Hiring a Maternity Nurse
An extra pair of helping hands, for those all too precious first months
Whether you are becoming a parent for the first time or welcoming another addition to your family, we will do our best to make these first few weeks and months as easy and peaceful as possible for you.
With the support and care from one of our experienced maternity nurses (often known as baby nurses), new parents can build the confidence during those all-important early days with a new baby.
For the last 30 years, we have been helping families get the support and guidance they need. We understand the emotional rollercoaster of having a newborn so we select only the best and most able maternity nurses, each capable of establishing routines to suit families’ individual needs, and to guide families through the challenges of having a new addition in the family.
We take our time to carefully screen maternity nurses and pay particular attention when matching nannies with families. Candidates are always selected to meet your individual and specific requirements.
Where do I begin?
When considering bringing a maternity nurse into your household we always advise speaking with a specialist; unlike many other domestic roles, it is vitally important that the candidate you bring into your family’s life matches up to your expectations, and provides stability and trusted support. Childcare positions have additional nuance and considerations to bear in mind, and in our experience working with a dedicated childcare recruitment specialist such as Nannies Incorporated is always worth the investment.
To get started, you may wish to reflect on what you’re looking to most achieve from the appointment, or what special character traits or specialist skills you might hope for. Then, you may wish to consider the practical side of the appointment, such as budget for the role, accommodation, or how you’ll introduce the successful candidate to the family.
We have worked with families for over 30 years, and in that time have amassed considerable experience - to help you on your journey we would suggest reading through our Guides section, or completing our Family Registration form to give our team the building blocks to help find your ideal candidate.
What does a Maternity Nurse do?
A maternity nurse provides the mother with postnatal care, parenting advice, guidance and hands-on support. She is also responsible for the hands-on care of the baby during the day and overnight hours.
A maternity nurse will sleep in the baby's room and, in the case of breastfed babies, she will either use bottled breast milk or formula overnight, or bring the baby to the mother and resettle the baby after a feed. She does not stay awake all night and sleeps when the baby sleeps.
A maternity nurse can also be in charge of the baby’s development, taking the baby for walks and other activities agreed in advance with the parents, keeping clothes, bedding and areas used for baby care tidy, clean and fresh, keeping a daily diary of information on diet, sleep and any other important information (illness, etc.) and report back to parents on a daily basis.
Maternity nurses are also happy to travel with families, and working patterns tend to be that a maternity nurse is on call 24 hours a day either 5 or 6 days per week, though is entitled to at least 3-4 continuous hours off during these 24 hours. For their time off, maternity nurses need to be provided with a separate bedroom.
It’s important to note that a maternity nurse’s main responsibility and priority is the baby; she is not responsible for any siblings.
Are there different types of Maternity Nurse?
You’ll occasionally hear Maternity Nurses being referred to by a number of different names including Baby Nurses, Newborn Care Specialists, Confinement Nurses, Night Nurses or Maternity Nannies.
We’ve included more details on the subtle differences between these ‘types’ of Maternity Nurse below but the answer is, essentially, yes - but the differences between these types aren’t major!
If you’re at all unsure, our team of experienced consultants would be very happy to discuss your needs and preferences to establish exactly what profile of candidate would best suit your individual family.
What countries do Nannies Incorporated work in?
Whilst the majority of our placements have historically been located in London, Paris and Dubai, at Nannies Incorporated we have been lucky enough to work with wonderful families from all around the world.
We have placed maternity nurses in Luxembourg, Singapore, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Italy…and that’s just to name a few!
We are very happy to speak with families both at home and abroad, to find out if working with Nannies Incorporated would be best for your family.
How much does it cost?
Your Maternity Nurse’s salary will primarily depend on where you are located, but it would be advisable to make sure you research for your budget to ensure that the maternity nurse you bring into your home is well-trained, highly regarded, and has the experience needed to ensure a smooth working relationship. This figure would also cover the pension contributions legally required, and the fee payable to your maternity nurse’s recruitment and vetting agency.
We have provided a comprehensive Guide on the average maternity nurse salaries per region that we service here, and you can read more detail on how our Fees work here.
“We strongly recommend that anyone looking to hire a maternity nurse contact Nannies Incorporated.
Indeed, the care of a newborn requires great skills and long experience, two criteria that are central to their concerns. Thanks again.”
“Nannies Incorporated is an excellent agency. They have a long experience, Annie understood perfectly what we needed and was able to find us an amazing maternity nurse.
Everyone showed great professionalism and reactivity.”
Supportive and kind Maternity Nurses, caring for mother and baby alike.
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Maternity Nurses, Baby Nurses or Newborn Care Specialists
A Maternity Nurse, Baby Nurse or Newborn Care Specialist will have many years of experience, and will provide practical hands-on support for parents with a calm, experienced influence during Mum’s post-partum period.
They are responsible for feeding, advising on bottle and breast feeding, changing baby, washing/sterilising bottles, initiating a sleep & feeding schedule and devising activities to help baby develop well.
These experienced professionals will likely have spent several years caring for babies and will have experience with common newborn complications such as reflux, tongue tied and minor gastro issues.
Whilst they are not doctors, they will be happy to advise you about when to seek advice and will likely have the names and numbers of specialists that they would recommend in such situations.
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Confinement Nurses
The role experienced maternity nurses or newborn care specialists play have been traditional in many societies in the past.
In China a Confinement Nurse was a traditional hire, that continues to be ever-popular today. These experienced ladies would support mum and baby post-partum but they would also guide mum through local postpartum traditions and beliefs.
This type of newborn help can still be hired to this day and provide lots of support and a traditional post partum experience to new mothers.
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Night Nurses
A Night Nurse will have the same experience and expertise as other professional newborn carers, the only difference being, they usually work 12 hour shifts overnight.
They often begin at 8 or 9pm then work through until 8am or 9am the next morning.
Much like more traditional Maternity Nurses, a Night Nurse will likely have spent several years caring for babies and will be familiar with common newborn night-time complications such as reflux, and sleep issues.
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Maternity Nannies
A Maternity Nanny will usually begin once a baby turns 3 months old or later.
They may not have the same level of experience as newborn specialists, however, they will feed baby and are experienced with weaning, adapting sleep schedules, and devising developmental activities for baby, such as going to local baby classes or arranging play dates with other babies to encourage good social skills.
As nannies, they usually work 12-hour days, 5 or 6 days a week.
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Nannies
If you’re looking for additional support or structure for your children, or wish to give them a more enriched developmental experience, a professional Nanny may be just the ticket.
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Governesses
If you’re looking to further support the educational needs of your child, employing a governess in a private home gives the advantage of a tailored tuition plan and a dedicated professional.