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What is a night nurse?
AKA What is a baby nurse? Well…a night nurse and a baby nurse are actually antiquated, misused and often illegal terms for nonmedical professionals. When parents are looking for support for their newborn they actually should be seeking out a newborn care specialist or postpartum doula! But most new parents don’t know those terms as they aren’t fully mainstream or understood. It’s important to know that caregivers that simply calls themselves a night nurse or baby nurse are likely not trained through an accredited course. They may not be CPR certified, carry liability insurance, understand SIDS safety or have experience with newborn development, lactation or special situations.
Wait- Aren’t you called nightingale night nurses though?
That’s true! We do actually have nurses on our team that provide care. In addition, night nurse is the term that parents know and understand for the services that we provide. We don’t call ourselves nurses and we make it clear to parents that we are a team of newborn care specialists, postpartum doulas, nurses and sleep consultants! We use our intake calls and our literature to educate and inform parents of the correct terminology. Our newborn care specialists and postpartum doulas take only the best trainings in the industry.
What is the difference between a newborn care specialist and a postpartum doula?
These days, not much! Traditionally a postpartum doula focuses on the family while a newborn care specialist focuses on the baby. Also stereotypically a ppd is more “crunchy”, where an ncs is more “structured”. Generally speaking a ppd is more likely to make a parent a hot meal, and recognize signs of postpartum mood disorders. Whereas a newborn care specialist is more likely to get your baby on a schedule, and recognize signs of an allergy in your baby. There is a lot of overlap between the two and not all trainings for either are created equal! All of our team members are the best of both worlds- they support you AND your baby! And many of them are actually dual trained.
What does your team actually do?
Night Shift:
- General baby care: Diaper changes, clothing changes, cuddles, comfort, soothing- and anything else your baby may need throughout the night
- Feedings: We can either offer bottles or support the parent[s] in breastfeeding. Or both!
- Dishes: In the morning we will clean all of the bottles and pump parts from the night before
- Conditioning: We will gently encourage your baby to sleep better on the nights we are there [so they can sleep better for you on the nights that we AREN’T there!] If we are there 4+ nights a week for 12 weeks then our goal is for your baby to be sleeping through the night by 3 months old! [This is not sleep training] *This is also a goal* Parents need to be on board and consistent, and babies needs to be happy, healthy and thriving for progress to take place.
- Support: We are there to help you emotionally recover from having a new baby suddenly arrive in your home, and transition into parenthood if this is your first.
- Education: We love to answer questions and give advice on all things baby! Your Nightingale is your personal expert.
Day shift:
- All of the above for night shift! PLUS::
- Baby laundry
- Prepping and cleaning bottles/pump parts
- Nursery organization
- Getting baby onto a routine
Interested in learning more about our team?
