To have booked a night nanny

[Bee14]

Sorry middle class problem, but no family near by dc2 a week old after long labour and EMC, witching hour appears to be late evening until early hours so dh and I have been doing shifts sitting with him. I had a melt down yesterday having had less than 4 hrs sleep a day for a week and in not longer than hour and a half chunks. I had also forgotten the swelling anxiety childbirth brings and how long it takes me to relax in to it (for better or worse my job requires me to be the one in control and with all the solutions in critical situations).

Much better day and night last night, dh took both shifts and was able to get some sleep as baby went down. So feel way better, now getting anxious about having hired a nanny. Comes highly recommended and plan is for 3-4 weeks for a couple of nights a week and to help me into routine/ discipline (not baby in routine way to early for that), but am I being unfair to my baby doing this I don't plan to hand baby over and go to bed but for her to watch routine and help get down and only take if wont settle at all.

[lenibose]

So I come from a culture where new mothers are told to rest and feed. Post birth first MIL (who is great btw) and then my mum came. I would do all the baby stuff in the day. They would ensure I was fed and the house was vaguely tidy. Then every alternate night they would take over from 12-5. So if baby needed feeding, they would bring him to me but they would have him after that. On those nights MIL would then sleep from 5-11 in the morning to catch up on her sleep. On the other days she would take baby DS at 5 am so both DH and I could sleep a bit more. Between DM and MIL they were here for 4 months after DS was born. It was simply brilliant. This is what had happened when they had had their babies and so they were passing it on to me. I was well rested. There was hot tasty food every day. And they were incredibly supportive on the breastfeeding front by offering their own stories. If you don't have that support, and can afford to pay for it, then go ahead and do it. No need for guilt.

[FloatIsRechargedNow]

Why not, if you can...I completely feel your pain. Finally, after wishing for over 14 years (been an LP for the whole time, since the HG and ELC and lets not even mention the ds and ASD) , I'm now in the position where I can and am actively seeking an au pair for this summer. It's been a bit of a wait for a lie-down and sleep but if you can do it sooner, do it.

[raisedbyguineapigs]

Sod it, id have loved a night nanny. Basically, I work to pay for a cleaner. Women are always told to martyr themselves to their house and motherhood. Lack of sleep meant I couldnt enjoy my first DS properly for his first year. Just throw money at the problem, ditch the guilt, get some sleep and enjoy your child during the day!

[itfcbabe]

I wouldn't have done it,could never had afforded it but even if I could wouldn't have done it.
Had 6 kids in 8 years needed the help more when they where awake!!

But nothing wrong with it,if you want it go for it.

[apivita]

I come from a culture where this is v common and they are referred to as confinement nannies. They move in to your house for a month and basically take care of you and your baby eg Making nutritious meals to ensure healing and good supply of milk and other things like body massage to help the stomach shrink back. It's fab.

I didn't have this luxury as I was living here and I nearly died from exhaustion. Both kids didn't sleep through till 2 and 3 years respectively.

[polkadotdelight]

I would have loved it. I probably would have suffered less from the pnd and anxiety if I was getting some sleep. Do it.

[christinarossetti]

Absolutely NU. There is a reason that many cultures require that women actually rest for 40 days after childbirth, rather than doing everything they were doing before plus looking after a newborn.

I didn't have any help with either of my babies and still sometimes feel sad about it.

[EveOnline2016]

It seems a sensible idea, but sleep don't watch the nanny allow her to do the job.

[ALemonyPea]

Go for it. If you can afford it, why not eh?

I wish I could have afforded one after my EMCS. Might have stopped my terrible PND.

[raeray]

I did a bit of night nannying for some families and got paid around £100 a night approximately. This was a few years back though so I think it's prob a little more now.

I really enjoyed it - lovely new born cuddles and the sense of satisfaction letting tired parents get sleep and getting baby settled was lovely.

So I say go for it if you want one!
I got most of my work through word of mouth once I started doing it - but there are agencies that are specifically for night nannying if you googled.

Enjoy your night nanny and well deserved rest OP

[Pinkheart5915]

I could afford it and a friend suggested I should do it when pregnantn (she very much recommend it ) I didn't do it as I don't like the idea it's not for me.

If you feel you really need the rest and it's in your budget, do it and get yourself some sleep you will feel much better after a few nights good sleep. As pp say make sure you sleep don't be wake watching the nanny look after baby.

[CantChoose]

I've never heard of this but it sounds like a fabulous idea - go for it :)

[Bee14]

A www you guys are lovely thank you, had a quick look at these last night before night nanny arrived and felt so much better. So she was totally normal, we agreed that baby would be put down in our room but she would settle first and come and get if didn't work. Baby went down (so proves it can be done) and I had two good slugs of sleep - am having to express all feeds at present so got up for that (a whole other story!)

Cost for 3 nights a week is about £400, but we have saved by not moving house before dc2 arrived and having now slept it is totally worth it to not be a ball of snot and tears.

I had forgotten the anxiety that having a newborn brings about even the most basic of things, hopefully it gets better/goes more quickly with dc2 but it's definitely still there !

[CruCru]

Yep, I had a maternity nurse for both kids (about 8 weeks each time). This is what money is for - to get you help as much as stuff.