Will You Pay to Take Your Nurse Home!

If I would have known ahead of time how hard the first week would be I would have hired some good, medically qualified help. So, YES! Absolutely it is a great idea. Good luck.

Are you KDDING? This would be fantastic. I would have hired you in a heartbeat :) My Mom looked high and low for me for someone professionally trained, hopefully a pediatric CNA. NO bites. An LPN, no bites. The few CNA's that responded were not even Pediatric CNA and were looking for a full time job. If you price yourself competitively, meaning at the going rate, or initially just below, for RN's, you will be golden. As you build up a clientele you can even raise your fee because temporary positions usually DO pay more. The term "baby nurse" is misused. ANYONE that has even given a baby a bottle is calling themselves a baby NURSE. Very misleading. If you do decide to do this, PLEASE let me know as I am planning a third baby in about 2 years. Oh, also, if you can, avoid going through an agency. They add on to the cost substantially and this does turn allot of people off. Thank you!

I am a single mom by choice and so used a doula. The more expensive doula was $35/hr for night time and the other one whom I actually preferred was $25/hr also for night time. the first also charged travel time, which I found a little obnoxious as she was going to be at my house for 7 hours. I also used a lactation consultant and that was $200 for a 2hr visit.

I think that it would depend on price and my needs as to what I would use. I didn't really need any medical help so I don't think I would have paid more for an RN. I really needed some sleep, a little help with chores and some breastfeeding help. A little help with learning to bathe the baby would also have been nice. Maybe instead of having the lactation consultant I could have used an RN to do that and general baby care.

I don't think its usually an affordable thing to have a nurse with you regardless of the situation. Unless you can charge as the doulas do I don't think a nurse is necessarily so much better than a doula. Most doulas are fantastic and are really dedicated to their work and most nurses are as well but their fees are astronomical due to their experience and expertise. Just my thoughts. If I could get someone whos great and referred by others for $500 and then someone else for $1,500 then I'm not gonna think about paying the higher price regardless of their nursing degree. I think if you cater to a very exclusively wealthy clientele then you could get ppl. who are interested though. Its generally the first time "panicked" moms who will go for it though. From personal experience my cousins are very wealthy (with an emphasis on VERY) and they even said it was a waste of money and stopped having their postpartum nurse after a week or two because they said it wasn't worth all the money it cost. I think she then got a doula for much less for another couple of weeks. I only wish I could afford the help on the other hand but I don't know whether I'd go with a nurse or doula. Good luck with the idea - I'm sure you could get clients if you go through the right parties. Try - you have nothing to lose.

I had a very difficult newborn, but I still wouldn't pay to have my hospital nurses come to my house (maybe it was just my nurses, they were awful...please note, I'm not saying all nurses are awful; there are tons and tons of nurses who are angels and deserve a spot in heaven for all that they have to put up with). The nurse would have to be pretty darn good and top notch in order for me to shell out my money.

Hi M., I think this is a great idea, and I probably would have paid for the service. I wish this were something offered by our state. I have a friend who lives in Maine and there is some sort of visiting nurse program under which everyone gets a visiting nurse for a few hours, several weeks or maybe even months after the birth. Anyway -- I think many moms would be more likely to do this if you are a licensed nurse (RN, LVN or LPN, or certified nurse midwife) in addition to a bachelors in nursing. Just a thought. But I think it is a great idea and you should go for it.

I don't think I would have used your services. The hospital I was at had a service that called a few days and a few weeks after the baby was born to see if we needed anything, had any questions, etc... They just called - which I thought was perfect.

When you bring a baby home for the first time it is overwelming. But, I don't think there is much that I can get from a home nurse that I can't get from my family and friends who support me.

I am sure there are people out there that may need these services though. I wish you the best of luck...

Hi. I agree with the others... you would need to check it out very carefully and if you go for it you need to be really assertive and give it all you have. Postpartum doulas are still certainly used out there - some charge more, some less - but unless the baby has been in NICU or has some special medical needs I think that it is unlikely that your nursing degree with give you more of a leg up than... a picture of your happy kids, clean house and healthy tasty dinner on the table included with your resume. Good luck!

