FAQs
Where do you work?
I work across the UK and abroad.
When does the maternity nurse sleep?
When working as a 24hr Maternity Nurse I will rest while your baby is sleeping. Obviously, I sleep with one eye open frequently checking on your little bundle. I also have a 4hr break each morning to catch up on sleep and to allow you to spend quality time together; just you and your baby.
Does the Night Nanny stay awake when she is with us?
No, while I am with you, I will nap when the baby sleeps so I do require a bed/sofa bed. As it will be broken sleep I will normally go home and catch up on rest. If you do require me to be awake during the whole night this needs to be discussed at the initial meeting and a higher rate will be charged.
Where does the baby sleep?
The baby sleeps in the room with me to allow you to get some well-earned rest. I will either bring the baby to you for feeding and then take the baby back for a nappy change and resettling or feed the baby expressed or formula milk. Sometimes parents want the baby to sleep with them initially and that is totally fine, I will be on call for anything that you need.
How long should I book you for?
Two weeks will get you through the initial phase once home with your baby, by 12 weeks ‘most’ babies are sleeping at least 8-10 hours at night, if not more. How long depends on your needs and also finance.
When should I book you?
I do get booked up in advance, the earlier you book me the better! A lot of clients will book me after their 12/14 week scan and return clients as soon as they’ve told their partners! Once the contract is signed and the booking fee is paid I’m booked and it is another thing you don’t have to worry about.
Do you do emergency bookings?
Yes, I do sometimes have times in the year when I have no bookings, it is always worth contacting me to see if I’m available at short notice.
How do I know when I want you to start… what if the baby comes early/late?
I advise my clients to book a week after the due date to allow for late arrivals, however, if you have a C-section booked then 2-3 days after your home from the hospital. You can, of course, book me for the due date to make sure I’m available straight away. If your little one decides to come late to the party I will be on call from the date the contract starts and therefore there is a daily rate of 50% of the agreed rate for the first two weeks and then 100% fees until the infant is born. If the baby comes early just let me know, I try not to do back to back booking but hopefully, I’ll be able to come to you a bit earlier.
What do I need to provide?
All I need is a bed and three meals a day, I am happy to prepare my food with groceries provided or order food paid for by the client.
Why don’t you work 7 days a week?
1 – Because I need to catch up on sleep
2 – I have my own family who likes to see me occasionally
3 -It will give you time to enjoy being alone with your baby to prepare you for when I leave.
Will you travel with us?
Yes, I’m happy to travel with you as long as visas and insurance have been organised, but it does need to be discussed when we have our initial chat.
Can I leave you in sole charge of my baby if I would like to go away for a few days?
I am happy to proxy parent but this needs to be discussed at the initial meeting stage. There is an additional charge for this service as I will be on call 24/7 while you are away.
My family have religious beliefs that we wish to raise our child by, can you accommodate that?
I believe religions, cultures and beliefs deserve the same amount of respect. Please do let me know if your home follows any religious or cultural traditions during our initial conversation and I will do my utmost to honour these.
I need you for longer can I extend my booking?
Most of the time yes, I am happy to extend. I do have to ensure a gap between bookings to allow for early or late arrivals. The earlier you let me know, the better.
What happens if I change my mind and want to go it alone?
That’s absolutely fine, depending on when you cancel there is a sliding scale of fees due. As you can imagine I have booked you into my diary and probably turned down other clients to help you, this is outlined in my contract.
If you’re in my home at night, will you babysit my other children so I can go out?
I am happy to babysit once or twice during a long term (12 weeks) booking but if it is a regular event I do charge additional babysitting fees.
OK, I’d like to book you, what’s the next step?
Well, that’s great and thank you! The next step is to drop me an email explaining your situation, what kind of help you would like and how long you think you would like help for. We will then either have a Facetime chat or meet for a coffee. If after that we both feel we would work well together, I will send you my contract that needs to be read, signed and returned. I will also send you a booking fee invoice, this is normally 2 weeks fees. Once the contract is returned and the fee paid…I’M YOURS!!!