We are thrilled to announce the launch of a new special service offered by our company. Please welcome Educated Nannies Newborn Care Specialists! We understand that preparing for the arrival of a new baby and adjusting once your little miracle arrives can be overwhelming for both new and veteran parents. Our hope is to help make this transitional period as smooth as possible by offering you access to well-trained educated caregivers who are dedicated to providing quality care for your newborn and making your life a lot less stressful! We have put together a list of questions and answers to help explain exactly what a Newborn Care Specialist does and the ways she (or he) can help make your life easier.
What is the difference between a Doula, Baby Nurse, Night Nanny, and Newborn Care Specialist?
We hear the terms Doula, Baby Nurse, Night Nanny, and Newborn Care Specialist often used interchangeably, but the truth is they are four different types of caregivers with different responsibilities. Let’s take a closer look at the job duties of each of these professional caregivers.
Doula: Birth doulas and postpartum doulas must be certified through DONA or CAPPA. A birth doula educates and supports a pregnant mother before and during labor. A postpartum doula provides support to the postpartum family in the first few weeks following birth, through education, basic baby care, mother care and household assistance. Her focus is on the entire family versus primarily the newborn. She may assist with laundry, meal preparation, and other needs of the family, but care of the newborn and sleep training are not her primary concern.
Baby Nurse: For years, caregivers who provided any type of care for newborns were referred to as Baby Nurses. This term was misleading because many who used this title had not actually been to nursing school. Families would hire Baby Nurses thinking the caregiver had extensive medical training and that wasn’t necessarily the case. Due to this misconception, recent legislature in California (and many other states) has made it illegal for an individual to call themselves a nurse, unless they carry a valid nursing license.
“A Baby Nurse by today’s standards is a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Individuals with this type of background are available to work with families who have babies dealing with medical challenges including prematurity, genetic disorders or other medical conditions that present life-threatening risks to the infant. Many of these newborns require close monitoring and care by a knowledgeable, trained and experienced Baby Nurse when discharged home from the hospital.” *
Night Nanny: A night nanny is hired to work overnight shifts under the direction and supervision of the parents. A night nanny performs duties such as comforting the baby, feeding the baby and keeping a detailed log. A typical shift may be between the hours of 7 pm until 7 am; However, she may not have extensive knowledge about sleep training or other issues related to the care of a newborn. This caregiver does not need any training or certifications, but may have years of experience as a nanny.
Newborn Care Specialist: **According to the NCSA: A Newborn Care Specialist is an individual trained and skilled in newborn care. She provides unique expertise in all aspects of newborn care, parental education and support. Her job is to help nurture and care for newborns while providing guidance and education for the parents. Newborn Care Specialists are generally not responsible for household duties unrelated to the new baby or for the care of other children in the household.
You can expect Newborn Care Specialists to help in the following ways:
• Educate and support parents.
• Create a smooth transition for family during the newborn stage.
• Troubleshoot potential issues of concern with the newborn and offer professional options to resolve them.
• Maintain a thorough log of infant feeding and sleep patterns.
• Assist mother with any feeding issues she may have, including the facilitation of breastfeeding and be knowledgeable in answering breastfeeding related questions.
• Soothes babies using skilled and proven techniques that help calm newborns.
• To provide care for the newborn and perform some or all of the following tasks: Diapering, changing, bathing, circumcision care, bottle preparation (breastmilk & formula), bottle cleaning, organization and maintenance of nursery, create a regular feeding schedule, assist in establishing healthy sleep habits, maintain a thorough log of eating, sleeping and behavioral patterns, take over complete care of newborn at night to provide parents time to sleep.
Why hire an Educated Nannies Newborn Care Specialist?
Educated Nannies has partnered with well-known industry veteran and respected NCS, Tonya Sakowicz of Newborn Care Solutions to provide thorough training on all things related to the care of newborns. We are confident that our Educated Nannies who have completed this training will stay on top of industry news and provide the best level of care for your newborn. Another bonus of having an Educated Nannies Newborn Care Specialist is that she will be part of a larger network of other skilled NCS’s who will support and share their knowledge with her as well.
If I would like to hire an Educated Nannies Newborn Care Specialist or take the NCS course, what is the next step?
Contact Educated Nannies at (310) 857-4985 or info@educatednannies.com and let us know your specific needs. We are happy to answer any questions or offer guidance to families and nannies. Our goal is to set you up for success during this exciting and overwhelming time period.
*Newborn Care Specialists Association (ncsainfo.com)
