Hey there rookie moms and dads, I want you to think about your most vulnerable moments as a new or expecting parent. We all have them. Did you hire help in the form of an in-home baby nurse or doula? How did you know what you didn’t know? I was so lucky with my rookie baby that my sister was my birth doula, but after that I was pretty much on my own struggling alongside of RookieDad Alec to figure it out on the job.
Rate your baby nurse is a new website that allows parents to rate infant caregivers, doulas, and night nurses to help the other families trying to hire the right person.
The site’s founder, Melissa, had a truly frustrating experience hiring such a person when she was superpregnant with her daughter. She found the experience of hiring an in-home newborn nurse fraught with stress and mystery and was let down by one particularly unreliable nurse. She created a website for parents to exchange information to help the next parents in her shoes.
Did you love your baby nurse or doula? Share your personal experiences to pay it forward to other new parents struggling to choose a baby nurse. Currently available to residents of US and Canada.
You can follow @RateUrBabyNurse on twitter to find out more.
I never hired an in-home nurse, but I had some less than favorable experiences with the nurses in the hospital. With my first child, I felt like they were really judgmental and pushy.
I follow them on Twitter–mami2jcn
I like them on FB with my username Mary Happymommy.
I LOVED having our friend and Doula with me for both of my daughters’ births. It was so comforting and she was so supportive to me and my husband!
I had no doula, but I ended up with an awesome delivery nurse for both my babies and I feel really blessed that I lucked out!! Thanks for hosting!!
I love my birth doula!!! I’ve had her with me for both of my births and I never want to give birth without her. My husband adores her too!
Definitely following on Twitter!
Liked on Facebook!
I had good experience with baby nurses and I feel so blessed for the experience working with them.
follow @RateUrBabyNurse on twitter @tcarolinep
Like them on FB
Jessie C.
I had a doula for my first pregnancy and she was such a calm presence during the delivery. What I am most grateful for, though, is the non judgmental assistance she gave me with breastfeeding and newborn care. It was a relief to have her available when I was so tired and overwhelmed.
Liked in FB.
I follow them on twitter @anashct3
Thanks for this lovely giveaway!
Email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com
i had a baby nurse and she impressed me by how she took care of me and baby, she took her time and was really there! not off in lala land and that meant so much to me! Thanks for a super giveaway!
I had a doula and it was nice to have her calm presence there.
I had a birth doula and she really set the tone for a great birth. I was so blessed to have her with me!
Lindsey @ GrowingKidsMinistry.com
We used the same doula that my friend used about two years previous to my pregnancy. Definitely made right choice n helped to have friends advice.
I had a wonderful baby nurse experience. She taught me a ton,instilled confidence in me and was loving to my daughter.
Our doula, Laura, made the birth of our son exactly as we wanted it. She was supportive and encouraging. We will definitely use her again if we get the opportunity.
I had an absolutely amazing Doula, and she is also my mom! With her help I was able to have a natural birth with my son, even though he was enormous and took 18 hours to get here. I know without her he would have been a c-section!
We had an amazing doula and dont’t know what we would have done without her. Labor and delivery of our little girl,was rough-after two days of induction, many arguments with nurses and doctors, and lack of information from my doctor, I had to have an emergency c section. Without our doula we would have been a complete mess!
Following them on twitter @legallylexi.
I LOVED my doula and seriously don’t think I could have survived without her. Being 42+2 when my son was born, following two days of intense induction, my experience sadly ended in a c-section. But she held my hand and made sure I was prepared for what was goign to happen. Without her, I truly may not have been able to handle it!
Followed them on twitter (@heather75nyc)
Got a doula at 8 months in my first pregnancy as my husband wimped out of attending the birth (he later changed his mind). The support was invaluable! I had her attend the birth of my next child five years later too.
We had a wonderful experience with a baby nurse who helped us through breastfeeding issues with my daughter – without her I’m sure I would have given up in frustration. Thanks for the great giveaway!
I love Leann Latus who was my doula. She came over and helped out when I had the worst days with my daughter and just needed a break!
I have had two awesome birth doulas, one at each birth. I would never labor without one. (Had two low-intervention, drug-free birth experiences that I largely contribute to Bradley classes and our doulas.) Never had a baby nurse. I would have loved to had the extra help with my first, who was colicky and demanding and generally a tough baby.
