Do I need a Maternity Nurse?

Is a Maternity Nurse a must?

A Maternity Nurse can be worth her weight in gold when a new baby arrives. She supports both Mum, Dad and baby for the first important weeks of life. There are varying levels of maternity care available, a full time option could mean five or six days a week, twenty four hours a day. You may also wish to opt for a night nurse who will work an eight to twelve hour shift, taking over the night feeds and allowing Mum and Dad time to rest while baby is taken care of by an experienced Maternity Nurse. Equally, some families require daily help, particularly if there are other children and Mum needs to be able to spend time with siblings or rest so that she is ready to face the night feeds on her own.

A Maternity Nurse brings not only a wealth of knowledge about caring for a newborn baby, but her experience means that she is also able to support both Mum and Dad as they embark on their journey into early parenthood, guiding and advising them along the way. Dads in particular, can often feel left out or not sure what they can do to help but and a Maternity Nurse can help Dad to find his confidence in caring for the baby too.

Does a Maternity Nurse look after anyone other than the new baby?

Part of the job entails supporting Mum with matters such as general baby care, caring for herself from a nutritional stand-point, offering breastfeeding support and showing Mum how to work towards establishing a routine so that when the time comes, baby is familiar with daily life and the family can continue on after the Maternity Nurse leaves. A good Maternity Nurse will also be up to date with the latest equipment and may also offer a list of items that parents may wish to purchase before the birth as well as being able to comment on items that may not be necessary, despite the advertising campaigns to the contrary. 

Is a Maternity Nurse a temporary employee?

A Maternity Nurse is usually self-employed and as such, will be responsible for paying her own tax and contributions. This makes the hiring process fairly straight forward with minimal responsibility on your part. She will usually ask for a booking fee up front to secure the hire period with the balance paid as agreed in the contract. It is important that you discuss all the terms of the contract before signing and also be aware of the cancellation policy.