What Is a Newborn Care Specialist? Let Nanny Harmony Source Your Top NCS
When it comes to newborn care, deciding what’s best for your family can feel both overwhelming and intimidating. Perhaps you’ve heard some terms thrown around—newborn care specialist, postpartum doula, night nanny, baby nurse—and you’re not totally sure what all of those terms mean, let alone which one is the best fit for your family’s unique needs.
First of all, it’s completely valid to feel overwhelmed! We’re dealing with the most precious gift in your world: your little one. It makes sense that you want to get everything right.
We are here for you.
We recognize that this is a time when you already have so many “to-dos” on your plate, so we’d love to walk you through all of these newborn care roles, provide more clarity and distinctions, and offer some peace of mind as you move forward with your preparation.
So, what exactly is a Newborn Care Specialist (NCS)?
An NCS is an individual who is highly-trained and certified in their newborn care. Because of their extensive training, the NCS is equipped to confidently lead the way in the home, offering sound guidance and best practices for the parents. Their expertise surrounds all aspects of care for the newborn, including but not limited to newborn sleep, diapering, bathing, feeding strategies & support, developmental milestones, and alerting you to any common/uncommon medical concerns so that you can check in with your healthcare provider.
The NCS is a very self-led expert, ready and able to implement plans for long-term sustainable sleep habits, feeding, and general care. Additionally, many NCS’s are experts in care for preemies, multiples, and other unique circumstances.
Newborn Care Specialists typically provide overnight care, so that parents can catch up on much-needed sleep. Some may be open to 24-hour care as well, usually requiring 4-6 hours off in each 24-hour period. In the case of 24-hour contracts, the position would require a designated area of the home for the NCS to rest and recharge when “off the clock.” Some families may opt for round-the-clock care for the first portion of the contract and then move down to overnight shifts for the rest of the contract.
Depending on your family’s needs and desires as well as the desires of the NCS, contracts are typically between 6 weeks and 6 months in length, often with the end-goal of the baby sleeping through the night. An NCS will generally earn $30-60/hour, but this can vary based on location, training level/experience of the NCS, and other factors.
How does a Newborn Care Specialist compare to a Postpartum Doula, Night Nanny, or Baby Nurse/Night Nurse?
Postpartum Doula
Postpartum doulas are also highly-trained and certified professionals who specialize in care during the “4th trimester.” While the NCS focuses most of their care on the infant, the postpartum doula often takes on a more holistic role, providing support for the infant but also for the whole family unit, especially the birthing parent. This care may come in the form of household assistance, feeding support, education, infant care, emotional support, and sometimes even sibling care and mealtime preparation. The goal is to aid in a smooth adjustment to the new baby and to help parents reach their own unique and personal parenting goals.
Postpartum doulas may offer daytime or overnight care, but they do not as typically offer 24/7 care like NCS’s. The doula’s broadened form of care often leaves room for active parent involvement, and the focus is on parental education and empowerment.
Night Nanny
Unlike NCS’s, night nannies tend to work under the direct guidance (and often supervision) of the parents in the home. They may not be certified and often have not undergone the same extensive training. Additionally, they may work with a wider range of ages, from infants to school-aged children, depending on the needs of the family.
Baby Nurse or night nurse
It’s worth noting here that terms like “baby nurse” or “night nurse” are not usually used correctly. These terms are considered outdated and are not legal to use in many states unless the individual is an actual nurse (RN, LPN, LVN). The industry as a whole has been moving away from these terms in an effort to offer as much transparency as possible and to avoid confusion.
What are the next steps?
In reading through this, you may have gotten a better understanding of what newborn care option feels best for you and your family. Perhaps you need to sit with it, talk it over, and process. Take that time!
At Nanny Harmony, we have just begun offering NCS placements, so if an NCS feels like the right fit for your family, you can fill out our family application. We recommend beginning your search as early as possible, since some NCS candidates are booked months in advance.
If a postpartum doula feels like the right fit for your family, we are always happy to refer you to an outstanding and reputable business that offers those placements.
If you are interested in becoming certified as a Newborn Care Specialist, we recommend looking for more information through Newborn Care Specialist Association, as well as checking out the signature courses available through Newborn Care Solutions, linked here.