Students Nationwide & International
Do you love babies? Would you like to advance your career helping new parents with their precious newborn? For over a decade, ICT Infant and Childcare Training Academy has trained thousands of professional newborn care specialists to work with families during the day or night. Whether you are considering a career change or would like to upgrade your skills and credentials, our newborn specialist online certification training, will help you meet your goals. You will learn how to become a confident and skilled newborn care professional.
Formerly known as the baby nurse certification course, our non-medical newborn care training program provides career development opportunity for students at all levels. The NCS course includes essential and advanced training topics such as baby sleep training, breastfeeding support, calming techniques, infant massage, baby talk, professionalism, and much more. You will be prepared to provide attentive care while parents rest and recover after the birth of their new baby.
When you register, you will be shipped a complete student care package with practice training baby doll, swaddle blanket, student handbook and more. Training consists of easy-to-follow video demonstrations and baby care techniques. You will learn about your role as a qualified infant specialist and how to understand the specific needs of each family.
Connect With An Expert Mentor
Whether youre paired with a mentor through your newborn skills program or nanny agency or you meet them through a professional organization like INA, Sakowicz encourages anyone honing their newborn skills to find a mentor who can support their education. Its a step she finds so integral to success that her company pairs students with experts in the field who can offer knowledge on all aspects of newborn care and business, from lactation and nutrition to sleep and taxes. That mentorship is huge in helping newer people grow and flourish, she says.
What Is A Newborn Care Specialist And Do You Need One
by Andrea Hedley | Aug 8, 2020 | Newborn Care Specialists
Is a Newborn Care Specialist the same as a night nurse?
The term Night Nurse feels very familiar to some, but it is an outdated term, and in most states it is in fact illegal to refer to yourself as a nurse unless you are an RN, LPN or LVN. The correct term to use in the US, as adopted by the International Nanny Association over 12 years ago, is Newborn Care Specialist, also known as an NCS.
What does a Newborn Care Specialist do?
A Newborn Care Specialist usually starts with a family on the day they bring baby home from the hospital or the day of home birth and stays typically for up to 3-4 months to guide and educate new parents and offer hands-on care to the newborn to help establish feeding, routine, and healthy sleep habits. Most often, a Newborn Care Specialist will handle the overnight care so that a new parent can rest and recover from birth or adapt to new parenthood if the baby is adopted or via surrogate. If required, an NCS will offer around-the-clock or daytime support as well.
Is there a difference between a Newborn Care Specialist and a night nanny?
What qualifications should parents look for when hiring a Newborn Care Specialist?
What are the benefits of hiring a Newborn Care Specialist?
What are the drawbacks, besides the expense of having a newborn care specialist?
What can parents expect to pay for a newborn care specialist?
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Student Frequently Asked Questions
Who Should Take the Newborn Baby Nurse Course?
The Newborn Specialist Master Training is perfect for nannies, caregivers, doulas, or anyone interested in a career with babies.
What is the Class Schedule?
You will have two weeks to complete the training at your own pace. You will be able to log on and off at your convenience at any time during the day and pick up from where you left off. The training consists of interactive instructional videos, demos and activities.
What is Included in the Newborn Care Specialist Training?
Everything is included in your training! You will receive a student care package shipped to you with all your hands on practice material and booklet. Infant CPR Family & Friends Program is included and a beautiful Newborn Specialist certificate to present to families.
What are the Requirements?
Students must be at least 18 years of age or older to register.
How Long Does it Take to Complete the Training?
On average, you will need 10-20 hours to complete the course. Each student goes at a different pace, some students are able to complete the program within a weekend while others do a little each day.
Do You Offer a Payment Plan?
Yes, for a small additional fee, payment plan students can pay $550 at the time of registration and a 2nd payment of $550 will be charged on the day training begins. Save when you are able to pay in full one-time $997.
What If I am Already CPR Certified?
Will This Training be Valid in My Area?
How Do I Register?
How To Become A Newborn Care Specialist
The primary qualifications for becoming a newborn care specialist are training to work with newborns and any licenses or certifications required in your area. Newborn care specialists come from a variety of professional backgrounds, including nannies, nurses, daycare providers, and mothers, and most families are flexible about the exact background as long as you have a lot of experience working with children. The exception to this is families with unusually sick babies, as they may prefer a newborn care specialist with nursing experience. This job is frequently limited to women even if the job listing does not state as much, though men, especially those with nursing experience, may occasionally find an opening. Fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of a newborn care specialist requires familiarity with the problems infants can experience, communication skills, patience, and flexibility.
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What Is A Newborn Care Specialist Anyways
The term newborn care specialist is a recent one, as it was invented in 2007.
The International Nanny Association saw that it was necessary to have an appropriate referral term for people that focus on caring for newborns. Before this term came into light, the healthcare system referred to such individuals as night nurses or baby-nurses. However, most of the individuals that cared for newborns were not registered nurses. They lacked accreditation, and they could not perform the duties of a registered nurse. As such, using the term night nurse or baby nurse was both inappropriate and illegal.
INA thus invented the term newborn care specialist to give the promoters of the industry a definitive title. The title provides a clear definition of the existing knowledge and training that the professionals have in caring for newborns. In-home providers can also fall under the category of Newborn Care Specialists. Since 2007, the INA has offered continuing education opportunities for individuals that wish to pursue a career as Newborn Care Specialists. The association holds workshops and annual conferences to help the specialists maintain high standards of professionalism.
