What is the Difference Between a Night Nanny, Newborn Care Specialist & a Postpartum Doula?
You may not be picky about the terms people use - you just want someone who is trained, qualified & trust-worthy to help you get sleep after coming home with your newborn.
But what should you look for when you are considering hiring overnight or daytime help? Are there differences in training and certifications? What do each of these professionals know and focus on?
What IS the difference between a Night Nanny, Baby Nurse, Newborn Care Specialist and a Postpartum Doula?
Let’s take a look at each of these professionals so you can make an informed decision on what would be best for your family!
What is a Night Nanny?
Night nannies (also called “night nurses” or “baby nurses”) are essentially nannies who take care of babies overnight. I know, that’s deep. Their job usually begins around the time your baby is 3 months old and they stay with families until the baby is sleeping through the night. They may (or may not) have had specialized training in infant care, they often do not have knowledge of lactation support, and they often implement whatever sleep training methods they know if that is what the parents want.
Night nannies are great for parents who are going back to work and need to focus on their sleep.
What is a Newborn Care Specialist (NCS)?
An NCS is someone who is trained specifically to work with newborns. They often start working with families as soon as they get home from the hospital and stay on until the baby is 3 or 4 months old. They are trained in feeding techniques, sometimes including lactation support, and often have knowledge of sleep training techniques. But they do not call themselves “sleep trainers” unless they have that title.
NCS often focus on overnights, and if they do provide daytime support, are focused on teaching newborn care techniques to parents.
NCS are great for first-time parents who need heavier-duty infant care education.
What is a Postpartum Doula?
Postpartum doulas are trained to help the parents as they transition into parenthood. They work with families from the time a baby is born up until 3 or 4 months as well, sometimes beyond. Their job is more *parent-centric*, which means they aren’t always up-to-date on newborn care information. It really depends on the training they went through. They follow the lead of the parents and give suggestions and recommendations, but if the parents choose to not follow it, they support them in their decisions. They will help with household chores such as dishes, laundry, light cleaning, running errands etc. Their focus is to help to make your life smoother while you adjust to being a new parent & recover from giving birth.
