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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONs
Below are the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions about our newborn care and infant consulting!
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Don't see your question? Reach out to our team!
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What's the difference between your service and hiring through other agencies?To name a few... a) Melissa is a Registered Nurse with a background in Neonatal ICU and Labor and Delivery. She brings on and trains only the most qualified night nurses and Nightingales. Plus, she's a resource to Newborn Nightingales families and Nightingales throughout their support schedule. b) Newborn Nightingales families are not locked into a long contract of care. We know that scheduling should be flexible, and we want our clients to sleep well early. c) Having been around for 13 years, we have a nice-sized team! Should your night nurse become ill or you deliver earlier than expected, it's typically not a problem to find a cover.
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What areas of Houston/Dallas/Midland/Lubbock do you serve?We offer infant care services to families in Houston, Dallas, Midland, Lubbock, and the surrounding areas! And we offer newborn consultations virtually to anyone in the U.S.
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Do you offer discounts for extended bookings?No, we don't offer package pricing.
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What's your cancellation policy?Should you choose to scale back your schedule, please let us know two weeks in advance to allow time to reschedule your night nurse.
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Is there a minimum booking requirement?Nope! The only minimum is an 8 hour shift.
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What makes Newborn Nightingales different from other services?First and foremost, we’re owned and operated by a Registered Nurse! Additionally, we have over a decade of experience helping families and all our Nightingales undergo extensive training in-house. We also offer flexible scheduling!
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How soon should I book an overnight nurse before my due date?Booking early is always recommended to ensure the schedule and caregiver you prefer is available. Most of our clients book 4 to6 months in advance. Last minute availability may be available as well – but the schedule will be less flexible.
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What's the difference between an overnight nurse and postpartum doula?Our night nurses are often doulas as well! However, the daytime doula support is geared toward helping mom a bit more—errands, light housekeeping, etc.—while nighttime support emphasizes rest for families (the caregiver assumes all care of baby at night).
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Do night nurses offer breastfeeding support?Absolutely! Our night nurses are a great resource for troubleshooting lactation concerns those first few weeks – ensuring a great breastfeeding relationship.
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How do night nurses handle multiple babies (twins/triplets)?One caregiver can easily care for multiple babies. Our night nurses are trained to navigate feeding and scheduling challenges associated with twins and triplets.
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What specific training do overnight nurses have?Our training is ongoing, but Nightingales receive additional training in sleep education, infant care, feeding challenges, lactation support, caring for preemies and multiples, and navigating common GI concerns – to name a few.
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Will a night nurse help establish healthy sleep habits for my baby?Absolutely! This is our specialty. Most of our clients start sleeping through the night around 8 weeks.
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How many nights per week is recommended for optimal support?We recommend hiring a night nurse 3 to 5 nights per week for optimal support.
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Can I use my FSA/HSA to pay for night nursing services?Some of our families submit for reimbursement!
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What's included in your overnight support?Our night nurses will assume all care of baby at night. They're also a fantastic resource for any concerns or questions you may have. Additionally, they'll keep the nursery stocked, wash any bottles or pump parts, and even run a load of baby laundry if needed.
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How do you match families with the right night nurse?We'll match families with night nurses using their location and schedule. We send bios of Nightingales who are available to help, and you can meet with whomever you're interested in booking.
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What should I expect during the first night with my night nurse?Night nurses will arrive 10 minutes early the first night to get acquainted. They'll ask questions regarding babies schedule, feeds, sleep environment, and wishes for the night. They're happy to answer any questions you may have, and they'll leave a detailed log of how baby did during the night. Lastly, our night nurses often have recommendations after the first few nights if you're wanting to work on stretching nighttime sleep.
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How do night nurses communicate with parents about the baby's night?Night nurses keep a detailed log book. Additionally, they can equip parents with tips during the first few weeks and schedules to follow, should you want recommendations.
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Can the same night nurse work with our family consistently?Optimally, yes! We prefer families work with the same night nurse, as consistency is good for little ones, and there's less germ exposure.
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Do your night nurses work with babies who have medical needs?Yes! Our nurses are trained to care for babies with medical needs, and we can perform medical care as needed! We’ll also leave a detailed log book for parents to know exactly how their little one did throughout the night.
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What hours do night nurses typically work?Our night nurses typically work from 9pm to 6am.
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How do night nurses handle sleep training?Establishing healthy sleep habits is our specialty! And we foster healthy sleep habits from the start. Babies naturally start sleeping through the night around the 2-month-mark (as long as they have the tools to do so). For babies over 3 months, we sleep train by implementing a new schedule, sleep associations, and routines.
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Can night nurses help with establishing feeding schedules?Of course! Our night nurses utilize research-backed feeding schedules to help babies thrive.
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Do you provide day shifts as well as night shifts?Yes! While day shifts aren't as common as overnight baby care, our Nightingales are happy to help during daytime hours if available.
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