Baby nurses are non-medical professionals who help parents take care of newborn babies. Bringing a child home from the hospital — whether it is your first or fifth — can be overwhelming. A baby nurse helps transition the parents to a regular schedule, aiding parents and caretakers in everything from breast-feeding and bathing to establishing healthy sleep patterns and diapering. The knowledge and suggestions of a baby nurse provide comfort, enrichment and answers to parents willing to pay for the service.Ensures SafetyIt is crucial that a baby nurse take extreme care and precautions with a newborn baby. This includes making sure the baby is secure on a changing table, in a crib that meets the Consumer Product Safety Commission standards, is attended to in a swing or infant seat and properly fastened in the car. The baby nurse is also responsible for educating parents and caretakers on laws pertaining to infants and teaching safe infant-care practices to every member in the home.Feeding and BathingSome baby nurses are hired for 12-hour shifts, while others are simply needed a few hours a day. For example, a mother with two other children may need help bottle feeding and bathing the newborn in the mornings while she is getting her other children off to school. A baby nurse prepares bottles, feeds the baby, and then cleans and sterilizes the bottles for the next feeding. While bathing a newborn, a baby nurse cleans the umbilical cord, gently takes care of a circumcision, uses the proper bathing products and gently brushes cradle cap off the infant’s head.

Fosters Sleep

Infants need help establishing healthy sleep habits. A baby nurse keeps a journal of when the baby naturally wakes and sleeps, and then provides guidance to the parents on how to best regulate feeding and napping schedules. Also, mothers of infants are almost always sleep deprived due to fluctuating hormones and sleep disturbances related to the baby’s needs. If hired overnight, a baby nurse is responsible for sleeping near the baby so that she hears the baby cry and can feed, burp, diaper and get the baby to sleep — on its back — without disturbing the mother.

Dresses and Diapers

Due to a baby’s irregular temperature patterns, a baby nurse tends to the warmth and comfort of an infant. She is responsible for making sure the baby is swaddled comfortably and dressed appropriately for the weather. She must also know the current safety recommendations, such as keeping loose blankets out of the crib. In addition, a baby nurse changes a baby’s diaper quickly and efficiently, and properly and consistently tends to any rashes or skin conditions.

Light Cleaning

In order to keep the baby well-cared for, the baby nurse needs certain things in place. It is her responsibility to re-stock diapers, keep the nursery tidy, and clean bottles and equipment such as a breathing apparatus that came home with the baby. In addition, a baby nurse changes linens, empties the diaper pail, and launders the baby’s clothing and bedding.

About the Author

Based in Los Angeles, Lisa Finn has been writing professionally for 20 years. Her print and online articles appear in magazines and websites such as “Spa Magazine,” “L.A. Parent,” “Business,” the Famous Footwear blog and many others. She also ghostwrites for mompreneurs and business owners who appear regularly on shows such as Ricki Lake, HGTV, Carson Daly and The Today Show.

Source: http://work.chron.com/baby-nurse-duties-12536.html