trainee maternity nanny - advice on how to get started please!

[nannytania]

Hi all,

i am currently trying to break into the MN scene. I have quals, experience with babies, and references, but am lacking specific Maternity nurses jobs. All my experience is in nurseries and random nannying roles where i have had to look after wee babies.

I am happy to discount rates, very flexible with mucking in etc.

Anyone got advice on how to get my name out and about?

Have you been to nannyjob.co.uk? Are you willing to move? Live-in?

Hi nannytania, it is difficult getting your first job. I had no luck with nannyjob.co.uk but got a daily position with newborn twins. Some agencies such as edennannies may be able to find you a placement if you have the experience.

also look at mnttraining.co.uk

thanks!! Tried nannyjob - but again they are looking for really trained up 5 +yrs of specific maternity nanny history. Just need some people to employ me!!

Experience counts for much more I think right now.
I'll keep hunting!

Awesome - just logged onto maternally yours and they have a bit about trainees. Could be a great lead!

thanks!

Whereabouts are you? I am due to have no. 2 in October and might need some help.

Advertise yourself everywhere & anywhere you can (local nurseries/coffee shops/local newsagents) as a Nanny who is seeking newborn experience, you may be surprised how many responses you get for offering much cheaper Maternity Nurse duties!

You could also try contacting your local hospital to see if you could do some voluntary work in the Maternity ward.

Good luck!

You might also want to fill out your profile on here.

Hi nannytania - yes, completely agree join an agency, add your profile here, advertise in the Lady (always a good one!) Post on the antenatal threads? You never know ......

One piece of advice when you get a job as a MN (this from previous experience of employing one) - whatever you do, however you feel - do NOT ever make the DH feel as is he is unwelcome in his own household!! Don't do the 'let us girls bond over the new baby - I'll fuss over new Mummy, and completely ignore Daddy' - even to the point of making lunch for you two and not DH!!....and it got worse. Whilst DH and I were cooing over our newborn, she arrived in the bedroom to announce to DH ' I think you are needed elsewhere now, Mummy and I have 'x' to talk about - thank you off you go'!!!! Needless to say - off SHE went!!

Oh and please refrain from calling the mother 'Mummy' - soooo annoying!

Good luck!!!!

MrsJetson, your MN sounded like a prehistoric dinosaur...Poor you!

Dear me - thanks for the advice!! I'm sure I can refrain from waltzing into peoples bedrooms - how bizarre.

Thanks for the advice all, had some good responses from things over the last few days so fingers crossed!!

It's the same when breaking into any industry I guess, getting your first step through the door is always hard!

Mumbump -I am in London - Beckenham to be exact so not right in the guts of the big smoke but close enough for city work. Where are you??

Redhill, south of East Croydon so possibly commutable from Beckenham. We will shortly have a nanny who might be able to help out, but she wants to start childminding in the next few months so might not be able to help out with the newborn. Do you want to let me have your email address and I can drop you a line closer to the time once I know what the nanny is doing?

Yes that would be great.

[email protected]

Thanks - look forward to maybe hearing from you!

I would get yourself registered with agencies specifically ones that deal with Maternity Nurses.

If you have qualifications ie NNEB or equivilant you shouldnt have a huge problem getting the work.

Good luck

When I went to join an agency specifically for Maternity work they wanted experience!...It's not the best route unless they do trainee route.

I concur - some of them just magically expect you to have 5 years experience, but aren't actually interested in helping you get that.
It's weird because nannyjobs has sooooo many maternity nanny jobs and I am sure a lot of the clients would be happy to have a trainee if it was going to save them a considerable amount. I mean - how many people can actually pay someone about 600 pounds per week and not notice it gone??? It must be stretching the budget for many people. Plus it goes up for twins and multiples.........

if only I could break into their systems and contact the parents directly!! lol.

Word of mouth is a very powerful thing Tania, I haven't done Maternity for a while though I do an odd emergency 24hrs here & there.
One of my best friends is a fully fledged MN with almost 100 Babies under her belt now & she's so sought after she has to turn work down.

Hi all,

Got a booking this week which is fabo - getting there slowly!!

xxxxxxxxx

tania well done! Did you get it through an agency?

In a roundabout kind of way! A referral from someone in the industry. Just 3 days for a few weeks, helping mum establish a routine and basic household duties to free her up to express and feed.

I'm really enjoying it. The only thing I find a bit tricky is how much advice do you offer?

For example, I think that babies (who are gaining weight, feeding well) shld try to settle themselves in their pram/cot/basket rather than rocking them to sleep, putting them down and them stirring and crying again, picking them up rocking them to sleep,them crying as soon as you place them down, picking them up, rock, put down, scream, pick up, rock repeat repeat. Obviously there are variations on this - but just as an example.

So my take would be to tell the mum what I would suggest and the reason (associating bad sleeping habit) and to assist her if she wanted or generally guide her, but to then let her do it her way. If she wants to persist with rocking then it is her baby and her choice.

Is this the right approach. To offer alternatives and to leave it up to her? Or wld mum's want to be told more than once?

Although writing this - i am realising it all depends on the person doesn't it?

Bit retorichal - but I guess mum's hire maternity nurse's so they can get advice?

I worked alongside another maternity nurse for a month and she was lovely but a bit old fashioned. She basically took over but thats how she prefers to work. She said "God knows how she'll cope when I'm gone" which I thought was not a very good approach. I'd like to think I good give lots of help and advice that a mother would have the confidence to cope once I left. I think you are right it depends on the person.

Had another day yesterday and things went really well. Mum was a lot more comfortable with me and I think she had seen the routine I suggested and saw that it was flexible and useful, so yesterday we worked together and the little babe was spectacular!! stuck to the routine well and gave mum a good chance to catch up on her life with ph calls and emails, so all is well in the maternity world!!