Questions to Ask When Hiring a Night Nanny or Postpartum Doula

May 22, 2017

When hiring a postpartum doula or night nanny, the most important questions cover five areas: their credentials and certifications, hands-on experience with newborns or twins, feeding philosophy, sleep approach and vaccination status. Here’s a practical guide to the interview, including real-life scenarios and specific questions for families expecting twins.

Key Things to Consider Before Hiring Newborn Help

updated, April 2026

• Daytime vs. Overnight Care
  Do you need someone who helps during the day with light household tasks and older siblings, or is overnight sleep your top priority? Read What’s a Night Nanny? Roles, Benefits, Costs and How They Help Families if you’d like to learn exactly what happens when you hire a night doula.
• Support for Your Feeding Choices
  Do you want help with breastfeeding, pumping, or bottle feeding? Look for someone trained and nonjudgmental.
• Experience and Certifications
  Is it important to you that your caregiver has formal training, years of hands-on experience, or both?
• Sleep Philosophy
  Do you want someone to support sleep training, baby-led schedules, or a flexible approach?
• Vaccination Status – In healthcare roles, you can ask a caregiver their vaccination status in order to protect your newborn who is too young to be vaccinated themselves.

Questions to Ask a Postpartum Doula

1. Would daytime or overnight care be more helpful for my family?

A postpartum doula can help with older children and household tasks during the day, while a night doula allows parents to maximize rest and recuperation. Consider your family’s needs, work schedules and recovery time.

Real life scenario:if you have a short maternity leave and need to return to work quickly, having uninterrupted overnight sleep may be most valuable for recovery. If you have older children, a daytime nanny might give you the space for one-on-one bonding time with each child while ensuring the newborn’s needs are met

2. Do I want support with breastfeeding, pumping or bottle feeding?

Postpartum doulas can offer lactation guidance, help with pumping routines and ensure bottle feeding is safe and consistent. Feeding choices often evolve, so working with someone flexible and nonjudgemental can be the most helpful for you.

Real life scenario: A mom recovering from a C-section desperately wants to breastfeed but is in pain and exhausted. Her night doula suggests 1 formula feed overnight, giving the mother a long stretch of uninterrupted sleep and a chance to recover. The next day they assessed and followed the same plan again. Over time the mother recovered without feeling pressured or like she was “failing.”

3. What kind of newborn and postpartum care experience do the doulas have?

Newborn and infant care (0-12 months) requires specialized knowledge: safe sleep, swaddling, soothing techniques and recognizing infant feeding and sleep cues. An academic training program that uses evidence-based practice can ensure the caregiver is up to date on safety recommendation. Also ask about hands-on experience, especially with twins or multiples. Remember: only licensed nurses (RN, LPN, LVN, CNM) can legally use the title “nurse” or “baby nurse.” If you’d like to learn more about safe sleep before baby arrives, read 10 Steps to Safe Sleep for Baby.

Real life scenario: There are many parents of twins who go on to work overnight helping other parents with newborn twins. While this caregiver may not have had formal training, their life experience might be the perfect fit for a family expecting twins.

4. How should my newborn caregiver approach infant sleep? Do I want someone to help my baby sleep through the night, or will I be more of a ‘go with the flow’ type? 

Some families aim for babies to sleep through the night quickly, while others prefer a baby-led, flexible routine. There’s no right or wrong answer, but your caregiver should align with your philosophy, whether that’s sleep training, attachment parenting or getting baby on a schedule. More about parenting philosophy in What Should I ask a Night Nurse?

Real life scenario: Sleeping through the night is often seen as the “finish line” in infant care, especially when newborn twins arrive because caring for 2 newborns is so physically demanding. A night doula who understands and supplements your sleep philosophy means consistency of care. It will be helpful to think about how you feel about sleep training, attachment parenting or getting baby on a schedule before baby arrives.

Questions to Ask a Night Nanny for Your Newborn Twins

Families expecting twins often consider hiring help, especially if they have older children as well. Think about what benefits your family the most; overnight sleep help or daytime support with feedings, laundry and older kids. You might want overnight newborn care while you recover and then a transition to daytime nanny care. The Truth About Overnight Newborn Care: Debunking Myths About Night Doulas can help you learn more.

Feeding Support:
Ask: Can your nanny support you with tandem breastfeeding, bottle-feeding or pumping schedules? Choose someone flexible and experienced with twin feeding routines.

Experience with Twins:
Ask: How many sets of twins or triplets has the caregiver supported? Ask about specific training in safe sleep, soothing and tracking feeds for multiples. Remember, even if they haven’t specifically cared for twins, they may have cared for babies close in age and this can be helpful experience too.

Sleep Philosophy:
Does the night doula promote baby-led or scheduled sleep? Does this align with your approach? Twins often thrive on coordinated routines, so confirm that your philosophies work together.

Safety & Vaccination:
Since newborns are too young for vaccines, ask if your nanny is current on Tdap, Flu and MMR, and what their hygiene practices are.

The best night nanny for twins blends hands-on experience with flexibility. Look for a caregiver who supports your feeding choices, prioritizes safety and helps both babies (and parents) get the rest they need.

If getting baby on a schedule and sleeping through the night is important to you, read the Ultimate Guide to Baby Sleep Training.

Questions to Ask When Hiring a Night Nanny or Postpartum Doula – Final Thoughts

The titles may vary from postpartum doula, night nanny to newborn care provider, but the goal is the same: reliable, compassionate support during the postpartum phase. Choose someone who respects your parenting choices, communicates clearly and helps your whole family thrive.