How much is a night nurse in Chicago, Illinois?

Welcoming a new baby into your family is joyful, life-changing, and let’s be real, a bit exhausting, too! That’s why many Chicago families are hiring night nurses for support during the early weeks and months with their newborns. From Lincoln Park and Winnetka to Oak Park and Avondale, there’s a night nurse out there who fits your needs and budget. 

A night nurse is a professional who is specially trained to provide overnight care to families with newborns. Sometimes called a newborn care specialist or even a postpartum doula, they offer expert guidance and hands-on newborn care overnight. Care from a night nurse allows parents to get more rest and enjoy longer extended periods of sleep. 

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Night nurse cost in Chicago

Hourly and nightly rates

Night nurses typically charge an hourly rate ranging from $35-45 an hour and in Chicago, the average is about $39 per hour. You can expect to pay $320-400 for an overnight shift, which are generally 8-12 hours long. 

Factors that influence cost

The exact cost of hiring a night nurse will vary depending on the individual. Night nurses with more experience or additional certifications or training may charge more per hour. They may also charge more for multiple babies or for specialized care needs, such as providing 100% awake care. Rates may also be higher if a night nurse has to travel a longer distance to your home. 

Some night nurses may offer packages of hours that parents can use over a period of weeks or months, which may make the hourly rate more affordable. 

Generally, night nurses are 1099 contractors who run their own businesses and carry their own insurance. This is why they are more expensive than a typical nanny. 

Payment options

For most families, care from a night nurse is an out-of-pocket expense. You cannot use your health insurance to pay for a night nurse, but you may be eligible to use your HSA or FSA funds. If you have employee benefits for postpartum care (such as Carrot or Maven), you can use those to pay for a night nurse. 

Some parents put night nurse services on their registry (typically through giftcards) or directly ask family to contribute towards this type of care. Others budget specifically for night nurse care. 

Night nurse Chicago services

Night nurses in Chicago support families for shifts of 8-12 hours. Often, a night nurse will arrive just before baby’s bedtime and help you and baby settle in for the night. Once you head to bed, they care for baby during the night while you and the rest of your family sleep, including changing diapers, and feeding or bringing the baby to you for nursing, and more. When morning comes, the night nurse reports on how the night went and gives you a thoughtful handoff before departing. 

What night nurse services typically include

Night nurses specialize in taking care of your baby overnight. That means their services include all the activities that might be involved in caring for your little one, including:

• Bathing, swaddling, and getting baby ready for sleep
• Preparing bottles or bringing baby to bedside for breastfeeding
• Soothing baby when they wake or cry
• Burping baby
• Tracking feeding or sleep patterns 
• Diapering and changing baby’s clothes as needed
• Helping establish sleep routines 
• Baby laundry and folding

Some night nurses will do light household chores like washing bottles and breast pump parts or minor meal prep. This is only done when baby is sleeping. 

Other night nurses, especially those who are also postpartum doulas, may be trained in lactation and can provide support to you with feeding, latching, and pumping. 

Unless otherwise agreed to in advance, your night nurse may rest while baby is resting (and generally, you should provide them with a separate room with a horizontal surface like a glider, couch, cot, etc). 

What night nurse services typically do not include

Care from a night nurse is focused on your baby only. Generally, night nurse care does not include:

• Deep cleaning (vacuuming, mopping, bathroom cleaning)
• Extensive meal preparation
• Being left alone with baby in the house
• Medical/nursing care
• Care of older children
• Household management

Awake care (when the night nurse stays awake all night, even when the baby is sleeping) is generally not included in typical care from a night nurse. Most often, night nurses will snooze or lay down when the baby is sleeping. If you want 100% awake care, that will often mean a higher fee. 

Service areas

Night nurses are available all over Chicagoland, including the north, west, and south suburbs. Whether you live in a townhouse in Naperville, a condo in Oak Park or an apartment in Lakeview, you will be able to find the right night nanny to support you and your family after your baby’s birth. 

Note that some night nurses may only travel where there is public transportation or require dedicated parking. This is because they are often traveling at night and in the early morning and need safe, reliable access to your home during these hours. 

Hiring a night nurse in Chicago

Ready to hire your night nurse in Chicago? Many people hire a night nurse before baby is born, reserving a general time frame on the nurse’s calendar for care to start after birth. You can also hire one after baby is born, but availability might be more limited. 

Generally, it’s best to hire a night nurse in Chicago early, or as soon as you know you want one. This will ensure you have a greater selection of night nurses that are available and that align with your family’s needs and goals. 

The first thing to do is identify your needs (the length of time you’d like to have a night nanny, eg weeks or months, and the number of hours per session) and your overall budget. From there, search for local Chicago night nurses to find ones who fit your preferences and needed time frame. 

Most night nurses will offer free interviews with families. During an interview (which are typically virtual), you’ll have the opportunity to ask the night nurse questions and get a feel for their personality and the way they provide care. 

If your family has specific needs or preferences (like multiple babies, specific parenting philosophies/approaches, or cultural traditions around postpartum or newborn care), it’s important to address them in the interview. 

Questions to ask a night nurse include:

• How long have you been working with newborns/as a night nurse?
• What trainings or certifications do you have? You may want to ask about infant CPR, lactation, and more. 
• Do you have any specialities, eg reflux management, babies with colic?
• Do you experience with babies who have been in the NICU?
• Do you provide support with sleep shaping or sleep training? 
• Do you have experience with twins or multiples?
• What does a typical night with you look like?
• How do you communicate with parents (if needed) during the night? 
• What is your availability for my due date?
• What is your cancellation policy?
• Can you provide references from previous families you have worked with? 

Once you’ve found a night nurse you like, you can consider hiring them for a trial night. This lets you observe how the night nurse handles feeding, sleep, and general care so you can make sure they are the right match. You will need to pay for a trial night, but you will not be obligated to continue if it doesn’t feel like a fit. 

Night nurse care with Partum Health 

You can hire a night nurse in Chicago with Partum Health. We provide professional,  experienced, and caring night nurses to families all around the Chicagoland area. 

Partum Health night nurses have a required minimum of 8 hours per shift but may work up to 12 hours and charge extra for awake care. All of our night nurses are trained, CPR certified, and experienced in overnight care. 

Whether it’s a few months before baby’s arrival or you’re in the thick of the newborn days and need more sleep, contact us to get started with your night nurse.