• Why do I need Maternal Response?

We have a ‘bank’ of around 100 qualified and experienced maternity nurses that have been interviewed and verified and who we use regularly. Thanks to our relationship with these nurses we can recommend and put forward those most suitable for your post. This will save you the time of advertising independently and then having to call, meet and check the references of many unsuitable candidates.

By using maternal response you will also have access to many very experienced candidates that only work with our agency. It offers you piece of mind and security.

We will be in touch with you throughout the interviewing process and we are always happy to discuss any queries you may have. During the booking we will call to make sure all is going well and following the booking we will request your feedback to ensure we maintain standards for future clients.

• How long do I need a nurse for?

There is no right or wrong answer here, it is entirely up to you. We have services ranging from a 3 day home from hospital package to bespoke services to suit your family’s needs.

The average length of a booking is 6 weeks but families often choose longer bookings, particularly if they already have children or are expecting twins/triplets.

Families can also opt for shorter bookings of 1-3 weeks. These bookings are usually to allow mum some good quality recovery time and much needed sleep, or you could just go for the home from hospital package – it really depends on your needs.

• How far in advance do I need to book a nurse?

To give you the best possible selection of maternity nurses we would recommend beginning your search any time after the 12 week scan. Many nurses are booked months in advance so it is a good idea to consider your needs early on in your pregnancy to ensure you get the nurse you click with best.

However, we regularly have mums and/or dads on the phone saying “we need help now” and we are more than happy to jump in then too, so don’t worry if you are much further along - that’s no problem either.

• I think I need some routine but some seem so regimented, what should I do?

Our maternity nurses will work with you to create the type of routine you would like. They are highly experienced and are happy to help you find what is best for your baby and your schedule..

Many parents find that putting a gentle routine into place very helpful but equally if you would like to have a baby led routine, demand feeding etc that is fine too. Our nurses will listen to what you want to achieve and assist you with that.

• We don’t have a huge house- can we still have a maternity nurse?

Contrary to popular belief, maternity nurses are not only for the uber wealthy. Whatever the size of your home there will be a type of support that will suit you. Sometimes it works best for a maternity nurse to share the baby’s room, sometimes parents want the baby in their room in the early weeks and sometimes families prefer everyone to have their own space, it is entirely up to you and whatever your circumstances we will do our best to support you.

• What qualifications do your nurses have?

Many of our nurses are qualified midwives or paediatric nurses. Others have come to maternity nursing having started their career as a nanny, these candidates will be CACHE (The Council for Awards in Childcare and Education) or NNEB (diploma in nursery nursing indicates the holder undertook a full time 2-year course covering the ages of 0-7qualified). In addition to these qualifications our nurses will also have the ONC MNT (maternity nanny training) certificate and an up to date paediatric first aid qualification and will have a minimum of 2 years on the job experience.

Obviously as maternity nurses gain experience we would expect them to take additional courses such as sleep training, care of multiples, post natal depression to ensure that they continue to learn and develop their knowledge so they can offer the most holistic support possible to all families.

• How do you vet and verify each candidate?

We have a strict interview policy, all certificates and qualifications are checked with the issuing institutes and all references are thoroughly checked.

We also check references after each booking so we keep track of their most up to date bookings. Naturally, we stay in touch with you whilst you have a nurse in your home to make sure you are happy too.

• This is my 2nd/3rd/4th baby, do you have any nurses happy with sibling care?

Absolutely, as many of our nurses were nannies prior to becoming a maternity nurse they enjoy sibling care. It is important to remember however that the principal role of a maternity nurse is to look after the newborn and the mother. These are all things which are important to be discussed at the interview.

• Someone in my NCT group mentioned a government grant for new mums, can I use this with you?

This grant is a great idea and we want to make sure everyone knows about it! Every new mum is entitled to £190 regardless of income. All you need to do is follow the link http://campaigns.direct.gov.uk/money4mum2be/