“The role is not to become a surrogate mother!”
Parents employ Maternity Nurses to care for their new-born baby. The Maternity Nurse generally starts when the Mother arrives home from hospital, but often they need to be booked 6 months in advance! They best Maternity Nurses know how to assimilate themselves into a household smoothly. Maternity Nurses are employed for support, guidance and an extra pair of hands for those first apprehensive but exciting few weeks. They concentrate on establishing sleeping and feeding routines. Nurses normally take a strong role during the night, as they work continuously for 6 days (resting when baby rests) and with the following 24 hours off. This gives the Mother an opportunity to get some rest and fully recuperate.
There are many different routines to establish and the Nurse will discuss the best ones to suit the family and help them make an easy transition. Maternity Nurses also liberate that extra time for Mum to spend with the other children, helping everyone through the adjustment period of an extra brother or sister arriving in the family.
Maternity Nurses come from a range of different training and although some have nursing backgrounds, they are not employed on this basis and should not be expected to carry out the role of a medically trained nurse.
Short courses available cover aspects such as breast-feeding, reflux problems and establishing routines to name a few. A large number of Maternity Nurses started as Nannies, so would normally have completed a 2 year course covering childcare from 0 – 7 years, and then they go on to specialise in tiny babies. This can have its benefits, as they can be flexible and also have the sensitivity and relevant experience to look after older siblings too!
Maternity Nurses have individual approaches to their work and it is important, when selecting the best one for your needs, to establish whether they will only look after the newborn, or if they are happy to do anything else, from cooking the family dinner to walking the dog!
We find that the demand for Maternity Nurses is high and it is advisable to book them well in advance of the baby’s birth!
Please contact Kaisha Hastu for more details or to book a personal consultation kaisha@greycoatlulmeys.co.uk +44(0)20 72339950
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