We recently had the amazing opportunity to attend one of Newborn Care Solutions incredible courses, and let’s start off by saying that if you have the ability to check out these classes, do it! The amount of knowledge and tried-and-true insight that you walk away with is almost unfathomable, and yet somehow the class is also super fun and engaging.
We went to the most recent class they held in Seattle, WA over the weekend of 02/11-02/12 and it was their intermediary Newborn Care Specialist course. Check out their website for more info, they offer a wide array of continuing education classes and these certifications are exactly what our most exclusive, highest-paying families are looking for in caretakers.
We touched on virtually every topic having to do with infant care during the Newborn Care Solutions training, but this post is going to be focused on one small, but very important aspect of the program: defining roles. You may be wondering what sort of additional certifications or specialization makes sense for your career path, and these definitions will get you started in the right direction.
Baby Nurse
You may have heard this somewhat dated term, but in the NCS community, it’s really looked at as passé and that’s mostly because it’s actually illegal to call yourself a nurse unless you hold a nursing degree. Most people referring to a baby nurse are referencing a newborn care specialist of some varying degree of training and experience, but this is why defining roles is so important. Our families come to us with specific needs for their family and we need to quickly ascertain who is the best suited for them and will make for an ideal match for everyone involved! If you say you’re a baby nurse, there’s some assumption that you haven’t experienced much formal education, which makes room for the many talented folks that have tons of experience, but it may be different than what some of our higher-paying clients are looking for.
NCS
Newborn Care Specialists work very independently, typically at night between 10pm and 6am, tending to all-things-baby so that the family can rest up and enjoy their busy waking-hours with their new babe. Usually nannies start at 3-5 months of age, so few people in the nanny community actually have that 2 day-old-baby experience, and in taking a thorough course on the subject, you’ll be shocked to see how much there is to learn. Like a nanny, an NCS works hard to support the personal values of the family, educates + empowers the parents, and teaches the parents what they’re doing with the baby when there’s cross-over time. The difference is that as an NCS, you’d work with a family for a short, more specific period of time while the baby is an infant with the goal that the parents and additional caretakers (nannies coming on board around 3-5 months), feel confidant to take over by the time you’re done working with the family. As a result of the immense help that this provides for the family, you’ll notice that as an NCS you’ll be working for many high-level executives and high-profile families because this skilled position of NCS allows for them to maintain their careers seamlessly while having newborns in the house! As an NCS you do everything from supporting a breastfeeding mother from latching at night to swaddling, bathing, sleep training, and you’d be trained to recognize reflux, allergies, and know exactly how to help. You become the baby’s advocate when the baby is their most vulnerable, and in an often very busy environment.
Night Nanny
This helpful position is just like a nanny, except you’re working overnight with the infant, operating under the direction of the parents specific instructions. This role does not have extensive training specifically working with newborns or necessary methodology, but if the family is experienced with infant care and just need an extra hand, this is perfect.
Labor Doula
This beautiful position educates and supports a pregnant mother before and during labor with everything from massage, to diet, meal prep, and intensive physical and emotional support during the birth of the infant.
Postpartum Doula
This important role helps the postpartum family in the first few weeks from birth utilizing in-home education, teaching everyone basic baby care, though attending predominantly to the care of the mother and general household assistance, with some meal prep and cooking specifically for the healing mother.
Bereavement / End of Life Doula
This difficult and hugely important position gently walk parents through stillbirth or the loss of baby. Not for the faint of heart, but this is such a special way to support people through one of the most difficult moments they may experience.
*One important note to make is that doula’s typically do not offer much in the way of sleep guidance or newborn care treatment. Directly after giving birth, the family may be in need of more support in the way of an NCS.
Traditional Nanny
This is the fabulous role that we all adore and love! As nannies we typically work primarily days, and you’re usually expecting to be happily engaged for 1-3 years with the family that becomes like your family. The main difference between this role and that of a newborn care specialist is that as an NCS with proper training, you can be placed every TWELVE weeks, so with experience your earnings truly skyrocket with all the placements throughout the year. Brand new newborn care specialists make approximately $20-25/hr, while experienced NCS’s make $30-40/hr, and super-pro NCS’s (typically those with extensive experience with high-end multiples and special medical situations), can make up to $1000 per day.
We hope this definition of some of the possible roles within childcare was a fun read, and if you have any questions about how to get started with continuing your childcare education, we recommend checking out Newborn Care Solutions and signing up for their beginning NCS class whenever you’re able to. Even more exciting adventures await you once you’ve got an even broader skill set, and we look forward to hearing from you.
If you have any questions for us, or just want to follow along as we work to make the most ideal connections happen within the nanny + childcare specialist community, you can find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and check out more fun posts and helpful resources on our blog.
All photos by @life_is_your_baby.