Trying To Decide If I Want To Make The Switch Or Not

[MrsB]

So I just love me some teeny-tiny babies. With that being said, I have been discussing with my husband about stopping the daycare in the next few years and starting a post-partum doula/baby nurse service. Helping families in the first few weeks/months after baby/babies are born. I used to nanny for parents of mulitples so I think this would be specialty as I have experience with some of the issues that a family adjusting to mulitples would have. Including oxygen, feeding, feeding and eating schedules, etc.

Anyone else ever done this or considered it?

I am just so apprehensive because I have done this so long I am just not sure how to give it up especially cause I think I am so good at it!

[cheerfuldom]

Are there financial concerns with this decision? I think doulas and post baby services are in higher and higher demand. There are many people who do not have any support when having a baby or bringing a newborn home because it is not like it was in the old days...families are spread out and young people are raised with no hands on experience with kids. I hired a doula with my last pregnancy....she was just starting and getting a lot of business already

[countrymom]

you need to be on call alot, I've wanted to do it but being on call is hard because I have younger children.

[MrsB]

Are there financial concerns with this decision? I think doulas and post baby services are in higher and higher demand. There are many people who do not have any support when having a baby or bringing a newborn home because it is not like it was in the old days...families are spread out and young people are raised with no hands on experience with kids. I hired a doula with my last pregnancy....she was just starting and getting a lot of business already

Well I suppose there could be financial concerns. My hubby and I are pretty financial savy so we could live without my income for a chunk of time. I would say maybe 6 month-12 months or so comfortably. I am not thrilled about the idea of depleting our savings. I know I could probably make way more money than I am now doing this, depending on how many clients I take on at one time. Not sure how long it would take to build my business.

My husband always says "whatever makes you happy, I am willing to support" Which is so awesome, but they both make me happy.

I guess the biggest thing right now is, I have worked so hard to build my business to what it is. I am having a really difficult time letting it go just like that.

[MrsB]

you need to be on call alot, I've wanted to do it but being on call is hard because I have younger children.

It wouldn't be an oncall service I would provide. Only once mom/baby comes home from the hospital and I would provide the service for as long at the family is willing to contract for, ie 1 week or 1 month. And it would be a set number of hours like set night time or daytime hours. So I would have a few days notice as to when my contract would start.

[Unregistered]

oh you should so do it. Daycare is such a burn out! After 10 years of daycare, I am getting done as well. I have the greatest kids and have to say the nicest families I have ever had but I am so tired of it all. Even all the "best" families are still not perfect. I am tired of being the reason for everything that goes wrong in people's lives. I am tired of people bringing sick kids to my house and refusing to pick up their children until everyone else is exposed. Just last week one parent took two days off from work to go bike riding, while I watched their kid. The kid gets sick and guess what parents refuses to pick up the kid because they were all out of vacation/sick time. Hello! I am so tired of providing diapers, wipes, and clothes to people who are suppose to be doing this as stated in my contract. I am tired of being forced to parent other peoples kids because lets face it no one parents these days. Both physically and emotionally for their children. I am tired from having to keep my house just "so" and always cleaning. I am tired of parents wanting their potty training child to mess all over my house because they won't buy pull ups or diapers. I am really tired of the baby that won't stop screaming and the parents are in total denial that group care is not for him. Oh he never cries at home. Yeah right! I am tired of being blamed people's children are not ready to stare Kindergarten even though I teach them preschool. I am tired of not spending enough one on one time with my own kids. People are always late even with a late fee. They just pay it and shrug it off. They say things like "oh your always there so you don't mind." "Oh I have to go home and do laundry while you watch my child all day." "You have all day to do your laundry it must be nice." I never choose to do laundry during daycare hours unless it it daycare related. I have so had it. I will never do this career again! This is the worst job someone could ever do.