Deciding on the best maternity solutions for you and your family

Deciding on the best maternity solutions for you and your family

Bringing a baby into the world can be a wonderful, tiring, exciting and daunting experience, all at the same time. Mothers and their families can experience all kinds of emotions that can leave them feeling tired and in need of an extra pair of hands to help guide them through the first months of their new babies life, and it’s not just first time mothers who may need extra support, but also second time mothers and those who have had a multiple birth.

Whatever the reason for families requiring support, maternity solutions can be a source of information, guidance and advice to help get families through those early days! There are many different options available to families and this will vary depending on families’ needs, requirements and wishes.

What are maternity solutions?

Maternity solutions come in a variety of options that are available to families to help with the care of their newborn baby. They work with babies to help them enjoy a settled routine, which includes feeding, sleeping and general day to day life.  Maternity nurses/nannies will liaise with mothers and families to let them know the progress of their baby and/or keep a diary log to enable mothers to be involved in the care of their baby.

Maternity nurses can offer advice and support, both in a practical and emotional ways. They can show mothers how to care for every aspect of their baby if need be or just be on hand to help out as an extra pair of hands. Maternity nursing working hours range from being available 24/7, nights or only during the day depending on family need.

What are the different maternity solutions available to families?

There are different types of maternity nurses that have different expertise. The following maternity solutions are available:

Day maternity nurses come to families’ homes during the day to care and offer support with the new baby. They will take care of the baby as well as taking on maternity duties such as sterilising bottles and laundering baby clothes. Maternity nurses will not usually care for siblings unless this is agreed beforehand. They will also offer advice to the mother/family and ease any concerns that they might have.

Night maternity nurses will come during the night to the family home and will care for the baby throughout the night. Night maternity nurses let the new mother have some rest and can also offer support to settle the baby into an effective sleep routine.

Trouble-shooting maternity nurses are very effective in supporting families within a particular area that the family are finding difficult. This could range from post-natal depression to routines to breastfeeding to helping siblings accept a new baby within the home.

Full time, 24/7 maternity nurses will come and stay in the family home with the family and will care for the baby around the clock. They will take their rest during baby’s time with the mother or when the baby is sleeping.

Multiple birth support will help mothers who have had a multiple birth. They will be an extra pair of hands and help mothers with routines and tricky aspects for caring for more than one baby at a time!!

Sleep/ feeding consultants will help mothers with feeding issues, which include breast and bottle fed babies. They can help mothers to settle their baby into an effective sleeping pattern and can help mothers to learn breast-feeding skills.

Pros and cons

There are certain pros and cons when it comes to hiring a maternity nurse and these can vary from family to family.

Pros:

• They can help mothers to have a rest during the initial tiring months
• Learn how to care for their new baby
• Having a professional on hand when you need advice and support
• Reassured mind that the baby is receiving professional care

Cons:

• Can be difficult to adjust to having a person around the house
• Could make bonding with the new baby a little harder if the primary care-giver is a maternity nurse
• Conflicting views about new born babies needs (this should be discussed at interview)
• Finding the right maternity nurse can be tricky if you are a new to this (you should use an agency such as Nanny& Butler who can help match you)