Categories
For Parents Newborn Care Specialist

The Newborn Care Solution

The Nanny Solution is delighted to announce that we are now offering the professional services of Newborn Care Specialists! 

A Newborn Care Specialist is a highly specialized and trained child care professional who focuses on the care and well being of newborn infants.

How is a Newborn Care Specialist different from a regular Nanny?

  • As a newborn care professional, a specialist generally works independently with minimal guidance from parents.
  • They are well versed in helping establish good feeding and sleeping habits in newborns.
  • They are familiar with behaviours, appearance, and general care of newborns.
  • They may also have experience caring for preemies and multiples.
  • They understand and recognize signs of possible food allergies, intolerances, and reflux in newborns, and know ways to help.
  • They have an understanding of Postpartum Mood Disorders, can recognize them, and confidently address them as they arise.

How can a Newborn Care Specialist help you and your family?

  • They can provide support with sleeping, feeding, and development of newborns during their first 3 to 6 months.
  • They can set up and execute a successful plan for getting your newborn to sleep through the night and nap well.
  • They can be hired to care for your newborn for overnight shifts or around the clock the care (usually a 20-hr shift).
  • They understand the value of, and can support, a breastfeeding or chestfeeding parent.
  • They can educate and build up parents in caring for their newborn while supporting their values.

If you’re interested in hiring a Newborn Care Specialist to help care for your little one, Contact Us.

Categories
For Parents

What is a Night Nanny? And why do you need one?

 

Caring for a newborn, establishing sleep schedules, and navigating the many challenges of being a new parent is no easy task, especially when you’re sleep-deprived! It’s no secret that having a newborn interferes with the number of hours of sleep you get each night and the quality of that sleep. In fact, if you ask a new parent how they’re feeling, 9 times out of 10, their answer will be “tired”. Fortunately, there’s a solution for that — hire a Night Nanny!

So, what is a Night Nanny?

You are likely familiar with a traditional Nanny, someone who is hired to care for children throughout the day while the parents are at work or otherwise occupied. A Night Nanny, on the other hand, is hired to care for newborns and infants throughout the night, allowing new parents to get some much needed rest, so that they are better able to function and care for their little one throughout the day.

Night Nannies typically work with a family starting from the day their newborn arrives and/or is brought home from the hospital, and stays for the first 8 to 12 weeks. They often arrive at the family’s home in the evening, provide child care throughout the night, and then leave the following morning. Night Nannies provide all aspects of infant care during the night, including bottle-feeding and nursing help, burping, changing diapers and bathing, and any other infant care-related duties, as needed. They also help to establish good feeding and sleeping habits in infants, and can help implement a regular sleep schedule.

Why do I need one?

Many new parents report not being able to sleep through the night, not just because their infant isn’t sleeping soundly, but also because they are concerned about their infant stopping breathing in the middle of the night or suffering from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). With a Night Nanny, you have the peace of mind of knowing that your little one is safe and being cared for by someone who is trustworthy and qualified, allowing you to get a few hours of restful sleep. In addition, Night Nannies have a wealth of knowledge and experience, and can help support and educate new parents as they navigate the challenges of parenthood. Finally, they can help infants establish habits that will help make the parents’ lives easier in the long term.

What’s the difference between a Night Nanny and a Newborn Care Specialist?

Newborn Care Specialists are highly specialized and trained child care professionals who focus on the care and well being of newborn infants. They are trained and certified to care for newborns, and often work independently with minimal guidance from parents, either during overnight shifts or around the clock care (usually a 20-hour shift). They may also have experience working with preemies and multiples, which many Night Nannies do not. In addition to the child care services that a Night Nanny provides, Newborn Care Specialists are familiar with behaviours, appearance, and general care of newborns, and are able to understand and recognize signs of possible food allergies, intolerances, and reflux in newborns, and know ways to help. They also have an understanding of Postpartum Mood Disorders, can recognize them, and confidently address them as they arise.

