Bringing home a new child often means that the sleep schedule of the entire household is interrupted. Most parents struggle through those early months running on little sleep and feeling exhausted. Hiring someone to care for your baby through the evening grants you the ability to receive a quality night’s rest that can make you feel like a brand new person. However, one of the most common questions we receive from expectant parents, is “what exactly does a Newborn Care Specialist do overnight?” Read on to learn more about all that a Newborn Care Specialist can do for you and your family while you enjoy some much-needed sleep.
The Arrival
Your care provider will arrive at your home before it is time for you to go to bed to get a recap of the day and how your baby has been that day. Shortly after arrival or during the recap of the day is an excellent time to ask questions of your Newborn Care Specialist, particularly if something new or puzzling may have happened that day. After you’ve completed the recap and discussed any questions you may have, your role for the night is done.Enjoy some quiet time, grab a shower, or just relax until you are ready to turn in for the evening.
The Work Begins
Once your care provider is on duty, they will immediately get to work preparing for the rest of the evening. If you are bottle feeding during the evening, the first order of the night will likely be making a bottle for the next feeding then proceed with any other preparations that may need to be done. After everything is ready to go, they may lightly rest but will always keep an ear out for your baby and will rise with them as needed throughout the night. If your child is hungry, they will feed your baby or bring them to you to nurse. Your Newborn Care Specialist will handle all burping, changing, swaddling, and soothing required throughout the night. Additionally, they may stock the nursery for the next day or wash bottle and pump parts as needed. Limiting your interaction with the baby during nighttime hours assists you in getting the maximum amount of sleep with the minimum amount of worry.
The Departure
Once you are awake in the morning or your Newborn Care Specialist’s shift is up (whichever happens first), you will receive a recap from your care provider about how the night went. They will update you anything you should be aware of or need to keep an eye on during the day. They may also provide you with a log of your baby’s activities during the night. After getting you up to speed and their shift is over, they will hand back over the monitor (so to speak) so that you can begin caring for your child during the day. At this point, it is time for your care provider to depart and begin preparations for their next shift.