I’m currently doing research and looking at referrals/recommendations for newborn care specialists (otherwise known as night nannies or night nurses) and post-partum doulas for when the baby arrives. Given that both of us have no idea what we are doing when it comes to raising a baby and have no family nearby who could help, it made sense for us to hire someone who actually does know what she’s doing to help us with things like feeding and very importantly, allowing us to sleep and not bite each others’ heads off once the baby is here. Sleep deprivation is very common and almost 100% expected once a newborn has arrived, and it’s the number one reason that causes irritability and problems between couples once a baby has come into the picture. A colleague of mine told me that with his night nanny, he and his wife had zero regrets with hiring her, and it actually ensured their marriage stayed in tact, as they were both well rested and had enough energy to think and speak rationally in those initial 4-8 weeks of newborn chaos.

It seems that these services tend to book up very quickly, as one person I reached out to who has a team of NCSs let me know that she and her entire team are booked out for December. The search and interviewing continues.