On a nightly basis, the role of LMS team members is to feed, soothe, bathe, change & provide all other gentle care to babies through the night. Care can be for single babies, twins or triplets. We also provide education and ongoing support to parents using our Resource Center, peer counseling tools and lactation consultants. This blog, What Do Night Nannies & Baby Nurses Do All Night? describes a typical night-in-the-life for our team in the field.
While Let Mommy Sleep provides in-person and virtual baby care teaching and sleep coaching, overnight newborn care makes up the bulk of our service. Overnight newborn care usually happens from 10pm- 7am. During this time the role of the Night Nurse (RN/LPN) or Newborn Care Provider is:
bottle feed or bring baby to breastfeed
support parents through feeding sessions if they wish
change diapers, change sheets
swaddle, soothe
document baby's eating and behavior
clean, sterilize and prepare bottles and pump for the next day
provide suggestions/answers with sources to family questions
Depending on a family's specific wishes there are usually other tasks but generally the above are what a family can expect.
During their downtime during the night, while baby is asleep, the team is documenting the night, getting ready for the next "awake" cycle and tidying up.
As it is a protected title, Nurse refers to those who have received and are current holders of a state Nursing license. Let Mommy Sleep uses this title in the legal way when referring to Night Nurses or Baby Nurses. The role of the Registered Nurses (RN) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) is to visit families when there is a health need which calls for a licensed nurse to provide care.
Examples of this would be:
1. to care for a newborn using a feeding tube.
2. to provide a postpartum assessment in the first week home for the hospital to
bridge the 6-week gap that insurance typically requires between giving birth and
visiting the OBGYN for a postpartum check-up.
3. to provide early intervention care, monitoring and feeding instruction upon
family's arrival home from the hospital or birthing center..
Traditional home health agencies usually handle ongoing pediatric health needs, as their services are covered by certain health insurance providers.
Newborn Care Provider (NCP) is the title for those providing non-medical care. It can be a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Medical Tech or Infant Caregiver with childcare center or private experience. Other names for these caregivers can be postpartum doula or night nanny. It's notable however that postpartum doulas often work during the day and provide care for siblings. They often cook and do other household tasks like cleaning or shopping, that are appropriate during the day.
When the night nurse or nanny leaves in the morning, baby is fed, diapered and rested and ready for the day. Parents and family members are too!
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