Doula vs. Nanny vs. Night Nurse: What’s the Difference & Who Do You Need?

Choosing the Right Support After Baby Arrives

Welcoming a new baby is a special and joyous moment, but it also brings a fair share of challenges. 3 AM feedings, round-the-clock baby care, and adjusting to a new parent's role exhaust you both physically and emotionally. As a result, many parents look for help, but often feel confused about the available choices.

Should you hire a doula, a night nurse, or a nanny? What kind of support do they provide? Who's better for your family's unique needs?

If you are weighing a doula vs a nanny vs a night nurse, you are not alone. Many parents are unaware of the major differences. Read on to understand what each role offers and decide what fits your family better.

Yes, ‘Depleted Mother Syndrome’ is a Real Thing

You may have heard some doctors call it depleted mother syndrome symptoms. It simply means that you have given so much to others that you have nothing left for yourself. So, what can you do now? Well, recognizing it is the first step toward recovery.

Who is a Doula?

The Nurturing Companion for Birth and Beyond!
A doula is trained to provide new parents with emotional, physical, and educational support. Unlike night nurses, they aren’t trained professionals and primarily focus on the mother’s well-being before, during, and after childbirth.

There are two main types of doulas – Pre-birth or birth doulas and Postpartum doulas.

What Does A Birth Doula Do?

A birth doula is someone who is trained to support you every step of the way during labour and delivery.

What Does A Postpartum Doula Do?

Typically, she will help you with everything after delivery, including breastfeeding guidance, postpartum recovery, newborn care assistance, meal prep, light household tasks, etc. Besides, she will also be there as an emotional support to help you cope with anxiety and baby blues.

Most importantly, doulas can visit you during the day as well as in the evening to give your family the support they really need.

In short, when it comes to choosing between a postpartum doula or a night nurse, remember that doulas focus on your (mother’s) well-being as much as the baby’s needs.

Who is a Night Nurse?

Sleep Trainer or Specialized Baby Nurse?
If you are a new parent who hasn’t slept properly for days, you MUST know about night nurses. Basically, a night nurse is a specialized newborn care nurse, often certified, who provides overnight care for your baby so you can rest and recover.

Night nurses are infant care specialists or baby nurses. They are trained to care for newborns and infants’ needs, assist with sleep training, and feeding routines during the nighttime hours.

The typical duties of a night nurse include:

• Feeding your baby and changing diapers.
• Soothing the baby overnight.
• Sleep monitoring.
• If the baby wakes up, soothe her/him back to sleep.
• Guiding you on night routines and safe sleep.

Now, some night nurses can be Registered Nurses (RN). However, most of them are trained caregivers who do not have a medical license.

Does A Night Nurse Provide Sleep Training?

While their job primarily includes providing overnight care for babies and infants, they do help with healthy sleep training. Night nurses gently sleep train your baby to help establish a consistent nighttime routine. This supports the development of healthy sleep habits and teaches the baby to fall asleep more independently. Meanwhile, they track sleep patterns and adjust care plans as needed.

Who is a Nanny?

The Everyday Helping Hand at Home
nanny is someone who helps watch, raise, and care for your child, usually during the day. However, you can also find nighttime nannies to watch your newborn baby or toddler at night. They can help you with feeding, diapering, and putting your baby back to sleep, so you can rest assured. You can hire nannies on a full-time, part-time, regular, or long-term basis.

Nannies are also called childcare providers, caregivers, au pairs, or night nannies. Their name usually depends on the location and role.

What Does A Nanny Do?

Their work includes providing consistent childcare, and they usually provide support for raising older babies and toddlers in terms of:

• Feeding your baby.
• Diapering and naps.
• Help in early play and language learning.
• Laundry or meal prep.
• Preparing, dropping off, and picking up children from school.
• Supervising homework and educational activities.
• Organising outings.

Different Types of Nannies

There are different types of nannies that you can hire to suit your family’s needs.

Live-in nanny

A live-in nanny stays at your home to care for your child. So, if you are a working parent and have demanding schedules, a live-in nanny will be a perfect arrangement.

Live-out nanny

A live-out nanny comes to your home to work agreed-upon hours. This arrangement fits families needing regular childcare support but may not have a space to accommodate the nanny or may find it a bit uncomfortable.

Nanny housekeeper

Nanny housekeepers take care of your child as well as help with household tasks, combining the roles of both a nanny and a househelp.

Night nanny

A Night nanny is a caregiver who comes to your home to care for your baby during the night (for 8–12 hours). They are often baby care providers, but not always licensed nurses. That’s why the term Night Nanny is preferred over Night Nurse by many. Like doulas, they may not always have a certification or professional training for child care. However, based on whom you are hiring, a night nanny can have years of rich hands-on experience and instincts for baby care.

What Is The Difference Between A Night Nurse & A Night Nanny?

Night nannies may not have formal training or certifications in newborn care or sleep education, while a night nurse usually does. Moreover, other major differences between a nanny and a night nurse include:

• Night nannies do not provide education, coaching, or referrals to parents like night nurses.
• They may offer practical support only, like feeding, changing, and settling the baby.
• Unlike night nurses, night nannies typically work with families long-term or as an extension of daytime nannying. They are often seen as a general caregiver who works overnight.
• Night nurses are often hired for short-term, intensive support during the early postpartum period.

What Is The Difference Between A Postpartum Doula & A Nanny?

The role of a nanny is very different from a postpartum doula, as a nanny mainly cares for newborns or older children. Her primary focus is on your baby and not much on your recovery. On the other hand, postpartum doulas ensure the mother is being cared for as much as the baby is.

Who Should You Hire (And When)?

Choosing between a doula or a night nurse, or hiring a nanny, depends on what your family needs the most. Every postpartum journey is unique, so you should decide according to your convenience. However, here is a quick comparison to help you decide quickly-

• Doula - Ask yourself whether you need someone to support both the mother's and child’s well-being. If yes, then a doula should be your first choice. Now, what to choose between a pre-birth or post-birth doula? Simple. Pre-birth doulas give you information and support before childbirth. On the other hand, postpartum doulas help you adjust to living with a newborn. Hence, a postpartum doula is just he right caregiver if you want help with your recovery, emotional support, and practical newborn care advice.
• Night Nurse - Are you tired of sleepless nights? Those 3 AM wakeups to feed and soothe your child are affecting your physical and mental health? Then go for a night nurse. A night nurse is skilled at taking over those midnight feeding sessions and gently soothing your baby back to sleep.
• Nanny - Lastly, a nanny or a night nanny is the perfect kind of support if you need someone to help with your older kids and want to return to work.

Cost Comparison: What Do They Charge?

What’s the cost difference?
One of the most common questions that many new parents ask is, “How much do doulas cost?” Or what a night nurse might cost. The charges usually vary depending on your location and your caregiver’s experience.

• Doulas - Typically charge between $30-$50 per hour.
• Night nurses- They can cost you around $25-$60 per hour.
• Nannies- The standard cost is $15-$30 per hour. However, the charges can increase if you want any specialized care.

Takeaway

Choosing between a doula, a night nurse, or a nanny is a personal decision. However, before you make the final choice, keep in mind that each of these roles supports your family differently.

You must consider what physical and emotional support you need. Additionally, other factors, such as your baby’s age, sleep, and daily routine, should also be taken into consideration.

Whether you are leaning towards a nanny, doula, or night nurse, you should always interview the professional first, be comfortable letting them into your personal space, and trust your instincts.