Frequently Asked Questions

She is a trained professional, with extensive newborn experience, who will arrive at 9 pm and leave at 7 am  (although these hours are negotiable). She will help you with the night time feeds, bedtime routine, breastfeeding and any sleep issues.

Depending on your preference, your Night Nanny can rest in the same room as your baby, or you will sleep with your baby and the Night Nanny will offer support and guidance when needed. When your baby wakes for a feed, the Night Nanny will make sure good feeding practices are being instilled; she will ensure your baby stays awake to have a good feed, and she will then wind and settle your baby. She should be allowed to nap in between the baby’s needs so bedding is required for her.

Often mothers drift off while feeding and may not have the energy to spend time on winding of settling their baby if they are tired. This can result in the baby waking again within a short period requiring further winding and possibly another feed. An exhausted mother may not recognise this in the small hours of the night.

A Night Nanny will make sure everything stays on track whilst you get the best sleep you can.

For the first few months, your baby will need to be regularly fed, day and night. Having a new baby can feel exhausting, but by hiring a Night Nanny you can avoid the sleep deprivation that can occur; a night nanny will help you through these early weeks and months. Knowing there is a professional in your home, caring for your baby, you will have the opportunity to sleep much better. She can guide and support you through all the early concerns, help you establish good feeding patterns and instill positive sleep associations for your baby.

The same Night Nanny will come to your house each week for as long as you need. You can reduce nights or stop at any time.  Just give them 24 hour notice.

They do not stay awake all night, they nap when the baby sleeps (they require a bed/sofa bed or mattress).

For you to get the greatest benefit from the service our Night Nannies will share a room with the baby, but at all times they will follow your preference.

If you are breastfeeding your Night Nanny will bring your baby to you for feeds; you don’t have to leave your bed, meaning you can stay totally relaxed and after your baby has fed you can immediately go back to sleep. Your Night Nanny will take the baby back to the nursery and take care of soothing, changing, winding and getting them back to sleep.

If you feel you need more support than just the night, then you could have a Maternity Nurse/Nanny.  They work 24 hours 5 or 6 days a week.

Maternity nurses /nannies are also known as post-natal carers or maternity practitioners, support the mother and their newborn. The maternity nurse supports the mother usually within the first 4 – 8 weeks, supporting the mother from the time she leaves hospital, and helping the baby settle into a routine.

Just like a Night Nanny, a Maternity Nurse/Nanny is in charge of all aspects of the baby care. She will also provide support and guidance to you as a mother ensuring that you are well nourished and rested.

A Maternity Nurse,  booked through Night Nannies will have the same sleep skills as our Night Nannies, so they will ensure your baby’s sleep is developing in line with his age.

Please be aware that your Maternity Nurses/Nannies will need sleep and a break too. Normally this is for 3-4 hours when it’s convenient during the day. She will have her own contract so do discuss this with her directly.

What’s the difference between a midwife and a maternity nurse?
Midwives support mothers through pregnancy and labour and in the time immediately after birth. Whereas a Maternity Nurse/Nanny will work with the mothers once the baby has been born and for the first few months of the baby’s life.
How long do you need a Maternity Nurse/Nanny for?
Ideally, the  minimum is two weeks as this will get you through the most intense period upon discharge from hospital. Some clients choose to book a Maternity Nurse/Nanny for 6-8 weeks then employ a Night Nanny to take over. 
If you have some issues in the day ( i.e. your baby won’t settle for a nap or you are finding the transition from breast to bottle tricky) then you might want to think about booking a Super Nanny or consultation during the daytime to help you.
If you have a baby over 6 months who is on solids and not sleeping well at night, you can book one of our Sleep Consultants to come for 4 or 5 consecutive nights to resolve their sleeping habits. They will not leave your baby to cry alone – they have all been taught very gentle but highly effective and successful methods.
Any Maternity Nurse, Night Nanny or Nanny, who is registered with our agency will have undergone a rigorous interview to assess their suitability and have been thoroughly reference checked, with a proven track record. They will be in possession of a DBS enhanced disclosure (police check) and a current First Aid certificate and a Child Safeguarding Course.  Every time they finish a job we call the previous client to get a reference before we send them out again, ensuring they continue to work to the exceptional standards we expect.  They also are invited to free workshops at headquarters.  These include PND, breast feeding, paediatric allergies, first aid and sleep training.

Night Nannies can be sent in very quickly, often within 24 hours if you need. You do not have to pay them until they actually start the job. So if your baby is delayed, do not worry you do not have to pay them. When you call us please have a rough idea of the number of nights and for how long you would like to have a Night Nanny. It is a flexible service and we appreciate how things can change quickly.

Maternity  Nurses/Nannies get booked up very early, especially when returning to look after a second or third baby. We suggest you call us when you are around 12-20 weeks pregnant in order to be able to choose your preferred Maternity Nurse/Nanny. Maternity Nurses have their own individual contracts. Please look at this carefully for cancellation procedures and deposits.

Rates vary depending on the area you live in and the number of babies being cared for. Each agency will charge a fee for their services, and again this varies depending on the area you live in. Please see Find Us for your region for current details and costs for services provided in your area.

All Night Nannies and Maternity Nurses/Nannies are self-employed and are paid directly by the client. They are responsible for their own tax and national insurance.

Our Maternity Nannies and Night Nannies are available to travel outside the UK and, in this case, will usually add a 20% surcharge to their weekly rate.

Once we have emailed you the details of a nanny, you need to call the nanny directly and ideally have her visit for an interview or arrange a chat on the phone. Then please feel free to contact any of her previous clients. Once you are satisfied, let us know as soon as you can if you want to book her. Bookings are not confirmed until the introduction fee is paid.

Discuss with your Night Nanny any expectations and outcomes that you are hoping to achieve. It is useful to keep a diary of the daytime feeds, naps and nappies. Your Night Nanny with complete this also for the night times. Night Nannies should be allowed to rest in between the baby’s needs.

Discuss how mealtimes will work – you will be expected to provide food for your Maternity Nurse, but not for a Night Nanny and it’s fine to tell the Maternity Nurse that you and your partner would like to eat alone.

Our Nannies do not charge their time for attending interviews, but it is appreciated if you offer to reimburse any travelling costs on presentation of a receipt.

Babies rarely arrive on time, and we would recommend you booking a start date at least 7 – 14 days after your due date.

This is particularly important when booking a Maternity Nanny as, if she is booked, and your baby hasn’t arrived, she will usually require 50% of her full fee for each week she has to wait. Do look at her contract. This is expensive for you, but also awkward for the Maternity Nanny and can lead to difficult situations when your baby does finally arrive. This does not apply to Night Nannies.

Generally speaking, the Maternity Nanny won’t be booked up with her previous client right until the start date of her job with you, so there is a degree of flexibility should your baby arrive early. This is the advantage of using an agency, just call your region and they will usually be able to parachute someone else in if required.

We have also found that the first week or two without professional help gives you and your family time to bond and start getting to know your baby. Knowing that a Night Nanny or Maternity Nanny is coming within a week means you don’t worry too much about anything and can just enjoy those precious days.

If you are really struggling and your chosen Nanny is unavailable to start work before her contracted start date, we can generally find you suitable temporary cover.

You can shorten a Night Nanny booking or reduce the amount of nights a week providing you give the correct notice. Cancellation terms vary in each region so do make sure you have read and understand the Terms & Conditions. If you cancel outright, you may need to pay a fee for work incurred but each agency will use its discretion depending on the circumstances. If you have booked a Maternity Nanny then their cancellation terms will be in their personal contracts so please look carefully at this.