Postpartum Doula vs. Night Nurse: What's the Difference?
Night nurse, night nanny, postpartum doula: what each term usually means, what a postpartum doula does at 3am, and how to decide what help your family needs.
By Karen, Certified Postpartum Doula
People use “night nurse,” “night nanny” and “postpartum doula” as if they mean the same thing. Often they’re describing the same kind of help: someone who looks after your newborn so you can sleep. Before you book anyone, though, ask exactly what they’re trained in and what they’ll do.
| Postpartum doula (Mother’s Helpers) | “Night nurse” or “night nanny” | |
|---|---|---|
| What it means | A certified, trained professional who cares for you and your newborn | Older terms for overnight newborn help. Sometimes just babysitting. Not necessarily a licensed nurse. |
| When | Daytime or overnight | Usually overnight |
| What’s included | Complete baby care, newborn education, feeding and breastfeeding support, recovery check-ins, bottles, pump parts, milk storage, baby laundry | Varies. Ask exactly what’s included. |
| Training | Certified postpartum doulas, certified in infant and child CPR, kept up to date on best practice | Varies. Ask. |
| Medical advice | No. We point you to your provider. | Varies |
| Cost with us | $55 to $75 an hour, 8 to 12 hours overnight, no extra fees |
What a postpartum doula does
A postpartum doula cares for you and your newborn after the birth. Postpartum doulas have specific training, stay up to date on best practice, and are certified in infant and child CPR.
With us, you can expect complete baby care and newborn education. We help with feeding and breastfeeding and check in on how you’re recovering, both physically and emotionally. We also take care of the practical work that piles up around a newborn: bottles, pump parts, milk storage and baby laundry.
What “night nurse” usually means
“Night nurse” and “night nanny” are older terms, and sometimes they are used when what someone wants is a postpartum doula. Most people who use them want overnight newborn care, not a licensed nurse. If you are looking for medical care at home, we can help you find that. A postpartum doula doesn’t give medical advice. If something looks wrong, your doula will tell you and point you to your provider.
What the difference looks like at 3am
Your baby wakes up and you’re breastfeeding. Your doula brings the baby to you. After the feed, they burp, change and settle the baby, and you go back to sleep.
A doula is also paying attention to you. One family wrote on our testimonials page that their doula was “refilling my water bottle, making sure I was hydrating, cleaning my pumps and storing milk, and ensuring I had everything I needed to get through those exhausting early weeks.”
Cost
Overnight postpartum care with us is $55 to $75 an hour, with an 8 hour minimum and up to 12 hours. Daytime care is the same rate with a 4 hour minimum. We’re an accepted provider for Carrot, Maven and Progyny. The full breakdown is in what postpartum doula care costs around Boston. For the whole night, step by step, see what happens during an overnight doula shift.
Which one do you need?
Ask yourself what you want to be true in the morning. If it’s “the baby was well cared for and I slept,” you need overnight help. If you also want someone keeping an eye on your recovery and your feeding, and answering the questions you didn’t want to bother the pediatrician with, that’s what a postpartum doula is trained for.
Not sure what you need? Call 508-881-2200 or text 508-766-0100 and we’ll talk it through.