NICU Mums - ideas and feedback for a professional childminding service

[waffles1990]

For anybody who has had a premature baby, or a baby with medical needs.

I'd appreciate your thoughts!

I am a Neonatal Nurse, looking in to the idea offering neonatal/ paediatric trained ad hoc childcare/babysitting service for families.

As a Mum myself, I know how vital the odd afternoon/evening etc is to catch up on sleep,washing, shopping... anything! when you have a baby.

I can imagine this is magnified when you have a baby who is particularly demanding due to medical needs, and you worry about leaving them due to the care they require (stomas, washouts, home oxygen, NG feeds etc)

I often hear parents on the neonatal unit worry about taking baby home, saying that theyre not sure who they could trust to look after baby with everything they have been through.

So if it the circumstances applied to you, would you be glad a service offering 'professional' babysitting ? Would you be likely to use it?

Thanks for any thoughts!

Would it be a conflict of interest with your role if you tout for business with your families in NICU?

I think the idea of having a NICU nurse care for our prem when he was little would've been lovely but I'm not sure I would've gone through with it... I felt I had to do it all myself. I felt I had to be with him all the time... I definitely needed some respite though!

Thanks Tottington

I understand completely. I didn't want to leave my babies with anyone despite the exhaustion and thankfully they were term bwith no

Sorry, dont know what happened there

..term babies without medical needs. I did (mostly my Mum) but I know the feeling.

I suppose sometimes there may be an overwhelming need, i.e parental sickness, mental health, appointments etc and so the service would be useful to some people out of necessity

Re: conflict of interest, I would adhere to my professional guidelines and discuss advertising with management. I'm sure there will be a solution

I think this would be ace for families still reeling from a spell in NICU.

Professional babysitter sounds to me like babysitting is all you do, all you have done, a career babysitter.

Something like "Specialist in Neonate Care after discharge and beyond" as a strapline to emphasise your skills?

I'm NHS management. You wouldnt be able to discuss this with clients in nicu. You might be able to say "there are services that do offer special baby sitting services" but not point them to your buisness

You would also need to be careful about advertising yourself specificially as a nurse as you would need to look at things like insurance to cover your professional indemnity. You could be in a tricky position if you are acting with your nurse head whilst not covered by the clinical framework of your nhs trust eg if a child appears unwell, or completing things like trach care

To be honest, once I finally got DTs home I didn't want anyone else looking after them. I wanted someone to help cook / clean / laundry etc not look after the babies.

No I wouldn’t have used it.
The last thing I wanted to do when we finally got my DD home was to leave her with anyone else! Let alone ANOTHER stranger, NICU nurse or not.
Sorry.

I had two micro preemies at 26 and 24 weeks ds1 in particular was very ill even when home and had apnoea episodes and various tubes etc still in.
Tbh there is no way on earth I would have trusted anyone else to care for either of them when we finally got home no matter the qualifications.
I barely put either of them down.
So despite the fact I was totally exhausted I wouldn't have used the service if available.

I've had 2 prem babies and there is no way I was leaving them with anyone. I especially wouldn't leave them with a nicu or specialty nurse because (not saying this about you but in general) there is too much 'i know best because I'm a nurse/dr/ other' attitude. Both my boys have suffered because of this.
If someone is looking after my children I need to know they will do as I say not as they think is best because it likely isn't
Thats just my experience but I know thousands of other preemie parents who feel the same

FlibbertyGiblets ah that's a good point, thankyou! I like the strapline.

Thankyou @Fallox. I would definitely have sought management advice before going ahead with anything, and looked in to insurance / indemnity side.

Interesting to see that the vote leans more towards no, although I have to say I'm not surprised! The protective instinct is on overdrive with NICU babies isn't it.

I think you are more likely to get business if you can build up relationships with people that might call you over an ongoing period, rather than one off bookings.

I didn’t need respite as my neonate was an excellent sleeper and I got plenty of rest/time to myself around naps, and as I was exclusively expressing, anyone could feed her. I also had supportive family nearby.

Thinking about it, I had to miss a pre-booked event because my mum was not comfortable with handling her medication without DH or I. So that might have been an opportunity to book services such as what you are offering. But I’d have to have gotten to know you or had a personal recommendation. If I knew you as a nurse at any of the NNUs involved in DDs care, I would have no issues.

So it might be tough to get started, but I do feel that there are many that could use your services.

Yes it really is.
I remember screaming at my poor mother like a banshee when she dared to suggest she would hold him so I could have a few minutes break.

Would it not be a better service if you offered things so mum's never needed to leave their children?
Cleaning of the home with added reassurance that you're both dbs and infection control trained?
Laundry and ironing services.
Collecting of equipment and medication/chasing for prescriptions.
Getting forms/ websites that could help with funding
Finding website and local reusable nappies for tiny bums
A lot of this is doula work and they do grand postnatal jobs.
The best person for the work of caring for a baby is mum, they know their babies more than anyone.