maternity nurse – Nannyjob blog

Adapting to living with a family

Live in child carers, such as live in nannies, maternity nurses and au pairs, have to not only get to grips with demands of the job but also balance the dynamic of living in someone else’s house. The exact relationship depends on the job – for example au pairs are expected to be part of the family whereas nannies are more independent – but there are some things which almost every live in child carer experiences.

Household rhythms

Initially aligning times of meals and going to bed can be tough. Going to bed early, or being the last one up at night, may mean you feel a bit apart from the family you’re living with. If you don’t function until your second cup of coffee then negotiating the kitchen in the morning can be a challenge too.

Eating different food

Even when you come from the same culture every family has their preferred meals and cooking methods. Food is so important that not having your favourite meals can have a bigger impact than you would think, or even grilled bacon instead of fried.

Knowing where to go when your employers are having a private conversation

When you live with people it can be hard to have privacy, and conversations can’t always be schedule. Almost every nanny has walked into the kitchen only to have their employers stop talking. Nine times out of ten it’s nothing bad, just something your bosses may not want you to know (yet) such as their plans for another baby. Worse still is knowing where to put yourself when your employers have an argument.

Negotiating bathroom time, and hot water usage

If you don’t have your own bathroom there may be peak times to avoid, and even when you do the sound of running water may disturb others. A greater crime is using all the hot water. Nobody likes a cold shower, so be mindful of how much you use, especially when you have guests, and find out how to put on the immersion heater or boost the heating.

Hearing children in your time off

Whether it’s the middle of the night or the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning, if your bedroom is within earshot of the children you’ll probably get disturbed. Much as you may love them, if you’ve planned to sleep, their noise is a nuisance you could do without. Even in the middle of the day if you’re trying to read, watch TV or skype a friend those noises can be a disturbance.

Remember that it can take time to adapt to your new housemates, and communication is really important not just about your working hours but regarding living arrangements too. Before taking a job it’s a good idea to ask about household routines and how much they expect you to be around vs in your room so you can decide whether you’ll fit in comfortably.

When’s it due?

Only around 4% of babies are actually born at 40 weeks, commonly known as the due date. 80% of babies are born 2 weeks before or 2 weeks after. That leaves parents with a dilemma – when should they start looking for someone? And when should they book someone to start?

Many people choose to have some kind of childcare around or just after the time a new baby is expected to make an appearance but predicting when that might be if you opt for a natural birth is not an exact science. Only around 4% of babies are actually born at 40 weeks, commonly known as the due date. 80% of babies are born 2 weeks before or 2 weeks after. That leaves parents with a dilemma – when should they start looking for someone? And when should they book someone to start?

That all depends on what kind of care you want. If you’re talking about care for older children while a mother is in labour then it’s a wise idea to have someone on standby from 2 weeks before. If it’s an existing nanny or childminder then that can make life a lot easier if the baby is born during the week (as long as you’ve agreed contingency plans in advance). If you want someone to be on standby and not make plans to go out then you can expect to pay them some kind of retainer so it’s a good idea to have a backup plan for your chosen carer. Ideally you’ll have someone in place by the time you’re 6 months pregnant, but tapping into existing childcare networks earlier on means you have a greater chance of finding joined up care if your preferred carer can’t make it. For expectant mothers who don’t usually use childcare, or who have children in school or nursery, a temporary nanny/mother’s help may be a good solution and if you employ them during the day even part-time they’ll give you a chance to grab some much needed rest. It’s a good idea to make sure your older children are familiar with the child carer before the due date, as a new child carer and a new baby all at once might be unsettling.

A doula who provides care for you during labour should be used to making arrangements to be on standby for the month around the due date and that is usually reflected in the price of a birth care package. If, however, you choose to book a doula solely for the post-natal period you should discuss with them when they usually start and what the arrangement is if a baby ends up arriving late. Many mothers feel they benefit from having a doula in the early days on an occasional basis especially if their own mother can’t be around to help. A doula is generally more flexible in their duties than a maternity nurse and less intrusive as they don’t live in for the duration of the booking. Depending on your location doulas might be difficult to find, so it’s advisable to start looking early in pregnancy.

A maternity nurse, who will care for mother and baby and ease the baby into a routine will usually start around 2 weeks after the due date (although some may have availability to start earlier than booked). If a baby ends up being later than expected most will charge either a full or reduced fee from the date the booking starts. Many families also prefer to have a few days together as a family and aim to have a maternity nurse start just as the other parent goes back to work. Some maternity nurses can get booked up far in advance, and as they are likely to be on a booking which may not be in your area while you’re searching for them interviewing may be tricky to arrange. Most people start to look for a maternity nurse around 3 months into their pregnancy and book by 6 months to ensure availability but, unlike doulas, there are several agencies which place maternity nurses and maternity nurses are often not restricted by location so finding an emergency maternity nurse or late booking is easier to accomplish.

Meet the agency: Nannies Inc

This month meet Emma, London nanny consultant at Nannies Inc, one of the biggest London agencies placing nannies in London, throughout the UK and internationally.

How long has your agency been established?

Nannies Incorporated has been established since 1989 and we are very proud that 26 years later we are the trusted nanny agency in London and worldwide. Many of our clients, maternity nurses and nannies have been loyal to us and keep using our services over and over again. We pride ourselves on our caring relationships with candidates and clients and are always on the lookout for new experienced candidates.

Continue reading “Meet the agency: Nannies Inc”

Becoming a maternity nurse

Maternity nurses, or maternity nannies, are newborn specialists who work with parents for the first few weeks of a new baby’s life to help the adjust to parenthood and implement a good routine. They usually work 24 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week, and an experienced maternity nurse can earn in excess of £1000 per week. They are self-employed and get work from agencies, advertising themselves on sites such as nannyjob.co.uk and via word of mouth. Jobs are can last between 4 weeks and 6 months so maternity nurses are always keeping an eye out for work, attending interviews and planning ahead. Maternity nurses also need to keep an eye on their accounts, keep track of expenses and submit their own tax returns.

Many families request specialist qualifications such as MNT’s Maternity Practitioner, NEST Postnatal Carer or BabyEm’s Maternity Nurse Training courses. Other courses which cover breastfeeding, postnatal depression or multiples to name just a few can also be valuable additions to your CV. Most course providers recommend that you have substantial experience with newborns before studying to become a maternity nurse so you can match the theory you learn in the classroom with your practical experiences. This experience will also give you valuable references when you are trying to get your first maternity nurse booking. Trainee maternity nurses often charge much less than their experienced colleagues in order to gain experience, work with families expecting their second or third child or take on part-time day or night work.

A maternity nurse needs to be cheerful, flexible, organised and able to cope on very little sleep. It’s not just about working with newborn babies, the goal is to involve the parents from the start and leave them feeling confident and able to look after their baby on their own when you leave, but it can be a rewarding progression from nannying into an exciting new career. If you are interested in finding out more, why not ask your questions on our community area?