Sweets,
Like mumclare, my husband and I also went through maternally yours and found a maternity nurse who was absolutely wonderful and discreet.
Like you, I had no family around and a husband who was going to have to be back at work soon after the birth. I was also VERY apprehensive at the idea of a stranger coming into my home and taking over.
The actual experience could not have been more different because I was very clear about the type of person I wanted helping me. It is also worth keeping in mind that a maternity nurses' job is also taking care of YOU and not just the baby. Mine always made sure I was fed and rested and showered.....these are things which can be very hard to accomplish when you are all alone at home with a newborn.
Many women on this thread seem to mistakenly think that a nurse comes into your home and takes over -- NOT TRUE. There was never any doubt as to who was the mother and who was in charge and I spent most of the time holding my baby as I could not put him down!
We had ours for two weeks during which I learned so much about caring for a baby and gained a huge amount of confidence in my ability as a mother. Our nurse also helped me establish breastfeeding after a very rocky start at the hospital (even though we went private).
I certaily don't think everyone needs a nurse but i do think every women needs support from other experienced women, be they mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers etc.....Loving your baby is instinctive, learning how to breastfeed, bathe and care for a baby is not. These are all learned techniques and every women needs some sort of support in the beginning, be it from family or a nurse.
I hope this was helful and I wish you the best of luck!
xxx