Motherhood can be a beautiful experience for both mother and baby. As a nanny, you might have the incredible opportunity to support a new mother as she navigates the many new-to-her aspects of childcare from diaper changing to breastfeeding and bathing.
Welcoming a new baby into the house is a giant change for everyone involved, and oftentimes even more so for Mom, particularly if she is choosing to breastfeed. Working alongside your nanny family when a new baby comes along is a fabulous opportunity to show the family the scope of your skill-set, and the many ways that you can offer support to them throughout this transition. There are in fact, many ways that you can offer tangible and appreciable support, specifically to the new Mother, and we want to start you off with some of the basics.
What Every New Mom Always Needs
1. More Sleep
Any Mom with a newborn will absolutely benefit from more sleep so however you can support her in this, perhaps working alongside the newborn care specialist to create a schedule for the newborn, scheduling showers or afternoons away for Mom, or just offering to take the baby whenever Mom needs a quick nap or a walk around outside.
2. Nutritious Food + Water
You can prep some fresh fruit, vegetables, protein, and nutrient-dense snacks that Mom can enjoy with one hand, particularly if she is breastfeeding. Keep some pre-cut items along with some La Croix and filtered still water in an easily accessible spot in the refrigerator and let Mom know that her snacks and water are there for her. Breastfeeding takes a huge toll on Moms body so remember that she has extremely vital needs in addition to the needs of the baby. Maintaining a healthy caloric intake along with a good amount of water is so important for all new Moms. If she does decide to breastfeed, keep in mind any recommendations from her doctor that she may share with you, and follow those religiously.
3. Intuitive Support
You have most likely been in this position many times before so your experience and confidence with new babies will be an immense comfort to a new mom. Offer as little or as much verbal support as your Mom Boss seems interested in receiving, if she’s having a rough moment, offer to take the baby and a pumped bottle so Mom can take a few steps back and catch her breath. If Mom is doing great, be mindful of her non-verbal cues and support her in a way that doesn’t make her feel bowled over.
4. Professional Support
In some situations, the addition of a new baby is something that the entire family seems to gradually adjust to without any issues. In many situations, however, the addition of a vulnerable, vocal, adorable, but sleep-resistant infant requires more assistance for everyone in the family. In cases like this, it’s time to start thinking about suggesting more professional support for your nanny family. If your Mom Boss is back to work and really struggling with nights and establishing healthy sleep habits with the baby, or if they’re having a rough time breastfeeding and your support hasn’t been enough to relieve her burden, then it’s time to call in for more hands. A newborn care specialist will be able to hop in and work with your nanny family, predominantly in the evenings, to establish a sleep schedule which can have an astronomical impact on Moms ability to be back to work and getting a reasonable amount of sleep herself. A lactation specialist will be able to come in and offer Mom so much support around breastfeeding: they’ll have all of the top industry tips, tricks, best practices, and troubleshooting that she’ll need. From there, you’ll be able to support the family and your older nanny kids as usual while making sure that the family has all of the necessary help needed to make this new addition an exciting and fantastic transition.
To learn more about the differences between these childcare roles, check out our other blog post with more role definitions.
Have you ever worked with a brand new Mom? We’d love to hear about your personal experiences and how you were able to support her – reach out to us on Facebook, Instagram, and check out the other posts on the blog!
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