Our Newborn Care Specialist Searches Include
- A dedicated Placement Counselor to assist you through the interviewing and hiring process
- Personalized job description and active, creative recruitment
- In-depth newborn care specialist profiles tailored to your familys specific needs and preferences
- Extensive candidate screening process including reference checks, employment verification and Internet screening
- Detailed reference transcripts for candidates moving to interview stage
- Assistance with scheduling and salary negotiations and employment agreements as needed
- Assistance with state-specific employment and tax laws as needed
- Comprehensive background checks in compliance with applicable law, education verification and driving checks run once a conditional offer of employment has been received.
For more information about our newborn care specialist placement package, please fill out our Family Contact Form.
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Most Newborn Care Specialists Work With New Parents For Up To Three Months Beyond That Some Specialists May Stay On And Help The Parents With:
- Sleep training beyond three months and help them keep infants and toddlers sleeping all night.
- Assistance with reflux and colic problems and help them deal with the babys GER/GERD.
- Taking care of twins or triplets and dealing with more than one baby at a time.
- Perform consultations regarding any newborn issues that come up.
Now that you understand what newborn care specialists do, you can decide if their services may be of use to you. Are you thinking about hiring a newborn care specialist?
Newborn Care Specialists Vs Postpartum Doulas: Whats The Difference
During childbirth, newborn care specialists and postpartum doulas play important roles in taking care of the mother and the child.
While both roles are specialists in newborn care, they are commonly mistaken by people who use the terms synonymously. The two newborn care specialist types play distinctive roles from one another.
The two specialists play a significant role in the transformative lives of both parents and newborns. This transition period is essential as it helps the parents go back to their regular routines while caring for the child. Below are characteristic distinctions between newborn care specialists and a postpartum doulas.
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Do You Need A Newborn Care Specialist
We are here to help you find the best possible help and care for those wonderful but often overwhelming first few months with your newborn. We offer a free service to help connect you with the best Newborn Care Specialist for your family.
Do I need Certification?
Certification is your industry association verification that you have the qualifications, experience, knowledge and professionalism to care for newborns at the highest standard. We make it easy for families and other professionals to rely on the knowledge that your hours of NCS experience, your background check and references are up to date and verified.
What Does A Newborn Care Specialist Cost
Here is the main drawback: those extra Zs are going to cost you. The rates for an NCS typically range between $25 and $45 per hour, with rates in some cities going as high as $80 per hour.
“As a general rule of thumb, a Newborn Care Specialist tends to be more expensive than a regular day nanny about 25% to 30% more in most markets,” Sakowicz says. “These rates, even within the same market, are highly variable based on the background of the Newborn Care Specialist and the demand for their services.” The rates are also higher if the NCS is working with twins or triplets.
Other than the price, some parents struggle with the idea of inviting someone into their home and letting them take part in caring for their baby. “The only drawback I can think of is not getting the right Newborn Care Specialist,” Hedley says. “This is a time of change and can be a very sensitive time in your life involving extreme emotions. It is so vital that the person you invite into your home to help during this time is the right fit for you.”
“If you’re used to doing everything for yourself, letting someone else help is sometimes a struggle,” Sakowicz says. “But I promise, the help is worth it! I have clients who still tell me, 18 years later, that the money they spent was absolutely one of the best things they ever did for themselves and their children.”
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How Do I Become A Newborn Specialist
Newborn specialists help provide all the basic care that babies require during the first few months of life, such as feeding, changing diapers, and keeping the baby clean. They also share their expertise to help parents develop routines and create safe environments for their babies. The job usually requires you to work overnight, as that is when many parents need the most help. While you can become a newborn specialist without special training, you will need to be very familiar with all the elements of caring for a newborn.
Although newborn specialists were once called baby nurses, they are not nurses in the medical sense. You dont need advanced medical training to become a newborn specialist, but taking a basic first aid course is a good idea. Look for one that teaches newborn cardiopulmonary resuscitation and how to handle emergencies and medical challenges. Even if youve taken adult CPR and life-saving courses in the past, you can benefit from these courses the procedures for dealing with newborns are completely different. Knowing that you have the tools to handle an emergency can help you feel more confident and give you an edge when applying for positions to become a newborn specialist.
What Is The Difference Between A Newborn Care Specialist And A Nanny
A Newborn Care Specialist , also called an infant care specialist or baby nurse, is a professional that assists in all aspect of newborn care for the new parents. The NCS can be live-in or work specific hours each day and live offsite.
The primary role of an NCS is to take care of newborn duties to give the new parents time to rest, work, and not feel so overwhelmed by their new baby. In addition, the baby nurse is there so parents can gradually adjust to having a new baby in the home, while their baby adjusts to a new schedule that better reflects that of the parents.
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What Does A Newborn Care Specialist Do
As a newborn care specialist, your job is to educate parents after the birth of their babies about the best ways to care for newborns. This frequently involves explaining feeding, baby sleeping habits, what to do once they go home, and similar matters. Newborn care specialists often work night shifts to allow parents the opportunity to rest, while also documenting a baby’s sleeping, feeding, and changing times to help transition them to a regular schedule. Newborn care specialists usually stay with families anywhere from several weeks to several months before moving on to the next client and may be asked to travel with the family. Unlike babysitters and other caregivers, newborn care specialists do not take on any duties aside from caring for a newborn and educating new parents.
Class 4 Poop & Scheduling
Class 4: includes the subject of , scheduling, and bowel movements. Once you understand scheduling, which is also included, taking care of multiples becomes easy. We discuss feeding, scheduling, sleep conditioning, color coding, and more. We also discuss the different types of scheduling and what is the most effective with newborns. Bowel movements are a huge issue with parents. We will explain why and what to look for, how to take care of constipation, and when it is not an issue.
POOP:
Baby Blues and Postpartum Depression are discussed.
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