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Maternity Nurse Role

A maternity nurse can help provide new parents with a smooth introduction to their baby and parenting in general. A maternity nurse will have a wealth of experience to offer first time parents and can also be there to remind those who have other children already. They will teach about the development of the baby, and encourage involvement and confidence from the parents and promote positive reactions from other siblings.

A maternity nurse will understand the impact that a new baby can have on the family as a whole and they will be able to offer advice on the mother’s diet, rest and general wellbeing. The nurse will help to establish a form of routine when it comes to the baby’s feeding and sleeping patterns which many new mothers have problems with.

General Duties: As well as advising on and helping new parents with feeding the baby, a maternity nurse will be responsible for the physical needs of the baby, which includes bathing, changing, settling, and taking care of the baby’s laundry, nursery and equipment.

Duties with bottle fed babies: It is the nurse’s responsibility to prepare the milk bottles and ensure the bottles and other feeding equipment is clean and sterilised during the day and night. The maternity nurse is also responsible for feeding the baby, at any time, and establishing a good feeding and sleeping routine as discussed with the parents.

Duties with breastfed babies: The maternity nurse should observe the mother when she is feeding the baby, and be able to offer advice where necessary. After feeding, the nurse should take the baby and resettle it, be it day or night.

Rest: A maternity nurse will be expected to be on duty for 24 hours a day, which means they will be tired from broken sleep, especially after a night with a particularly unsettled baby. It’s important they have time to rest and take breaks to regain their composure and remain focussed and alert at all times. Give them a chance for a 2-3 hour break during the day if you can.

Accommodation: The maternity nurse may well be sharing a room with the baby, or they may have their own room. Either way they should keep the room tidy at all times. If there is a separate bathroom for them to use then they should keep this clean and tidy too. All meals for the nurse will be provided by the client during the booking.

Food: The nurse should expect to cook their own meals and wash up after themselves during a booking. If eating with the family, then the nurse should offer to help with the cooking or clearing up afterwards and not expect the family to do all of this for them. It is not the duty of the nurse to cook for the family, however if the mother is recovering from a caesarean then they may feel they want to help and make lunch and drinks to ensure the mothers fluid level remains constant.

Time off: Maternity nurses are booked for 6 days per week, and will be on call 24 hours a day. The nurse will be entitled to 24 hours off every 7th day, and can arrange to stay in the house with no duties, or leave completely for the day.

Salary Guide: Maternity nurses are all self-employed and are responsible for paying their own tax and national insurance contributions in Britain.

Maternity Nurse Rates

1 baby – £140 – £180 per 24 hours
Twins – £190 – £220 per 24 hours
Triplets – £230+ per 24 hours

Salary is according to age and experience. A maternity nurse who does not start work on the date agreed is entitled to 50% of the weekly salary until they begin work. From the agreed start date, the nurse will be on call 24 hours a day and begin the booking upon request.

Communication with Parents: A maternity nurse should always discuss with the parents, any aspect of the baby’s care and development. If there are any concerns about the baby, or if it become ill, the nurse should inform the parents and doctor immediately. The whereabouts of the parents need to be known by the nurse at all times in case of emergency and the nurse should be provided with the correct contact details at all times. The nurse will be keeping a record of all feeds and should encourage the parents to do this after they have left the booking.

Booking a Maternity Nurse: If you decide to book a maternity nurse from us we will request written confirmation regarding the booking including start date, length of booking, and weekly salary. Written confirmation may be sent by fax, e-mail or post and must be sent to Eden Maternity to secure the booking. Some maternity nurses may require a retainer from the employer and this would be by arrangement between the nurse and the employer, and then deducted from the first week’s salary.

Maternity Nanny: A maternity nanny will fulfil the same role as the maternity nurse; however they may have less experience. If this is the case, they will need to be pro-active in finding the answers to any questions and be a good team player. Maternity nannies are a great choice for mothers who have older children and need help with them as well as the baby. The maternity nanny will be more of a help to the whole family but will require a break during the day if working with the baby and other children.

Night only Maternity Nurse: Night maternity nurses may live-in but will usually live-out and will work for up to 6 nights per week. They specialise in getting particularly wakeful babies to sleep throughout the night and are a good option for confident parents who just need a little extra sleep! They can work for 10-12 hours per night and come to your home between 1 and 6 nights a week.

Daily Maternity Nurse: Daily maternity nurses usually live-out and work for between 10 and 12 hours a day, and up to 6 days per week. They are the right option for families with limited space or who prefer not to have a live-in nurse but still need to benefit from what a maternity nurse can offer.

Introduction Fee: the introduction of a maternity nurse or maternity nanny to a client through Eden Maternity is highly confidential and are all made individually. A full fee will be charged for any nurse engaged as a consequence or resulting from an introduction by Eden Maternity, whether directly or indirectly.