Here are some of the many things and NCS can help with:

Educate parents on all things infant care

Care for multiples and preemies

Assist with breastfeeding

Identify postpartum depression and other postpartum mood disorders

Monitor baby’s nutritional intake

Umbilical care

Circumcision care

Diapering

Sponge and tub bath

Burping techniques

Soothing techniques

Swaddling

Infant massage

Initiating a schedule for sleeping, meals, naps and play time

Assist in establishing healthy sleep patterns

Teach your baby to sleep through the night by 12 weeks of age

Sleep conditioning using gentle, skilled and proven techniques

Bottle cleaning and sterilization

Care for babies with reflux and slow weight gain

Maintain the baby’s log of eating, sleeping, diapering and behavioral patterns

Provide complete care of the newborn at night

Bring newborn to nursing mom if breastfeeding overnight

Assist with nursery shopping and setup

Organization and maintenance of the nursery

Laundering baby clothing and linens

A Newborn Care Specialist, or NCS for short, is a specially trained individual in all aspects of newborn care for the first 3-4 months of life. They typically start with a family the day they return home from the hospital/birthing facility or right after a home birth, although you can still hire an NCS at any point in those first 3-4 months of life. This person will come into your home, either overnight or for around the clock care, to help you care for your new baby and educate you on all things newborn. The NCS is trained to set healthy sleep habits, sometimes referred to as sleep conditioning, to help baby learn healthy ways to self soothe and sleep through the night by 8-10 weeks old. Please note that this is not what many people refer to as sleep training as that does not begin until at least 4 months old if the infant is not sleeping through the night on their own. They will help you set a daily routine to help promote good night time sleep, and provide the best possible environment for growth and development. They are also trained to identify abnormalities in your newborn so you can bring them to the attention of your pediatrician as early as possible for treatment if needed. An NCS is familiar with current safety recommendations from the American Association of Pediatrics, and they have used a wide variety of baby products so they can help make recommendations on what items may work well for your family! An NCS is also familiar with signs of postpartum mood disorders and able to advise you to seek care if your symptoms seem to be progressing beyond the typical baby blues.