A newborn care specialist (NCS) is a trained, non-medical infant care professional who focuses on a baby’s first weeks: feeding, soothing, sleep routines and overnight care, while teaching parents along the way. The Newborn Care Specialist Association (NCSA) describes the role as specializing “in the first 0-16 weeks of a baby’s life.” At Hudson Valley Family Doulas, our Certified Newborn Care Specialists work alongside our postpartum doulas, so families can get baby-focused expertise and whole-family support from one agency.
What does a newborn care specialist do?
A newborn care specialist’s attention is on your baby. Day to day, that can include:
- Feeding support: bottle feeding, or bringing your baby to you for nursing, based on your plan
- Soothing and settling, and learning your baby’s cues
- Helping establish healthy daily and sleep routines
- Diapering, bathing and newborn hygiene
- Overnight care, so you can sleep while your baby is cared for
- Coaching you through each of these, so you feel confident when the shift ends
Is a newborn care specialist the same as a night nurse?
No. According to the NCSA, a night nurse is a licensed RN or LPN who works with newborns, and a newborn care specialist cannot call themselves a nurse without a nursing degree. The NCSA notes that a nurse may be the right choice for a medically fragile newborn. For a healthy baby, a newborn care specialist brings specialized infant care training without medical treatment.
Newborn care specialist vs. postpartum doula
The two roles overlap, and many families use both. The main difference is focus:
| Comparison | Newborn care specialist | Postpartum doula |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | The baby, in the first weeks of life | The whole family during the postpartum period |
| Typical support | Feeding, soothing, routines, newborn care and overnight shifts | Newborn care plus feeding support, your physical recovery and emotional adjustment, meals and light household help |
| Medical care? | No | No |
| Best for | Families who want baby-focused expertise, especially overnight | Families who want support for the parents as well as the baby |
Is newborn care specialist certification regulated?
Neither newborn care specialists nor postpartum doulas are licensed by the state. Certification comes from private training organizations such as the NCSA, so it’s worth asking any provider where they trained, whether they are background checked and whether they are trained in infant CPR.
Who are Hudson Valley Family Doulas’ newborn care specialists?
Our team includes Caroline Sherman, a Certified Birth and Overnight Postpartum Doula and Certified Newborn Care Specialist, and Johanna Forney, a Certified Postpartum Doula, Certified Newborn Care Specialist and Certified Lactation Counselor. Learn more about newborn care specialist support and overnight postpartum care, or meet the whole team.
How do I hire a newborn care specialist in the Hudson Valley?
Call 845-288-1985 or send us a message, and we will talk through the support your family needs, whether that’s a newborn care specialist, a postpartum doula or both.
Source: Newborn Care Specialist Association (NCSA), article on the differences between newborn care specialists, postpartum doulas, night nurses and night nannies, published on the International Nanny Association website, April 24, 2024.