A Newborn Care Specialist can help new parents by providing support with sleeping, feeding, and infant development during the first few months. They can also set up and execute a successful plan for getting your newborn to sleep through the night and nap well. Newborn Care Specialists also understand the value of, and can support, a breastfeeding or chestfeeding parent. Most importantly, Newborn Care Specialists can help educate and build up parents’ confidence in carrying out their newborn, while also supporting their values.

If you’re interested in hiring a Night Nanny or Newborn Care Specialist to help care for your little one, Click here.

Categories
For Parents

Different Types of Professional Caregivers

There’s more than just one type of Nanny out there! There are a number of different types of professional caregivers, each with their own title and unique set of skills and areas of expertise. When you’re looking to hire a Nanny, it’s important to know the difference between the different types of caregivers, so that you can tell the agency exactly what you’re looking for. Below, we’ve provided a list of some of the different types of professional caregivers, along with a brief description of what each position entails.

Traditional Nanny

  • The main childcare provider in the home.
  • In charge of the children’s overall health and well-being.
  • Responsible for preparing children’s meals, tidying up their bedrooms, etc.
  • Actively engages the children daily in both indoor and outdoor play.
  • May drive children to/from school and activities, as required.

Nanny/House Manager

  • Performs the same duties as a traditional Nanny, plus:
  • Administrative duties, such as paying household bills.
  • Supervising other household staff, if applicable.
  • Running errands.
  • Grocery shopping.
  • Doing laundry.

Education Support Nanny

  • Has a teaching or education background.
  • Performs the same duties as a traditional Nanny, plus:
  • Assists with homework and project completion in physical and/or online form.
  • In charge of managing the technology for children’s online learning (e.g., websites, passwords, schedules, deadlines, etc.), if applicable.
  • Liaises with the children’s teachers regarding homework assignments, projects, tests, etc.

Nanny Educator/Tutor

  • Has specific teaching credentials (B. Ed or M. Ed.) and classroom teaching experience.
  • Hired for the specific purpose of teaching the family’s children in the home.
  • Develops the curriculum and teaching plans for the school year in accordance with local education standards.
  • Purchases all required support materials to support teaching and children’s learning.
  • Responsible for all teaching, evaluating, and progress reporting.
  • Assists with homework and project completion in physical and/or online form.
  • In charge of managing the technology for children’s online learning (e.g., websites, passwords, schedules, deadlines, etc.), if applicable.

Travelling Nanny

  • Hired on a short-term basis, specifically to travel or go on vacation with a family, or
  • Hired as a traditional Nanny for a family who travels regularly.
  • Engages with and cares for the children from morning to evening.
  • Organizes personalized activities for the children, depending on the location and according to the parents’ requirements.
  • Needs to be an experienced traveller, so as to anticipate the children’s needs and plan accordingly in advance.

Newborn Care Specialist

  • Highly specialized and trained to focus on the care and well-being of newborn infants.
  • Generally works independently with minimal guidance from parents.
  • Helps establish good feeding and sleeping habits in newborns.
  • Familiar with behaviours, appearance, and general care of newborns.
  • Understand and recognize signs of possible food allergies, intolerances, and reflux in newborns, and know ways to help.
  • Understand the value of and can support a breastfeeding parent.
  • Have an understanding of Postpartum Mood Disorders, can recognize them, and confidently address them as they arise.

Night Nanny

  • Provides all aspects of infant care during the night.
  • Bottle-feeding and nursing help, as well as burping.
  • Helps with bathing the infant and changing diapers.
  • Helps establish good feeding and sleeping habits in infants.
  • Any other infant care-related duties, as needed.

Labour Doula

  • Has specific training and certification in supporting the parents through the labour and delivery process.
  • Doulas give parents support, but do not provide medical care or deliver the baby.
  • Focus is on the family, not necessarily the newborn.

Postpartum Doula

  • Helps provide support to the family in the first few weeks following the birth.
  • Provides education, baby care, birth parent care, and household assistance.
  • Focus is on supporting the family, not necessarily the newborn.