A Night in the Life of a Night Nanny

At Indy Night Nanny, our sole focus is on providing exceptional in-home, overnight infant care to allow parents to get a full night of uninterrupted sleep. As moms ourselves, we’ve been there, and we know how impactful a full night’s sleep can be. We truly believe our services set the whole family up for success, with everyone getting the sleep they need to thrive.

But we also understand that it can take a lot of trust and comfort to be able to actually fall asleep while someone else cares for your precious newborn. Our highly skilled and compassionate team helps our families feel at ease the moment they walk through the door, and the amount of service they’ll provide throughout the night is incredible. Our calm, caring presence will put your baby at ease too.

Whether you’re an expecting parent curious about how night nannies can provide much-needed relief, or you’re interested in joining our team, here’s a glimpse into a night in the life of a night nanny.

Upon Arrival

Around 9 or 10pm, our team member will arrive and check in with the parents to see how the day went. While our focus is on nighttime care, we know that daytime routines are essential to developing healthy sleep habits. We work to educate parents on effective daytime strategies to promote quality sleep at night. We’ll also want to understand diaper and feeding schedules and listen to any questions or concerns parents may have.

Seeing Sleepy Cues

Once we arrive and get the day’s info we need, we are there to take over and let the parents go to bed. We quickly get to know each baby we care for and learn their sleep cues. If a baby isn’t asleep when we arrive, we’ll jump right in to meet them where they’re at in their routine. This may include bottle feeding, diaper changes, and swaddling. It may also include putting on pajamas, reading a book ,and soothing. We’ll help ensure the nursery is dark, sound machines are on, and blackout curtains are pulled. When caring for families of multiples, mom and/or dad may stay awake for some of these activities, but our extra hands still prove invaluable.

While Baby’s Asleep

Once baby is sleeping soundly (on their back) in their crib, we step out and help with feeding prep, which could include washing pump parts, storing milk, washing bottle parts, and making bottles of breastmilk or formula. We keep the monitor with us to ensure we are the ones answering those midnight cries, not you. But we also take care not to react to every peep and squeak, as to not create unnecessary additional wakefulness and interrupt self-soothing abilities. We will never have the TV, lights, or distractions on that could stimulate your baby, and we may even rest ourselves to keep everything low key during their sleep time.

When Baby Wakes

With newborns, it’s typical they’ll wake every 2-3 hours in the beginning, needing a diaper change and to eat. If mom is breastfeeding, we will carry the baby into the mom’s room to nurse and take care of any diaper changes, swaddling, burping, and soothing back to sleep. If baby is receiving formula, we warm up the bottle, snuggle during feeding time, burp, swaddle, and soothe baby back to sleep, and then wash all bottle parts.

In The Morning

At the end of the night of care, our team provides a full report on the care received throughout the night including diapering, feeding, and sleeping. Any concerns are discussed, and parents can ask questions. We love providing reminders of successful strategies for the day ahead, to set everyone on a path to another restful night the next evening.

We love our jobs and feel honored to care for the families we serve. If it’s a job that sounds like something you would love and excel at, email us at info@indynightnanny.com. We’re always looking to add to our incredible team.