What is a standard night nurse rate? And are there any MUST ASK questions prior to hiring one?
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We’re looking to hire a night nurse for the birth of our third baby but have never used one before. We feel set on the nurse we’ve found, but I’m curious what the rate should be hourly, how many times you thought you needed one in the beginning (1-6 weeks), any questions we should ask prior to her starting, and just any tips for working alongside one.
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Hi! I’d ask for references, how many hours they work per night if you haven’t already. We had one with all three of our kids, every other night varying from 2-8 weeks. We were fortunate enough to be grandfathered in to a lower rate but the now going rate is usually at least $30/hour. Ours also folded laundry and did dishes when she was there while the baby slept (she had a monitor with her to keep an eye on the baby). The first two weeks there’s a lot of sleeping with a newborn but then they really wake up. I have heard of some nurses now requiring minimum hours and depending on how long they work for you, certain paid time off and paid either 1099 or w-2. We never ran into that but I have heard of that happening.
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http://www.lovemedoula.com - Katie Vinopal is wonderful! She knew what needed to be done without having to be told! Great with babies and easy to have in our house.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring:
- Training and Experience: Where were you trained, and how many families or newborns have you supported?
- Certifications: Are you certified in infant CPR?
- What is your approach to newborn care and sleep training?
- Duties: What specific tasks do you handle during your shift?
- AvailabilityReliability: What is your availability, and do you have other clients during my requested dates?
I would also make sure you communicate upfront exactly what you want and promote open communication. - Discuss your expectations, preferred routines, and any specific concerns upfront.
- Establish Boundaries: Define the scope of duties, such as whether light household tasks related to the baby are expected.
Hope that helps, and good luck!!!
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@Mommy-long-legs forgot to add, I think we paid around $25/hour but this was years ago so prices may have gone up!
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I paid $38/hr and she stayed 10pm-6am. I would highly recommend, even if it’s once a week. Mentally it makes a huge difference knowing that you will have some sort of reprieve in the pipeline.
When she came I would have my husband sleep in a separate room/on the couch bc she would bring the baby to me to nurse and wanted him to get a full night sleep so he could help me when the nurse wasn’t there.You can ask if she’ll be awake the entire time, if she’ll wash pumping parts/bottles, and if she will take complete care of the baby outside of feeds.
It was also nice to have someone to talk to during feeds in the wee hours of the morning and she helped with the latch. Maybe ask about lactation certifications too!
Yay! Go mama go!!
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$34/hr. I would do one time the week baby comes home because they mostly sleep that first week. One time the second week. And then twice a week for week 3-10 (if that's an option for your fam). I mean in an ideal world it would be every other day for 16 weeks (or forever?) lol but that will be priceyyyyyy
I think it also depends on your energy level and your mental health. If you typically do okay postpartum then you might just need once a week so you can get good rest. But if postpartum has historically been challenging then you might consider twice (or more) a week.Ask about certifications, lactation support, if she will keep an eye on you (postpartum issues) as well as baby etc definitely align on expectations before baby is here so y'all are on the same page.
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We paid $35/hour for minimum of 10 hours - this was for twins but same price for one baby. It was a non negotiable for us and so so worth it. She cleaned all the babies clothes, bottles, etc while we were sleeping. When I was still breastfeeding I would just wake up at 2am and pump in the dark then leave my milk outside my bedroom door and she would handle it all. For the twins, she also made all of their bottles for the next day using my pumped milk, which was soo helpful for us!
