As if giving birth while the virus still lingers is not challenging enough, finding and preparing your home for the arrival of a maternity nurse is another thing. It’s a big decision to hire a maternity nurse. And if done the right way, you can greatly benefit from it.
Hiring a Maternity Nurse during the Pandemic
Many parents know the challenges associated with having a new family member. However, because of the pandemic, they are reluctant to hire a maternity nurse to help.
Fortunately, there are platforms like Kiidu where you can hire a maternity nurse who is covid vaccinated. They also have safety measures and protocols in place to ensure the safety of your family especially of your little one.
If you have to hire a maternity nurse, don’t just hire anyone. Hire from a reputable provider or platform for your peace of mind.
Preparing Your Home
After hiring a maternity nurse or nanny, the next big step that you need to take has to do with organizing and preparing your home for his or her arrival.
The preparations needed may vary depending on whether the nurse will live in your home or not.
Here are some of the basic preparations you need:
Nanny Room
Generally, a maternity nurse will be sharing a room with your baby in the nursery. However, if she’s a live-in nurse, she’ll need to have her own room where she could have some privacy during her days off.
If you have a spare room in the house, you could use it as a nurse room. If none, you may arrange for her to go home during her off days.
However, this arrangement is not very common and may not be possible if she lives far away from your residence.
There’s no need for a separate nanny room if you are hiring a live-out nurse. For this reason, having a nanny room is one of the important things to consider when deciding whether to hire a live-in or live-out maternity nurse.
Extra bed
A live-in nurse obviously needs a bed, so the question on whether to get an extra bed or not applies to live-out nurses.
Maternity nurses need rest during their breaks. While many live out-nurses including night nannies are okay to rest on sofas, it’s a good idea to provide a more comfortable bed.
The extra bed should be in the same room as the baby so the nurse can take a nap while your little one sleeps.
Bathroom
For live-in nurses, it’s common for them to have their own bathroom or to share a bathroom with the kids. You should specify which bathroom your nurse can share with beforehand.
On the other hand, live-out nurses may not need to use the bathroom as much so the usual set-up is to share with the baby or kid’s bathroom.
Food
Food and accommodation is typically included in the contract if you are getting a live-in maternity nurse. You don’t have to cook the food yourself but they should have access to supplies to prepare their own food.
You can choose to add the family nurse to your weekly grocery budget. Alternatively, you may also just give a food stipend in cash so that the nurse can purchase her own grocery.
It is also a common practice for the maternity nurse to have a designated space in the kitchen cupboard or fridge for her food supplies.
If your family or the nurse has special dietary requirements, it’s important to discuss it upfront. You need to have a better understanding of what both parties are expecting when it comes to food and meals.
For live-out nurses, typically they take care of bringing a packed meal. However, it would be nice if they have access to some refreshments.
Laundry
If the nurse will be staying with you, she would most likely do her own laundry. And more often, a full-time nurse is also expected to do laundry for the baby.
It is expected that you show her how your laundry appliances work and when she can use them.
Unless specifically mentioned in your contract, live-out nurses aren’t required to do laundry for the baby.
If you come prepared for the arrival of your maternity nurse, you’re off to a good start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Aside from the basic preparations, here are some of the frequently asked questions around having a maternity nurse at home.
Should I require my maternity nanny to wear a uniform?
Wearing a uniform depends on your preference. If you have a more formal household, you can discuss with your nurse about wearing a uniform or standard outfit.
Where a uniform is not required, many maternity nurses prefer to wear simple outfits like a t-shirt and comfortable pants.
Should I expect my maternity nurse to clean her bedroom and bathroom?
Yes, you can expect your maternity nurse to do basic cleaning of the bedroom and bathroom she uses. Basic cleaning may include changing of sheets and keeping the room tidy. However, deep cleaning is not part of their tasks.
Should the maternity nurse clean the nursery?
For part-time or live out contracts, cleaning the nursery is generally a shared responsibility between the nurse and the parents.
It’s a different case when you have a full-time live-in maternity nurse. It will be her responsibility to clean the nursery and the nursery equipment.
Should we manage the breaks of the nurse?
Part-time nurses such as those who work during daytime or night time only generally do not take breaks. However, as they also get tired, they may need to have short breaks for refreshments or to use the restroom.
As for a live-in maternity nurse, they generally need an eight-hour break to catch up on sleep plus shorter breaks for personal necessities and mealtime. It’s important that your nurse is well-rested so she can properly take care of your baby.
You can arrange what time of the day your nurse can take breaks.
Communication is key to managing the expectations on both sides. Do not assume that the maternity nurse you are hiring already knows what is expected of her. It’s a good idea to have a discussion upfront about the things surrounding the work arrangement.
