Do you have a newborn in your home? Consider a newborn care specialist to help.
When our little ones were newborns, some of this information would have been great to know, but like all parents we learn as we go. I am happy that we can share this great information here, however for any new parents who may be out there looking for help with their newborn babies in their family.
Thanks for the great article, Clara.
Enjoy.
– Will
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What does a newborn care specialist do?
Are you thinking about hiring a newborn care specialist? These professionals offer helpful services to new parents in the care of their newborns. Below are the major functions of a newborn care specialist:
First, the major role of the newborn care specialist is to offer education and assistance after the parents bring their baby home from the hospital. In most cases, this involves setting up a feeding and sleeping schedule, training the baby to sleep, and helping with breastfeeding.
Second, the specialist usually works the night shift with the baby, getting him or her used to sleeping all night, while the parents get a full night’s rest. When baby wakes, the specialist will feed the baby with a bottle or brings the baby to the mother to so that mom can nurse him or her. After he/she is fed, the baby is changed, burped and put back to bed. A lot of the focus of the specialist in the first weeks is to get the baby on the proper eating and sleep schedule. After all, those two things are what babies do most in the first weeks of life. Getting them on a schedule ensures a healthy and happy baby.
Third, the specialist offers similar care during the daytime and also creates a stimulating and nurturing environment for the baby. The newborn care specialist will document the patterns of the baby and maintain a log of feeding, sleeping and changing times to help to transition the baby to a normal schedule.
Fourth, the newborn care specialist is there to educate and support the parents. Many new parents do not have the knowledge or experience to take care of their baby as effectively as they otherwise could. The specialist answers their questions and educates them about how to keep the baby fed, sleeping, changed, and generally happy and healthy.
Most newborn care specialists work with new parents for up to three months. Beyond that, some specialists may stay on and help the parents with:
- Sleep training beyond three months and help them keep infants and toddlers sleeping all night.
- Assistance with reflux and colic problems and help them deal with the baby’s Gastroesophageal reflux (GER)/Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
- How to take care of twins or triplets and dealing with more than one baby at a time.
- Perform consultations regarding any newborn issues that come up.
Now that you understand what newborn care specialists do, you can decide if their services may be of use to you.
As many of our readers are parents themselves, what are some great tips for newborn parents that you can share that you wish you had known when you first had your own little one(s)? We’d love to hear your experience. Would a newborn care specialist have helped you in those first critical couple of months when you were a new parent?