You’re having a baby. Congratulations! And you already know that you don’t want to handle the nighttime parenting by yourself.
Maybe you have a demanding job, a medical condition, or (God forbid) you just don’t want to sacrifice yourself on the altar of sleepless nights. Whatever the reason, awesome. You have nothing to prove.
So you google what to do for overnight help with your baby, and you came across these folks called baby nurses or night nannies.
Yay! You just want some sleep, and for your baby to be safe and well cared for.
Here’s the thing though- what do those job titles “night nanny” or “baby nurse” actually mean?
Well, I’ve never hired one, but I’ve talked to clients who have. Let me tell you some of their experiences:
“The baby nurse came in with a LOT of rules for us about our baby. It seemed like more than anything else, she wanted sleep and she wanted us to feed her.”
“The person that we interviewed didn’t seem like she’d be very supportive of breastfeeding. No matter how many times I talked about nursing, she kept referring to bottles.”
“It’s a relief to hear that you all have a training and certification process. It seemed like the night nanny we talked to only has experience with her own kids. It’s more than I have, but I want to hear about multiple ways of doing things.”
Here’s the thing- baby nurses (a title which has nothing to do with being a licensed or registered nurse, by the way) may or may not have training. Often, they have some experience with infants, and a willingness to work at inconvenient hours. And that’s it.
At DC Metro Maternity, we firmly believe that new parents should have support available to them in the middle of the night. But we also believe that you and your baby deserve better than what we’re hearing some folks provide.
You deserve trained professionals, who prioritize your family’s needs while working with you, not their own sleep, parenting style or other agenda. You deserve someone who can help your family on your terms.
You deserve a postpartum doula.
What do postpartum doulas offer that baby nurses don’t?
Well, we’re experts in caring for babies and the entire postpartum family. We blend into your family as seamlessly as possible, and we want you to feel like you’re in charge of what’s happening with your baby, your body and your home.
Postpartum doulas can absolutely offer you assistance with getting sleep with a new baby.
We can also do so while showing you how not to compromise your feeding goals like
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ensuring that your baby eats often enough to regain birth weight
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helping you nurse exclusively, while maximizing rest
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supporting you in finding the right formula and reduce your baby’s gas
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showing you how to switch between breast and bottle with minimal challenges
We’re experts at helping you find a nighttime routine that settles your baby in for the night. We can also help your family reach goals like
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helping the older children connect with the newborn
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involving a partner who isn’t breastfeeding in the bedtime routine
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figuring out if you need to pump overnight
And while we are happy to take the baby when we walk in the door, and walk out with everyone sleeping, we’re also available to support grown-ups. Sometimes we:
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chat with you about the baby and your adjustment while you breastfeed overnight
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give you perspective on whether frustrations with your new life are normal
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help you figure out how to connect with your partner while under stress
We’re there for you in ways that someone focused solely on sleep (whether your baby’s or their own), just can’t be. Because we’re doulas, and we’re thinking big picture.
This big-picture focus is why all of DCMM’s postpartum doulas are trained and receive continuing education.
And it’s why, frankly, we’re not as cheap as night nannies or baby nurses. You’re getting “the a-team” as one recent client said.
You don’t need a baby nurse or night nanny. You need a postpartum doula.
Learn more about postpartum support here!
