If you're searching for overnight help with a newborn in Texas, you'll see three terms used almost interchangeably. They aren't the same. Here's what each one does, so you can choose the support your family actually needs.
Many families start by searching for a "night nurse." What most of them want is someone who can care for their baby overnight so they can sleep, answer their feeding questions, and help them feel confident. That description fits a postpartum doula or newborn care specialist more closely than it fits a nurse.
A night nurse is a licensed nurse, such as an RN or LVN, who provides medical care in the home. Families sometimes hire one when a baby or parent has medical needs after leaving the hospital, like a baby who came home from the NICU with monitoring or medications. Because they're licensed medical professionals, night nurses usually cost more than other overnight help.
A night nanny focuses on the baby. They handle overnight feedings (bringing baby to a breastfeeding parent or giving bottles), diaper changes and settling, so parents can rest. Training and experience vary widely, and a night nanny usually isn't focused on the birthing parent's recovery.
A postpartum doula supports the whole family during the fourth trimester. Overnight, that means caring for your baby while you sleep and bringing baby to you to nurse if you're breastfeeding. During the day, it can mean feeding support, newborn care education, help with recovery, light household help, nourishing meals and someone to talk to about your birth. A newborn care specialist (NCS) has specialized training in infant care, including feeding, sleep and soothing.
Some of our postpartum doulas and newborn care specialists are also licensed nurses. When you book through Nurture & Nest, you're booking them in their role as a postpartum doula or newborn care specialist, not as a nurse.
Our overnight care is $2,000 for 40 hours (five 8-hour nights, $50 an hour). Daytime care is $900 for 20 hours (five 4-hour shifts, $45 an hour). Additional hours can be added to either package, and many families use HSA or FSA funds or employer benefits like Carrot, Maven or Progyny.
If your baby or you have ongoing medical needs, talk with your pediatrician or provider about whether a night nurse makes sense. If what you need most is sleep, reassurance and someone who knows newborns, a postpartum doula or newborn care specialist is often the best fit. Many families book during pregnancy so care can start the day they come home.
Free consultations by phone or video. Call us at (346) 616-1279.
