About Newborn Specialists
What Can I Expect from a Newborn Specialist? A Newborn Specialist will give Mom the opportunity to stay in bed and recover more rapidly while the new baby is cared for. She will support breast and bottle feeding. She can discern problems, i.e. reflux, developmental, and bring them to the parent's attention. She has knowledge of how to put the babies on a schedule, how to organize the nursery, is familiar with an apnea monitor and other medical equipment. She can settle the baby when fussy, bottle feed or bring her to you when she's ready to breastfeed, change her diapers/clothes when needed, and generally give her lots of nurturing and attention. She will document the baby's sleeping, feeding, changing, and fussy periods in a log so you get the big picture for each day. She can care for baby laundry and bottles, teach you how to bathe a newborn, give advice on breastfeeding, positioning the baby for comfort and best latching, and favorite burping methods, or bring you a cup of tea.
If baby develops problems with colic or reflux, she'll know techniques for reducing discomfort. She can discern if the Mom is experiencing signs of Post-partum Depressionand give suggestions. When the baby doubles his birth weight, she'll assist in gently training him to skip one feeding after another until he is sleeping from 7 pm to 7 am, usually by 7 to 8 weeks. Add an extra month or two for multiples.
Her goal in the two to twelve weeks she's with your family is to empower you to be completely comfortable caring for your infant. She'll help you learn the meaning of baby's different cries, and how to respond. She'll teach you how to swaddle, and methods to help baby self soothe. She will answer innumerable questions, and have a "bag of tricks" for every problem. If she doesn't know the answer, she will research the problem and present you with her ideas or referrals. She will be proactive, non-judgmental, anticipating the next stage in development, and a good listener, both to you and the baby.
Best of all, she will assure you that you're going to be just fine, that you are a good Mom. She will provide physical, emotional and educational support to make your transition to parenthood a pleasant, comfortable experience. It's so much easier when you feel rested and reassured. She will keep you company or slip away when you want to be alone with your new family. She can teach Dad to bond with his newborn "skin to skin." She will put your newborn on a schedule that fits her needs, explaining her reasoning and techniques so you can carry on. Before she leaves, you will develop a 24 hour schedule that works for your family and you will experience the joy of seeing your baby(ies) go right to sleep at naptime and nighttime with no crying. By the time they are seven to eight weeks old adjusted age, they will be sleeping through the night from 7 to 7 and you will be off to a good start.
When Should I Begin to Search for My Newborn Specialist? Most families begin their search after the first trimester to ensure that they have the widest selection of Newborn Specialists. Often, however we are able to accommodate a family on short notice, so don't hesitate to call.
What is a Typical Work Schedule for a Newborn Specialist? The most popular schedule is to have night time coverage Sunday through Thursday nights from 10 pm to 6 am. However our Newborn Specialists are flexible and can work 12 hour shifts or we can arrange for seven nights per week. Some families may want daytime help, and others prefer around the clock coverage for three days to two weeks or longer, and then transition to nights only. Some families only want day time help.
What if I Have an Older Baby or Toddler? For an older baby or toddler not sleeping through the night, a Newborn Specialist can come in for one or two weeks and assist the parents in setting up a schedule and training the baby to rest peacefully all night.
What is the difference between a Baby Nurse, A Newborn Specialist and a Night Nanny?A Baby Nurse may be an RN, best used when you have a special needs baby, but normally is a very experienced nanny who has specialized in newborn care for several years. A Newborn Specialist has five years experience with newborns and is confident in educating parents and getting baby on a schedule. She has worked with heart and apnea monitors and multiples. A Night Nanny has two to five years experience and usually only works nights.
NEW RESEARCH: What are the liabilities of a new Mom not getting enough sleep? A lack of adequate sleep is the major cause of postpartum depression. New research has also shown that a lack of sleep makes it much harder to take off that baby fat. A new Mom getting five hours or less sleep with babies who are six months old, are much more likely to retain their baby weight than a Mom getting seven to eight hours sleep. This difference of two hours allows women to get back down to within one to two pounds of their pre-pregnancy weight by the babies first birthday. More sleep deprived Moms were three times more likely to keep 11 pounds or more of their baby weight. Sleep and obesity are related throughout life, making it even more important for your baby to learn good sleep habits from the first day of life!
