I talk to Nappkin’s childcare agency partner Rockmybaby about the role of maternity nannies.
My second child was three weeks old when I started to feel the full impact of a back injury that started during pregnancy. I was unable to function and put on strong pain killers to be able to care for my newborn and two-year-old. The nights were the worst – I remember sitting in my feeding chair bawling because I couldn’t hold my tiny baby up long enough to wind him. One of the things that saved me was access to a maternity nanny – who was able to burp and settle my boy for me, which then allowed me to have greater stints of sleep.
I spoke to Cushla Bower from Rockmybaby about the role of a maternity nanny, and how they can help new parents under extreme pressure, fatigue and stress. Rockmybaby is a national childcare provider that was started in 2006 by Ursula Maidens. Rockmybaby was also the agency I personally used.
What does a maternity and/or night nanny do?
A maternity nanny is a highly experienced nanny that supports Mum with newborn babies – sometimes until the baby is several months old. They have a high degree of experience caring for newborns, supporting Mothers, and may have qualifications as a doula, midwife, maternity nurse, baby sleep consultant or lactation consultant. They generally work 8 – 12 hours overnight arriving anywhere from 8pm and work through till 6/7am. They will stay near the baby for the duration of the night, take baby into to Mum for feeds (or feed them if required), then do the nappy changing, burping, settling and general nurturing whilst Mum is getting some much-needed sleep. Depending on their level of knowledge, qualifications and expertise, can often offer advice around supporting good baby sleep routines, care routines right through to advice around colic, reflux etc.
How popular are they in New Zealand?
We do get relatively regular requests, but I think often it’s a service a lot of people don’t know about – or how it works!
What is the feedback like from mums who have used your services?
We often get the feedback from Mums: “it was a total gamechanger for me”. Always such positive and heartfelt feedback about how much it has truly helped them – from getting a good night’s sleep, through to the offer of the best supportive advice.
What other options do new mothers have in terms of help, aside from night/maternity nannies?
The maternity nanny is often out of a family’s budget, but we can also provide a mothers support nanny which is a more affordable option and can also give Mums some much needed support and reprieve. A mother’s support nanny works during the daytime and generally comes in for 4 – 6 hours to offer a more general level of support. They can care for baby (or older siblings) whilst Mum takes a daytime nap, and support with light household duties including sterilising bottles, laundry duties, dishes, meal preparation and general light housework.
Can you tell us a little bit about Rockmybaby?
Ursula Maidens launched Rockmybaby in 2006 to help friends solve their childcare problems. From the beginning, it was clear that this need was more complex than simply finding someone to keep an eye on the kids.
We want to create more good days for everyone.
Childcare can generate significant stress for a lot of parents, but quality childcare improves the quality of life for the whole family.
Rockmybaby exists to connect busy parents with reliable, flexible and high-quality childcare. And while most parents see childcare as a need rather than a want, our aim is to flip that on its head.
“It takes a village to raise a child” – so we’re building a new type of village, after all, modern childcare needs to fit the modern world.
Rockmybaby connects families with experienced childcare practitioners. True to our belief that good childcare is about enrichment and not just supervision, we offer the full spectrum of care, from nannies, maternity and mothers support nannies, in-home education, after-school care to babysitting.
Along with working directly with families, Rockmybaby is a trusted childcare provider and advisor for government, social and corporate organisations. We work with government ministries and agencies to help meet complex care needs. We also provide support to other childcare providers, in-home education programmes, charities and social organisations across New Zealand.
Trust is everything to our business, so we begin by interviewing, vetting and engaging with experienced childcare practitioners. This builds our network of carers, giving us the flexibility to connect you with the right person for your needs.
We’re a compassionate source of expertise. We are parents, and we know what it’s like: the stress of organising multiple schedules, the worries and fears about safety, the guilt of leaving the children at home while you do something for yourself.
Great parenting is complex, and we believe that it’s not a matter of being present for every moment. In fact, we know that children thrive when their parents lead full and happy lives. Raising more awesome humans means looking after yourself too.
See more at rockmybaby.co.nz.
hannah norton writes 