We had a post partum doula that helped us after our daughter was born. She helped me with nursing in the hospital, when i was freaking out. She was also a great help to us at home. She organized tye baby area so it made sense, after we got home from the hospital and made sure we were eating right. She also answered all those questions we had to ask but couldn’t remember or didn’t have time to ask the pediatrician.
She was only with us for two weeks for a few hours every other day, but she was a life saver.
My lovely coworkers gave me the gift of a postpartum doula. I ended up delivering a little earlier than expected so never had the chance to research one. Day 4 home with my son was a disaster! It was his 6th day of life and Christmas weekend! I called a couple of doulas in tears! One sweet lady offered to come over all three mornings to give us a break even though she had 5 kids of her own at home! Was willing to move around her schedule. Of course, being a first time mom, I freaked out about having a stranger watch my child while I was sleeping (dark thoughts about waking up and my baby was gone), so I
Cancelled. But I still appreciate her kindness and generosity.
We hired a doula with our first baby, our daughter now 20 months. Reasons we loved her: 1) in home prenatal coaching – we didn’t have to join a Lamaze class, she taught everything to us 1×1. 2) helping understand a write a birth plan, and helping answer questions I didn’t even know I had. 3) mother/daddy bonding sessions before hand- basically our doula did a couple of little exercises at one of our pre-birth home visits where my husband and I shared fears and excitements around the birth of our new baby. It was very cool because, as much as we are open, we had never spent the time real getting dirty with some of our specific worries. 4) labor coaching! Which for me meant helping me stay comfrotable during labor via positioning, encouragement, massage, and supporting my husband in doing the same (i did end up getting an epidural half way throuh and still i was grateful because she was there to keep me focused and incolved.
Overall I was so happy to have a doula, and at least half of that came from the support and coaching she was able to give to my husband. For me it was really important to have a doula that was understanding and supportive even if I chose to get an epidural (my goal was natural, but she was so understanding when I changed my mind half way through my labor). I absolutely recommend hiring a (great) doula for any first time parents. We just had our 2nd baby and did not choose to hire her again for budget reasons (although they are totaly affordable, especially when the information is new) and i felt so prepared and supported by my husband bc of what he learned the first time around with our doula.
When I had my first baby, my husband was overseas. I had no family here, so we agreed to hire a baby nurse for a couple weeks. She was wonderful. There was so much I didn’t know — almost everything. She was only second best to having my own mother with me. It worked out really well and I would recommend it.
I follow @RateUrBabyNurse on Twitter as MsCarolsueA
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net
The nurses were so kind to us after my emergency delivery and the baby being sent to NICU. I was unable to see clearly, think clearly, or even move myself into a wheelchair. The nurses helped me keep track of the medical information about my daughter and worked to get me to her as soon and as often as possible. I would have welcomed the opportunity for an in-home baby nurse had it been an option.
We didn’t hire an in-home nurse, but would have loved too. I didn’t even know that you could do that (the things you learn). Our daughter was pre-mature and had multiple early challenges. While she was still in the hospital and we were traveling back and forth to the hospital at all hours of the day, it would probably have been nice to have someone helping us out at home.
I didn’t have a doula. But I had an amazing nurse before I gave birth to my twins. I was having a really difficult time due to a terrible situation, and hubby was sleeping (as I wanted him to do!). But I began sobbing about the situation, feeling extremely guilty about my twins coming a little early, and then mad at hubby for sleeping (haha). She sat on my bed with me, hugged me, rubbed my hand, and just talked with me for a good two hours in between refilling my water bottle. She was remarkable and nearly ten years later I have not forgotten her!
We didn’t hire a doula or baby nurse but went with a midwife who was the MOST SUPPORTIVE WOMAN EVER. And she had a student midwife with her who was equally supportive. Although they were there as much as a doula or baby nurse, they did follow up visits in the hospital and calls to us at home.
That said, I struggled with nursing and worrying about a jaundiced baby who needed extra nutrition. In the future, I would definitely consider hiring a doula or baby nurse and since I don’t have any friends who have used one here, I would absolutely use a service like this before inviting someone into our home and lives like that.
I guess you could say my Mom was like my doula, and I have to say she was pretty fantastic for both births.
When my first son was born, I was lucky enough to have my wonderful sister-in-law as my nurse for one shift – she worked in post-partum at the hospital where I delivered, so she got to be the nurse to her brand new nephew. And she was incredibly professional when he nearly peed in her face! I’m very blessed to have been surrounded by family.