When people ask what a baby nurse does, they usually imagine someone who feeds the baby at night. This is one part of their role. But the job involves taking care of all sorts of needs for the baby around the clock as well as allowing the parents to rest. Here's how my daily and nightly work typically looks if I'm living with a family.
Note on Name: "baby nurse" is the customary household name used for this work. I'm a newborn care professional rather than a licensed RN. I don't provide medical care but if something doesn't seem right, I help parents figure out if they should contact their child's pediatrician.
The job in one paragraph
A live-in baby nurse moves into your home, usually on discharge day, and takes charge of the newborn day and night. I do the feeds or bring the baby to mom to nurse, change every diaper, give baths, handle cord care and bris aftercare, wash and sterilize the bottles and pump parts, and do all of the baby's laundry. I teach the parents as I go. I take a six-hour break each day, at times we agree on, and those times can move whenever the day calls for it.
A typical 24 hours
Every baby is different, and newborns don't keep a clock. This is what a day often looks like in the first few weeks, not a schedule I impose.
| Time | What I'm doing |
|---|---|
| 7:00 am | Morning feed. Fresh diaper, clean clothes. Tell the parents how the night went: feeds, diapers, anything I noticed. |
| 8:00 am | Wash the night's bottles and pump parts. Start the baby's laundry. |
| 9:00 am | Baby naps on the back in the bassinet. I prep bottles for the day. |
| 10:00 am | Feed, burp, short awake time. Teach a parent to swaddle or bathe. |
| 11:00 am | My break may start here, or later. We decide together. |
| 5:00 pm | Back on. Evening feed and a bath if it's a bath day. |
| 7:00 pm | Evening fussing is common. I walk, rock, shush and swaddle. |
| 10:00 pm | Last feed before the parents sleep. Bottles washed and ready for the night. |
| 11 pm to 7 am | Night feeds whenever the baby shows hunger cues. Diapers, burping, back down to sleep. If mom is nursing, I bring the baby to her and settle the baby after. |
Night duties
Most families call me because of the nighttime routine. The goal is straightforward: parents can sleep while babies get fed, cleaned up, burped and put back safely on their backs in a bare crib or bassinet, which is also the AAP safe sleep guidance.
When feeding a baby who is breastfed, I change diapers first to wake the baby up so they can eat. Then I put the baby into mom's arms and take them for a burp and settling time. Mom then returns right away to sleep. If she is pumping, I clean the parts and store the milk. For babies who are fed with formula or bottles, I handle the whole feeding myself.
While I look after the baby between feed times, if the baby fusses more than normal or there's anything that looks wrong to me, I record this information and let the parents know in the morning. If the issue needs to be addressed right away though, I wake them up.
Day duties: bottles, laundry, bath, teaching parents
Bottles and pump parts. Every bottle and pump part gets washed after use and sterilized. The CDC's guide to cleaning infant feeding items says to sanitize feeding items at least once a day if your baby is under 2 months old, was born premature, or has a weakened immune system. A good washer helps when there are a lot of pieces.
Laundry. All of the baby's laundry is mine: clothes, swaddles, burp cloths, crib sheets. A newborn goes through a lot of them.
Bath and skin. I give sponge baths until the cord falls off, then tub baths, following the AAP's advice on bathing a newborn. After a bris, I do the gauze and dressing changes the way the family's mohel or doctor showed us.
Teaching. When it's your first child, I'll teach you how to swaddle them, how to burp them, and how to read their cues about being hungry as well as giving them baths. I want you to feel confident taking care of them when I leave.
Swaddling. Most newborns settle better swaddled. I swaddle snug at the chest and loose at the hips, and I stop once a baby shows signs of trying to roll, as the AAP says on swaddling.
What a baby nurse does NOT do
Being clear about this up front saves everyone stress.
- General housekeeping. My focus is your baby. If I see something I can pitch in on, I often will, but it's not a promise.
- Medical care. I'm not an RN. I don't diagnose, give medicine, or take the place of your pediatrician. I'm infant CPR certified, and I'll tell you calmly when I think it's time to call the doctor.
- Older children. I am happy in busy households with siblings, but childcare for the older kids is not part of the job.
- Cooking for the family. I make the baby's bottles, not the family's dinner.
How long families usually keep a baby nurse
With my families, a stay runs anywhere from two weeks to three months, and sometimes longer.
- 2 weeks: through discharge, the first pediatrician visits and, for many of my families, the bris.
- 4 weeks: past the hardest stretch of night feeds, with mom further along in her recovery.
- 8 weeks: common for C-section recovery, twins, or a parent going back to work early.
- 12 weeks or more: some families want help until the baby sleeps longer stretches, or until a nanny starts.
You don't have to decide everything before the birth. We talk about it as we go. If you're comparing options, read baby nurse vs night nurse vs nanny, and see what a baby nurse costs in NYC.
FAQ
What does a live-in baby nurse do?
She handles everything around the clock for newborns: feeding, changing diapers, bathing, sleep routines, bottle making, pump parts and laundering baby clothes as well as helping parents learn about parenting and giving the mom time to recuperate.
Does a baby nurse do the night feeds if I'm breastfeeding?
Yes, in a different way. I bring the baby to you to nurse. Then I'll burp the baby and change its diaper before settling it down so you can get back to sleep.
Does a baby nurse clean the house?
Not as part of the job. Everything for the baby, yes. General housekeeping, no.
When does a baby nurse sleep?
During my daily break and whenever the baby sleeps, that's when I get time off. My breaks are six hours a day and I'm very flexible about when I take them.
How long do you need a baby nurse?
Most of my time with families lasts anywhere from two weeks to three months. This length varies based on how quickly mothers recover, whether there are twins involved, work schedules and how confident the parents feel about having me around.
Want to see what a day with me looks like?
Send me a text or call (646) 966-3168 and we'll set up a video call. You can ask me anything about how I care for a newborn, and I'll share references. Everything I use on the job is on my favorite products page, and my newborn must-haves list covers what to buy before the baby comes. Here is what I take care of.
