[HappyAga]

I have a question for you. Right now I'm working towards my birth doula certification and PP doula will be next. I don't know if I'll be working days or nights, and I would like to have some insight from you <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin">.<br><br>
What do you do at night?<br><br>
For those that have done both? Which shift do you like better any why?<br><br><br>
Thanks

 

[MindfulBirth]

I work both day and night. I prefer working night for purely selfish reasons - it means I'm gone while my kids are sleeping so they are not so aware of my absence; and I work an 8 hour block of time which means more money in my pocket! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br><br>
Aside from those reasons, however, I like the interaction of working the day shift. With days, my focus is more on the mother.. pampering her, helping out around the house, fixing yummy, healthy meals, etc. At night I try to sleep when the baby is sleeping, although I may do a couple loads of laundry or fix breakfast before I leave depending upon what the parents want and how needy baby is. For bottle-fed babies I am taking care of the baby all night long so the parents get a solid 8 hours of sleep. For breastfed babies, I wake up mom to nurse but then take the baby back to another room to burp, change and sooth back to sleep.<br><br>
If you are doing night work with breastfed babies, you need to be able to sleep very lightly. You will need to wake up at the first gurgle or fart indicating that the baby is waking up to get the baby to mom before it cries.

 

[momto9kidlets]

Quite honestly it depends on what the families need. I have been with families who want me to be there to care for the baby and do things like light housekeeping and laundry during the night. Some want me to wake them so they can feed their baby and others want to sleep through the night. I have worked with many twins families whose babies are on monitors and so they hire me to care for the babies all night long while also doing light housekeeping and maybe laundry. I am there so that the parents can sleep easier and not worry so much about whether a monitor goes off or not. I am right there with the baby.<br><br>
I have worked both but honestly I like nights better because it is easier. There is little cleaning to do and I can snuggle up with the baby or babies and like someone else said I am gone while my kids are sleeping. I think I just feel like I am doing so much more when I work days then when I work nights.

 

[rebirth]

I also prefer nights, b/c of similar reasons, altho I'm only available for shorter day shifts right now b/c of my young baby who needs lots of milk from me. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> I'm only doing 3 hr shifts right now <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"><br><br>
I charge more at nights, which is a bonus, plus there is no childcare cost, and I usually sleep through all or part of a shift. I'll do a load or two of laundry and cook something if baby is a good sleeper or while mom is nursing, but that is all. I'll do 6 hr or 8 hr shifts msinly, altho I have done longer in the past.<br><br>
In the day my focus is more on education and assistance for the mom directly. I will help with BWing, BFing, and can give extra help with infant massage etc. I will cook, do some light cleaning, soothe baby and sometimes run errends.<br><br>
I've only worked with BFing families (not b/c I won't work with FFing families).