Although each mother’s journey is unique and special in their own way, there is one thing they all have in common: the more support they have, the better! This is where a Maternity Nanny can step in to alleviate some of the pressure that naturally comes with raising a newborn child. The term most are familiar with is maternity nurse. The words nurse and nanny interchangeably apply in describing someone who is qualified to help mothers and their babies with postpartum care. In both cases, the person must have the mandatory three to five years’ experience with babies and have a valid paediatric first-aid certificate.
Maternity nannies or post-natal nannies are trained professionals who assist with general caretaking for newborn babies. They create a support structure for mums and dads so that they can experience a comfortable routine shift into full-time parenthood. A maternity nanny will usually work within your household shortly after birth to help with the initial adjustment and they can stay for up to 12 weeks, or longer if needed, on a 24/7 schedule. This would require that parents are prepared to host the nanny in a live-in environment. They offer many services and can often give invaluable advice to help parents who are having their first child and even those who already have children.
What does a maternity nanny do?
A maternity nanny is skilled in postnatal care for mothers and their newborn babies. In essence, they function as a caregiver for the child and an advisor for parents. They provide support for the family all while settling the baby into a routine that is helpful to their growth and development. Another benefit that is often overlooked is that parents stand to gain much-needed rest should they choose to employ one. Throughout Melbourne, Maternity nannies are especially helpful to nervous first-time parents and can offer varying degrees of services which include but are not limited to the following:
Feeding
Based on the parent’s preferences and the advice of the maternity nanny, the baby will either be breast or bottle-fed. As the baby’s tastebuds and food requirements develop, the maternity nanny is qualified in creating and implementing a meal plan for specific times and dietary requirements.
General hygiene
The maternity nanny will take care of all the cleaning regarding the newborn’s hygiene, the nursery and the cleaning of equipment. Should you require it, they can perform all tasks from the changing of the nappy to the sterilizing of equipment. A professional babysitter can also perform the same duties but a maternity nanny specializes in newborn babies.
Post-natal care
Although the postnatal period is usually uncomplicated for both the mother and child in the first few weeks after birth, a maternity nanny is trained in spotting any deviations and immediately intervening in a timely manner. For the newborn, the time between birth and the 28th day is a time of increased sensitivity, and an experienced maternity nanny from a reputable nanny service provider in Melbourne can help to avoid or quickly spot any mishaps. These could be health-related or simply come down to the important matter of ensuring that both the parents and child are getting enough sleep.
Parent coaching
First-time parents are never fully prepared for everything involved with bringing a newborn child into their home. Maternity nannies are very experienced in providing specialized one-on-one coaching to educate them on the aspects of caring for a new baby. This could include giving them a detailed summary of the immunizations the newborn will need over time.
How to hire the right maternity nanny for you?
Now that you know who they are and how they can help, the next step is finding and hiring the right maternity nanny for you. This decision will affect your family in a very personal way, so it may be a complicated process. It is recommended that you begin your search up to six weeks before the newborn is due because this gives parents ample time to find the perfect fit. Depending on your needs and experience with children, you will either need full-time, comprehensive support or if you prefer, you may only need an extra pair of hands in the evenings. Put together a detailed job description which can include requirements like a maternity nanny who can cook meals or perhaps one who can speak more than one language. If you’re planning your budget for hiring one, there is a guide for how much a maternity nanny costs. There are many ways to begin your search for candidates but the most common include a nanny agency and online listing pages. The benefits of a nanny agency like ours are that they will do a thorough history and qualifications checks for you. Agencies also have access to a large and diverse database of nannies which will simplify the hiring process for you. The nanny agency can more effectively narrow down exactly who you are looking for because they have access to so many trusted people.
We have this all covered for you at Night and Day Nannies because our qualified carers have experience working with children, all the valid and current certificates, and police checks. Call us on 0423814218 or book a nanny and we guarantee that this special journey will be an easier one.