The number one question on almost every new parent's mind is: “how can I get my baby to sleep through the night?” The struggle is real when it comes to exhaustion and sleep deprivation with an infant in the house. Maybe you've read all the books and articles, and tried all the lotions and gadgets and apps. Something's gotta give: who can you turn to?
Infant Sleep Professionals in Manhattan KS
You realize you need professional help and support to get your baby to sleep through the night (and get your life and health back!), but not every professional is created equally. Here are the names you need to know when considering who will help you with overnight infant care, postpartum care, or sleep coaching.
1. Postpartum Doulas
A postpartum doula is often a wish come true for struggling new parents: they are professional support persons trained to help a family adjust to life with a newborn. This may include infant care and education, companionship and emotional support for the mother, and helping the household run smoothly. Postpartum doulas are also quite popular for the overnight care services they provide: they help the whole family start off with healthy sleep habits by taking the night shift with the baby so that the parents can get adequate rest.
Postpartum doulas provide support for whole family wellness – not just the baby or just the mom - and support your unique parenting goals and philosophies rather than their own. They carry professional training credentials and/or certification and insurance.
2. Newborn Care Specialists
A newborn care specialist is trained in every aspect of parenting a newborn, from feeding and diapering to sleep schedules and communication cues. They take a dual role in your home of caring for your infant, while educating you on best practices for when you're on your own. They may work either during the day or during the night.
A newborn care specialist's role is centered on caring for the infant and teaching the parents to care for the infant according to current best practices. They carry certification and insurance.
3. Baby Nurse or Night Nurse
Not to be confused with a registered nurse, a baby nurse or night nurse is often an older woman who has a reputation in her community of raising children and being confident with infants. She may have worked as a nanny, daycare provider, or had many of her own children, and is someone her social circle knows to ask for advice about babies. She may offer services of taking care of your baby during the night while you sleep.
Baby nurses do not usually carry training and credentials, and care for and advise about the baby according to their personal outlook and experiences.
4. Night Nanny
A night nanny is usually a catch-all term for any of these service providers: a person who comes to your home at night to help with the baby so you can get some sleep. Parents often use this term interchangeably to refer to a baby nurse, postpartum doula, or newborn care specialist. However, a nanny is typically someone who watches your children at your home while you work – and there are many professional career nannies who work nights with infants when parents are night shift workers.
Night nannies may or may not carry any professional credentials, and strictly work with the infant, usually while the parent works nights.
5. Certified Sleep Coach
A certified sleep coach gets to the root of why your baby isn't sleeping at night, and uses a holistic approach to teach your baby good sleep habits that will serve them well throughout their entire lives. They usually come to your home for a customized two or three day program where they will get to know your family situation, create a sleep plan, and teach you how to implement that plan in real life. A certified sleep coach guarantees that your baby will sleep through the night and you will come away confident in keeping up the plan.
Certified sleep coaches have received professional training in the science of sleep and how to teach babies positive sleep habits. They work closely with the parents to ensure that they too are well versed in their child's sleep plan.
What a relief to know you're not alone: there is help for babies who won't sleep in Manhattan, KS and surrounding areas. Now that you know a little more about the different options for overnight infant care and sleep support, you'll be better able to find the provider that's right for you and get your whole family back on track for healthy, restorative sleep each night.
Ready for sweet dreams?