (aged 24), from Batam, and had left her 2-year-old son back home with her family to come to Singapore to earn money to build a bigger home for them. I felt sorry for her and gave her a good starting salary for someone inexperienced.

The first month that Ayla had come into my home, my life got much easier. I was able to concentrate on work, and when I came home, it was 100 percent baby time. It felt wonderful coming back to a clean and happy place, and I felt more fulfilled as a mother with this arrangement.

My husband was away most of the time (he travels a lot for work) and we Skyped a lot so he wouldn’t miss our baby’s special moments. Ayla was given her own room, with Sundays off (this was when I would take Emma to visit her grandparents). My husband was not very comfortable with a maid being left alone all day with his child, but I kept assuring him that she was a good fit and took great care of Emma. I told him there was nothing to worry about.

Still, he insisted that I install a camera in the hall of our home. He had heard numerous horror stories about maids in Singapore, and he just wanted to feel completely safe with a stranger being around our child all the time. I did it after a few nagging conversations with him.

Everyday from work, I would check the camera footage from my smartphone, at intervals, to monitor the activities at home. Mostly it showed Emma playing in her play-pen, and Ayla cleaning, or playing with her. Nothing out of the ordinary.

But one dreadful afternoon, I couldn’t believe what I saw while at my lunch break. Ayla was seen offering her left breast to my child! Emma could be seen sucking for a couple of seconds, then refusing to continue. After a few minutes, she shifts Emma to her right breast. My heart literally stopped for a bit- I was infuriated and disgusted by her actions. Throughout the episode, Emma was moving away, resisting her breasts.

I froze and couldn’t think clearly. Why the sudden urge to attempt to breastfeed her? Did Ayla still have milk? I knew she left a suckling baby behind. But that was 2 months ago! Was it even possible that she still had milk in her? Yes, of course it was.

I dropped everything, and drove back home with the wildest thoughts in my head. Was my baby a victim of a sexual motive? What if I hadn’t installed the camera? What if I missed this footage today? It may have continued for a while!

My stomach was in knots, I felt faint and nauseous. I called my husband and he went beserk, naturally. He was away in Penang then, and booked the next flight to get home to us. He advised me to stay calm while I confronted Ayla.

I was completely shaken and couldn’t control my emotions - I walked into my home and I demanded an explanation from her. Initially, she lied saying that Emma was crying uncontrollably and she was trying to soothe her, after my baby was touching her breasts. She even dared to tell me that since I was not offering Emma my breast milk, she thought she needed the nourishment so she tried to offer her milk.

I didn’t want to hear more. I called the police, made a report and she was made to undergo medical tests. This was really wrong on so many levels including the fact that HIV, Hepatitis B and other serious illnesses can be transmitted through breast milk. Thankfully she was tested negative for all diseases.

It’s been 3 months since that horrific incident and it still boggles my mind as to what she was imagining when she breastfed my baby. She breached the trust that was bestowed in her of guarding my baby against danger. All I can do is thank my husband for making me install the camera, and am so lucky that I caught it in time.

(Story as told to Pavin Chopra)
*All names in this story have been changed to protect the identity of those involved

If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the article, please share them in our Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ and Twitter to stay up-to-date on the latest from theIndusparent.com

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Pavin Kaur

  • Home
  • /
  • News
  • /
  • What happened when this mum caught her maid breastfeeding her baby!
Share:
  • 6-Year-Old Dies By Electrocution By Lightning Through A Mobile Phone

    6-Year-Old Dies By Electrocution By Lightning Through A Mobile Phone

  • 10 Must-haves for Parents In Case of Emergencies

    10 Must-haves for Parents In Case of Emergencies

  • Mum Checks On Toddlers Because They Were Quiet, Finds Them Eating A Cockroach

    Mum Checks On Toddlers Because They Were Quiet, Finds Them Eating A Cockroach

app info
get app banner
  • 6-Year-Old Dies By Electrocution By Lightning Through A Mobile Phone

    6-Year-Old Dies By Electrocution By Lightning Through A Mobile Phone

  • 10 Must-haves for Parents In Case of Emergencies

    10 Must-haves for Parents In Case of Emergencies

  • Mum Checks On Toddlers Because They Were Quiet, Finds Them Eating A Cockroach

    Mum Checks On Toddlers Because They Were Quiet, Finds Them Eating A Cockroach

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Ages + Stages
    • Baby
    • Baby Concerns
    • Baby Development
    • Baby Formula Feeding
    • Baby health
    • Baby Milestones
    • Breastfeeding
  • Family Life
    • Family & Leisure
    • Essential Tips
    • Family Fun
    • Events
    • For Dads
    • For Mum and Dad
  • Health & Wellness
    • India
    • International
    • Lifestyle
    • Kid's Entertainment
    • Indoor
    • Learning Activities
  • Toddler
    • Toddler Behaviour
    • Toddler Development
    • Toddler Discipline
    • Toddler Education
    • Toddler Health
    • Toddler Life Skills
  • Gallery
    • News
    • Celebrity
    • Features
    • Bollywood
    • Video
    • Marriage
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it