Baby nurses?!?!?!?

DoGoodThenGo · Jun 9, 2013

what's the different between a "babynurse" and a "wet nurse"? Or are they the same thing?

Before the invention of rubber nipples, glass bottles and so forth new mothers who either could or would not nurse (breastfeed) their own infants hired out the function to someone else.

For much of recorded history high born/wealthy women and those with status deemed it "common" to nurse their own children so a wet nurse would be engaged until the child was weaned. In the South this was at first negress slaves (Mammy) then still African American women. In old Europe royal, noble and upper-class women rarely feed their own infants as well. Domestic manuals of the 1800's through early 1900's gave advice on choosing/interviewing a wet nurse. The process usually involved examining the applicant's bosom in much the same way one would a milk cow. On the brighter side wet nurses employed in great households usually got better food and more of it than most other servants and larger beer rations. Beer along with tea or any other boiled drink was common due too the absence of safe drinking water supplies.

Being as all this may not nursing their own infants meant high born women the world over had to return to marriage bed duty not long after birth. This often meant one pregnancy after another as they lost the *birth control* protection of nursing mothers. However this was not universal as some royal and or wealthy women choose to nurse their children regardless of convection. Empress Alexandra of Russia nursed all her own children for instance.

DoGoodThenGo · Jun 9, 2013

Thank you so much for the wealth of information on this topic. It just bothers me they are called nurses, when in reality, they aren't a nurse at all. (Aside from your friend I suppose)

There are a good number of LPNs and RNs who work as infant/new mother nurses. Some are paid for via insurance or some such because the infant was born with special needs, others via the family itself. Again given the cost of a *real* nurse especially in NYC money the number of families that can afford several days post-partum much less say six months or longer is probably very small.

As for the aforementioned nurse tried to find her business card but think one chucked it when I switched from a Roll-A-Dex to my phone or Outlook.

Basically she is engaged around final trimester to ensure she won't be booked with the mother delivers. When that event occurs a car is sent for her to take her to hospital to be with the family after the birth. From there the infant is handed over to her care at discharge and everyone goes back to "Tara". *LOL* In this case one of Manhattan's townhouses or huge co-op/condo apartments.

IIRC according to her she has her own suite of rooms next to the nursery and is in no way treated as a servant. If there is a nanny in the household to care for older children the nurse outranks her (which does not always go over well with the latter). This "baby nurse" enters and leaves via the front door and wherever the family goes she goes via it private jet or first class on an airline flight. Saint Bart's in the Winter. Tuscany in the Spring or Summer, or simply the "country" on weekends. She does not do laundry, cook, clean or any "domestic" chores period.

All and all she likes the work because it allows her to pick and choose when she's "on duty" and gives time to see her adult children and their families. One gathers the pay isn't bad either.

On the downside she like the other "babynurses" often are on call 24/7. Many NYC moms who hire babynurses *DO NOT* get up at night if baby cries, that after all is what in their minds they are paying a nurse. So imagine being up all night with an infant then being expected to rise and shine first thing in the AM to "start work".

DoGoodThenGo · Jun 9, 2013

I actually love caring for babies and the mothers in my job as an L&D nurse and when I saw this I thought that would be amazing for me, until I learned they weren't actual nurses. Lol

Am sure you'd find plenty of job offers if you lowered your wage expectations to what these "babynurses" are paid, but that probably would mean a substantial pay cut from your current L&D gig and no bennies either.

Here is an idea, you can always sweeten the offer by saying you'll wear a nurse's cap and cape outdoors when taking baby out for an airing. Am sure that little one up on the Joneses might be worth something! *LOL*

DoGoodThenGo · Jun 9, 2013

Yep, it's illegal to use the word "Nurse" without a license. "Babynurse" (all one word) is no different.

Can an unlicensed person, such as a medical technologist, use the title "nurse" or be referred to as "the nurse" in New York State?

Answer: No. New York law restricts the use of the title "nurse" to persons who are licensed to practice nursing or hold a limited permit issued by the New York State Education Department.

So one wonders why there are scores if not hundreds of "babynurse" agencies and or those calling themselves such and no one at the NYS BON or anywhere else for that matter seems to be bothered.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2013

Thank you so much for the wealth of information on this topic. It just bothers me they are called nurses, when in reality, they aren't a nurse at all. (Aside from your friend I suppose)

I wrote them, 20/20, a nasty note ...I mean informative letter abut the legality of using the term nurse when one is not licensed...title nurse protection

DoGoodThenGo · Jun 9, 2013

To keep things current the last season of "Downton Abbey" saw a wet nurse engaged for Lady Sybil's infant after she died (from eclampsia) shortly after delivery.

In that instance a young mother from the village who had just delivered herself was sent up to "the big house".

If you want a good read about mother-baby care including wet-nurses from the early 20th century here in the USA try here: Mother and Child - Google Books

Detroit, MI set up a wet-nurse service/registry to provide such a service.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Jun 9, 2013

Someone ought to notify the NYS BON.

Someone has. I did, twice: by phone (message had to be left, not a human available) and by email. As did several others. And have yet to even get so much as an acknowledgement from the BON that they even GOT the complaint. Apparently, although there is much talk about "protected title status" and such, when push comes to shove they do NOTHING about it.

Websites are still up, business is still in full bloom, and "baby nurses" are available for hire, no licenses required.

klone, MSN, RN · Jun 9, 2013

When was this done? I can't imagine changes will be made in a week.

DoGoodThenGo · Jun 10, 2013

Well at least one consumer gets it: Blog-

But wait, there's more: http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/scandal-baby-nurses-official-job-training-criteria-government-regulation-certification-schools-article-1.593881

missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN · Jun 10, 2013

To keep things current the last season of "Downton Abbey" saw a wet nurse engaged for Lady Sybil's infant after she died (from eclampsia) shortly after delivery.
In that instance a young mother from the village who had just delivered herself was sent up to "the big house".
If you want a good read about mother-baby care including wet-nurses from the early 20th century here in the USA try here: Mother and Child - Google Books
Detroit, MI set up a wet-nurse service/registry to provide such a service.

Oh...for crying out loud....I haven't gotten to that season of Downton Abbey yet.

DoGoodThenGo · Jun 10, 2013

Oh...for crying out loud....I haven't gotten to that season of Downton Abbey yet.

Sorry, had no idea. I mean it has been all over the media and done with by now.

CodeteamB · Jun 10, 2013

Oh...for crying out loud....I haven't gotten to that season of Downton Abbey yet.

Lol, spoilers, you never know where they're gonna get you!