This sounds like a great idea, but I would do your research REALLY well before diving in (i.e. a competitive analysis). I would talk to the hospital where you work to start out: ask them if you would be allowed to include a flyer for your services in all maternity rooms. Ask them if they would be willing to allow you to hang any posters around the hospital.
Lots of people have great ideas for starting a business...I have found that the people who are willing to put in the most work and be the most aggressive will make it. If you find that your hospital is receptive to it, then you can go to other hospitals and explain how successful it has been at YOUR hospital and would they allow you to give out flyers or put up posters in their hospital as well.
As we all know, our children are the most important things in our lives: you will need to display your business will a great deal of professionalism in order to instill a sense of trust: spend the time/money to make yourself a nice logo, have some nice business cards printed as well as posters and flyers. Make sure you include your experience (including being a mom of FOUR!) and your qualifications on all printed pieces.
Anyway, those are just some thoughts. I think you have a great idea and trust me: in a city of this size, there are plenty of people out there that can afford to do this: Chicago has a lot of pretty wealthy residents--especially if you are willing to go to the suburbs. This might also make a great "New Mom" gift--someone could hire you for their daughter or friend for a few days...
Be sure that you are willing to dedicate yourself to this though: it will probably mean a lot of time away from home...but if it becomes very successful, it would be great for you to hire other nurses that want to be stay-at-home moms etc.
On a personal note: I probably would have used the service...my mother was in town for a week after I had the baby, but after that I was a wreck because I knew NOTHING about childcare! It would have been great to have someone around to help with the little things like bathing, breast-feeding, pumping/bottles, diapering, and good tips on other care.

I think it's a good idea, but it does appeal to a niche market. I did not have any family around with my children and it would have been helpful. I work with a lot of people that have no problem spending money on childcare / assistance include nannies, night nurses, 24/7 care. While they might not be your target audience, I think there are people out there willing to pay for the service. A good way to get started might be to talk to some ob/gyns.

Hi M.,

I would've jumped at your services with both my kids! I think your idea is great. You might also want to think about marketing (that sounds funny, but I couldn't think of a better word) to women who have a short-term need for personal health issues. I'm in the process of recovering from surgery and can't pick up either of my kids for six weeks. I have help from friends and my husband as well as our part-time sitter, but your services could have definitely filled some gaps of time over the 6 week period so my husband didn't have to be home with me...the poor guy is doing a great job, but it's a lot of extra pressure for him. In turn, I think I would be more comfortable paying someone so I didn't feel so darn guilty recouping while he's doing all the work in and out of the home. Just my thoughts...good luck!

It depends on the cost, I guess, but I think there would be a market if you could get the word out. I didn't want a doula (I felt like my husband would feel pushed out, and I had a midwife who was great) but I would have loved some postpartum support. We paid about $700 to an LC (insurance didn't cover) for home visits with my first child.

I think it would be a luxury that most people would not be able to afford, given today's economy.

I know of a few people in my mom's group that have used/use a night nurse and one that used one for the first 2 weeks home. I think it's a great idea. It was a little out of my price range (their nurse charges $15/hour) but I know that there is a need for them! Good luck!

Just so you know the Resurrection Hospitals offer a FREE in-home nurse visit within the first 72 hours that you are home with your newborn. One of the nurses that cared for you in the hospital is one that comes to your house. I know it is not over night or anything, but they will come whenever you like for a one time visit. You can schedule with them before you leave the hospital or they will call you to ask how you are doing and if you would like a visit. Just thought you should know.
C.

M.,
It would probably ultimately depend on the cost, but I would have loved to have a little more help in the first few days. I actually did have a doula, but after the birth, she waited a few days to stop over. We had an angel of a nurse in the hospital, and I cried when I left knowing she couldn't come home with us, so a big "Yes" to your idea.
J.