A private maternity nurse, also known as a night nurse, night nanny or baby nurse, provides comprehensive care and support to families with newborns in their home. 

 

The Maternity Nurses role is specialised and focuses on the immediate needs of the newborn and mother during the postpartum period. 

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Here are the key responsibilities and duties of a private maternity nurse / infant care specialist:

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Newborn Care

Feeding Assistance: They assist with breastfeeding or bottle-feeding, ensuring that the baby is fed properly and at regular intervals.

Nappy changing and Bathing: They handle all aspects of newborn hygiene, including nappy changes, bathing, and umbilical cord care.

Sleep coaching / Establishing a routine: They help establish healthy sleep patterns for the baby, including swaddling, soothing techniques, creating a conducive safe sleep environment. They will follow Lullaby trust guidelines to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and will provide advice on safer sleep for babies.

Monitoring Health: They monitor the baby’s health and developmental milestones and provide basic medical care, when necessary, under the advice and consent of a qualified medical professional and the parents.

Infant Safety: They ensure the baby’s safety by maintaining a safe environment including practicing proper car seat usage and suggesting products that have passed safety checks.

 

Parental Support

Education and Guidance: They educate parents on newborn care practices, offering guidance on topics such as feeding schedules, sleep routines, and baby’s developmental stages.

Emotional Support: They provide emotional support to new parents, helping them cope with the stresses and challenges of caring for a newborn.

Routine Establishment: They assist in establishing a daily routine for the family that includes feeding, sleeping, bathtime and playtime, helping to create a structured environment.

Breastfeeding Support: They offer lactation support and advice, helping mothers with breastfeeding techniques and troubleshooting common issues.

Bottle Feeding Support: They offer bottle and formula support and advice, helping mothers with bottle-feeding, bottle-feeding refusal techniques, choosing a formula and troubleshooting common issues.

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Household Assistance

Nursery Organisation: They help organise and maintain the baby’s nursery, ensuring all supplies are stocked and easily accessible. They also recommend products for the baby and the nursery.

Light Household Chores: They may assist with light household chores related to the baby, such as washing baby clothes, sterilising bottles, and maintaining a clean environment.

Meal Preparation: In some cases, they may help prepare light meals for the mother, especially if she is breastfeeding and needs proper nutrition.

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Transition Support

Transition Home: They may assist with the transition home from the hospital, ensuring that the family is settled and that the baby’s needs are met from day one.

Sibling Adjustment: They help older siblings adjust to the new baby, offering tips and support to the parents on how to manage multiple children.

Nighttime Care: They can provide overnight care, allowing parents to rest and recover while ensuring the baby is cared for throughout the night.

24 Hour Live-in Care: They can provide overnight 24-hour live-in care with a minimum 4-hour break in the day, allowing parents to rest and recover while ensuring the baby is cared for throughout the night and most of the day.

 

Daytime Care: They can provide daytime care, allowing parents to rest and recover while ensuring the baby is cared for throughout the day and assist parents with daytime appointments and outings.

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Qualifications and Skills

Training and Certification: They may have a UK government recognised childcare and education qualification such as the National Nursery Examination Board childcare and education diploma - NNEB. They should also have lactation training and have attended courses in other relatable topics. They should have a paediatric first aid certificate, police checks, enhanced DBS in the UK, insurance, experience and skills caring for newborns.

Experience: They have extensive experience working with newborns, either in hospital settings, day nurseries and private homes. They keep unto date with current trends and legislation. They follow the Lullaby Trust safe sleep and NHS guidelines.

Compassion and Patience: The Maternity Nurses must possess a calm compassionate and patient demeanour, understanding the emotional and physical demands on new parents.

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In summary, a private maternity nurse offers invaluable support to new parents, ensuring the well-being of the newborn while helping parents’ transition smoothly into their new roles.

 

The Maternity Nurses expertise and care can significantly ease the challenges of the postpartum period, providing both practical assistance and emotional support.

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A private maternity nurse focuses primarily on the care of the newborn and support for the parents during the postpartum period. However, there are several responsibilities and tasks that they typically do not handle:

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Medical Responsibilities

Advanced Medical Care: They do not perform advanced medical procedures or treatments. The Maternity Nurses role is limited to basic health monitoring and care. Serious health issues or complications require the attention of a paediatrician, GP or other medical professionals.

Prescribing Medication: They cannot prescribe medications. Any need for prescriptions must be handled by a licensed physician or GP. They should not administer medication unless they and the parents have signed a medical consent form.

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Household Duties

General Housekeeping: They do not perform general housekeeping tasks unrelated to the newborn. This includes cleaning the entire house, doing laundry for other family members, or handling household chores outside of the baby’s immediate needs.

Cooking for the Family: While They may prepare simple meals for the mother, especially if she is breastfeeding, they do not typically cook for the entire family.

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Childcare Beyond the Newborn

Caring for Older Children: The Maternity Nurses focus and insurance is solely on the newborn. They do not provide regular childcare for older siblings, although they might offer occasional assistance or advice on helping siblings adjust.

Long-Term Childcare: They are not long-term nannies or babysitters. The Maternity Nurses services are usually temporary from 3 – 12 months and less, meant to assist during the immediate postpartum period. If you require further childcare assistance this can be discussed with The Maternity Nurse Concierge Childcare Recruitment team as a separate service. 

 

Household Management

Grocery Shopping and Errands: They do not typically handle grocery shopping, running errands, or other household management tasks that are unrelated to newborn care.

Financial Management: They do not manage household finances or assist with budgeting and bill paying.

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Non-Newborn Care Services

Therapeutic Counselling: While They provide emotional support and basic guidance, they are not licensed therapists or counsellors. Parents requiring mental health support should seek help from qualified mental health professionals.

Postpartum Medical Care for Mothers: They do not provide medical care for the mother beyond basic postpartum support and advice. Any medical issues or concerns the mother has should be addressed by her GP or healthcare provider.

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Specialised Services

Educational Tutoring: They do not provide educational tutoring or homeschooling services for older children.

Pet Care: They do not take care of family pets, including feeding, walking, or veterinary visits.

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Working Hours

Services Choice: Maternity Nurses provide a 24 hr live in service with a minimum 4-hour break in the day, a daytime service and a nighttime service.

The 24 hr Maternity Nurses service require a minimum 4 - 5-hour break in the day.

Night bookings are for usually for a maximum of 12 hrs if The Maternity Nurse is living out and separate accommodation isn’t provided nearby. 

Day Bookings are for a maximum of 12 hrs, if the Maternity Nurse is living out and separate accommodation isn’t provided nearby. 

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In summary, a private maternity nurses’ primary role is focused on the care and well-being of the newborn and supporting the parents during the early postpartum period. Their scope of work is limited to tasks directly related to the newborn and the immediate needs of the new parents, leaving other household and family responsibilities to other appropriate professionals or family members.