What is a Maternity Nurse?

A maternity nurse (official title maternity practitioner) specialises in the care of newborns and mothers in the postnatal period in their own home. She will teach you how to care for your newborn, usually from the day you come home from the hospital. In addition, a maternity nurse will give advice and support with breastfeeding (or formula feeding), provide care for the baby in the night and help to guide (not force) the baby into a good feeding and sleeping routine.

A maternity nurse is not there to “take over “ the baby but rather to support and teach the parents in the first daunting days when the baby comes home. She will ensure that you rest and recover, encourage both parents to bond with their baby and instil them with confidence and the skills to care for their newborn, whilst having the advantage of being more well-rested than the average new parent!

I have been a maternity nurse for 19 years ( although it doesn’t seem that long). I love my job and can remember every baby I’ve helped to care for (unbelievable but true)! Each baby is unique and has given me different challenges, experiences, cuddles and tears. Some have defied all the rules and made me think outside the box, and some were easy, like Sienna L, sleeping from 7 pm to 7 am at seven weeks old, and others are “super challenging,” like Serena S, sleeping from 7 pm to 7 am at nine weeks.

If Only They Were All So Easy!

Now that I am a Certified Sleepy Lambs Sleep Consultant®, I hope to be able to use the knowledge I’ve gained over the years to help more families virtually. Unfortunately, there is so much contradictory information available and so much “helpful” advice from friends and family that it is confusing for new parents who are already nervous about getting things wrong.

Maternity nurses have become popular over recent years because the traditional family support network is not there for new parents, and families are scattered far and wide. In addition, grandparents often do not live nearby and have careers and busy lives themselves.

In previous generations, the family would come together to help and support the new mum. There was a” lying in” period of 30 days where the mother would have time to recover as she was taken care of by female family members. Nowadays, new mums are out and about within a day or two of giving birth.

Many people will think they wouldn’t want a stranger taking care of their precious new baby; however, new parents are taken entirely by surprise at how all-consuming taking care of a new baby is, and sleepless nights make it even harder. All my clients, without exception, tell me that having the reassurance of someone there to answer their questions and give guidance has meant that they can enjoy their baby without having to worry.

I can call on my extensive experience of various sleeping and feeding challenges, which have been easily resolved, to help YOU avoid the pitfalls that many new parents fall into and enable you to settle your newborn baby gently and happily into life. 

Of course, I cannot guarantee that your baby will sleep through the night as early as Sienna and Serena at seven and 9-weeks-old, but with the right structure and a few tricks of the trade, it could be much sooner than you might think!

Starting in January 2021, I will be offering Virtual Maternity Nurse Packages, including:

• Daily support from when you come home, to give you confidence and answer any questions (A useful gift to give to new parents!), including a list of essential and non-essential items to buy in preparation for your baby’s arrival.
• Teach you about newborn sleep and help you to set up a feeding and sleeping routine bespoke to you and your baby, which can be adapted and used right through to the toddler years.
• Advice for twins, multiples and premature babies, who need more specialised care.
• Troubleshooting, if you’ve hit a few problems along the way. Including feeding problems.

In addition, Post-COVID, I will also offer home visits if required.

I can’t wait to get to know you AND your newborn!