When choosing care for your newborn and your family there is so much to navigate. Many families require overnight newborn care for the first 3 to 4 months until their baby is sleeping better. Having a trusted professional is often number one in a family’s search.
Where to begin?
It can be helpful to reach out to friends, colleagues, Facebook groups and Google to gain an understanding of what exists in terms of support.
Something you may come across in your search are different terms being used to describe overnight care. Some common terms include: night nanny, night nurse, postpartum doula and newborn care specialists. Although all of these titles are used interchangeably, they often are not the same thing.
Postpartum Doulas
Postpartum doulas specialize in providing professional care for newborns both overnight and during the day. They have a formal training in newborn care, but they also have training in caring for the postpartum mom, family, and household. Postpartum Doulas often have more of a whole family approach and complete household tasks like laundry and tidying up, which are a part of their job description.
Newborn Care Specialists
Newborn care specialists also specialize in caring for newborns in a professional way and have received a formal training. They often support families both daytime and overnight. Their focus is newborn care, and they are often not as family focused. Some newborn care specialists may also have postpartum doula training.
Night Nannies and Night Nurses
Night Nannies and night nurses also provide care for the newborn, both daytime and overnight. Typically, this means they are not formally trained as a newborn care specialist or a postpartum doula. Once someone has received the training, we no longer see them referring to themselves as a night nanny or night nurse. The term night nurse is used very loosely and often families are under the impression that they are hiring an actual nurse, when they are actually hiring a nanny or babysitter.
Night Nanny vs. Postpartum Doula
One question we are often asked, is about the difference between a Night Nanny and a Postpartum Doula. The biggest difference is the training, certification and scope of practice. Most families seeking overnight care are under the impression that all is equal and all are formally trained and that is not always the case.
