The line from sleep deprivation to poor health, accidents and even postpartum depression is clear. Further, the demands of multiple children or working outside the home making this line even stronger! That’s why we’re thrilled to announce an innovative solution for new families: pay over time financing for overnight newborn care.
When families finance night nanny and night doula care, high-quality postpartum care becomes more accessible…and we all benefit!
Why Financing Matters
Sleep isn’t a luxury, it’s a health need. Professional overnight care helps prevent burnout, supports breastfeeding and protects parents’ physical and mental health during the most demanding weeks of newborn life. Let Mommy Sleep’s registered nurses and postpartum doulas have supported thousands of families since 2010 so we have personally seen the evidence between sleep and better health outcomes.
Our goal has always been to normalize postpartum care and, now with pay-over-time options, to make it attainable for more parents.
How Does it Work?
Let Mommy Sleep has partnered with Affirm to offer no interest/pay-over-time options for our night nanny and night nurse services. This means that every location can bring families more flexibility and access to postpartum care with packages of 7, 14 or 21 nights. Choose your Let Mommy Sleep location here. Pay over time options include 6-36 months of payments, in addition to 0% interest when you qualify. The financing process is very simple and you may already be familiar with it if you’ve used Klarna or Affirm to shop on Amazon, Wal-Mart or other major retailers. Here’s what happens:
Once you confirm night nanny care, you’ll receive a service agreement that includes payment options.
You can then click “Affirm” and choose how many nights of care you’d like.
Then click the Affirm payment option that works best for you. Checking Affirm does not affect your credit.
If you don’t see an option you like, or change your mind, that’s okay you can always hit the back button!
What happens if I don’t use all the nights in my package? As always, we’ll be happy to refund any unused nights. Affirm does require a 10% service fee on refunds, which we must include .in the return process.
Can I gift these packages? Sure, so long as they are in a Let Mommy Sleep service area. Overnight newborn care is a meaningful, practical gift for new parents.
Can I decide to pay over time even though I’m already a client? Sure! We are here to help you do what is easiest and most helpful for your family!
Besides financing, how else can families pay for night nanny or night doula care? Along with Affirm financing, families often use baby registry funds or employer wellness benefits to offset postpartum care costs. Some insurance plans will cover newborn or postpartum doula services with documentation from a healthcare provider. Learn more in How to Pay for a Postpartum Doula.
As the only nationwide service with an RN Advisory Board and certified postpartum doulas, Let Mommy Sleep remains committed to improving maternal health outcomes. We will never stop fighting to normalize postpartum care and making overnight newborn care accessible to as many people as possible.
In June 2022 the White House unveiled the Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, which aims for better birth outcomes. Successes of the blueprint include expanded Medicaid postpartum coverage and increased access to care. One of the most powerful improvements however, is the Birthing-Friendly Hospital designation. This blog, Why You Want a Birthing Friendly Hospital delves into what Birthing-Friendly means and why it’s beneficial.
Why You Want a Birthing Friendly Hospital – the Facts
Over 80% of pregnancy deaths are preventable. And the rates of death for Black women are significantly higher than rates for White and Hispanic women. (CDC) To help address this, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has implemented the Birthing Friendly Hospital designation.
From the CMS website: “Birthing-Friendly” is the first-ever CMS designation to describe high-quality maternity care. To earn the designation, hospitals and health systems:
Participated in a statewide or national perinatal quality improvement collaborative program; and
Implemented evidence-based quality interventions in hospital settings to improve maternal health.
Hospitals and health systems also continually report their progress the the CMS Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) Program.
Further, the designation as a Birthing Friendly Hospital involves meeting certain criteria that focus on patient-centered care, evidence-based practices, and equity. As CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure says: As maternal health inequities persist across the nation, the designation offers a tangible marker of the evidence-based practices that hospitals and health systems can pursue to close these gaps and ultimately provide the kind of care all expectant parents deserve.
Evidence-Based Practices: Hospitals must implement evidence-based protocols for labor and delivery, including practices that are known to improve maternal outcomes and reduce complications.
Equitable Care: Addressing disparities in maternal health outcomes by providing equitable access to care, particularly for marginalized and underserved communities. Additionally, this includes respectful and culturally competent care
Continuous Improvement: Committing to ongoing quality improvement initiatives that monitor outcomes, address any disparities or issues identified, and strive for excellence in maternal health care delivery.
Delivery Rooms: Fully stocked with life saving equipment for use during labor, delivery and postpartum. (VP Harris, July 10, 2024)
Click the Map to find a Birthing Friendly Hospital
Postpartum Doulas and Newborn Care at Home
For help once parents arrive home with their newborns, postpartum check-ups are now covered by Medicaid in 44 states. On the other hand, families that do not participate in Medicaid, postpartum care is typically an out-of-pocket expense. However, there are options to make the cost of a night nanny or postpartum doula more manageable.
There is still more work to be done for better birth and postpartum outcomes, but expanded access and life-saving interventions are steps in the right direction. These are the reasons Why You Want a Birthing Friendly Hospital.
Last updated, November 10, 2025 – In-home newborn care is not usually covered by traditional health insurance but it is becoming a more recognized service. There are many reasons why your family might need overnight care however, so understanding payment options night nannies and postpartum doulas becomes crucial. How to Get Insurance to Cover my Night Nannyor Doula explores insurance coverage for overnight doula and night nanny care. And if you’re not sure exactly what a night nanny, night nurse or postpartum doula does, start with our guide: What is a Night Nanny?
When Will Health Insurance Cover a Night Nanny or Postpartum Doula?
Insurance coverage for night nanny care is still not the norm, but is becoming more common. It typically requires clear medical necessity and strong documentation from your doctor. The three most common pathways are:
1. Pre-Existing Condition in Parent or Baby
Newborn with medical need: If your newborn (especially twins or multiples) requires medical care, insurance will almost always cover a clinically licensed nurse in the home. In these cases a referral to a pediatric home health agency is given. If there is no home health agency in your area, or you prefer to use Let Mommy Sleep, we will pair you with a Licensed Nursing Team and provide an invoice on a weekly basis. You will then communicate with the insurance company for reimbursement.
Parent with a medical condition: If a parent has a condition made worse by lack of sleep, and a referral from their physician, insurance may approve overnight doula or nurse care as part of treatment. Real life examples of when we have seen insurance cover night nanny care are when a parent has epilepsy or multiple sclerosis. These are conditions which are exacerbated by lack of sleep.
2. Doctor-Directed Care After Birth
If a parent has a documented history of postpartum depression, anxiety or psychosis a doctor may prescribe postpartum doula or night nurse care.
If a parent has a documented physical condition known to .be made worse by lack of sleep, they may direct care
Doctor advocacy is often the deciding factor in whether coverage is granted.
3. Your Private Insurer Covers Birth and Postpartum Doula Visits
As doula services become more accepted by private insurance, many states now cover birth and night doula care through Medicaid. For example, United Health offers up to 48 fifteen-minute units at any time from first prenatal visit to 12 months postpartum for postpartum doula services in Ohio.
When a newborn has medical need, health insurance overwhelmingly covers the cost of pediatric night nurse care. When a parent has medical need however, more research and self-advocacy might be needed.
Steps to Increase Your Chances of Insurance Coverage
Talk with your Primary Care Provider early – especially if you have a pre-existing condition.
Contact your insurer – ask if they cover postpartum services under taxonomy code 374J00000X (doula), 99501 (home visit for postnatal care, initial) or 99502 (subsequent visits).
Clarify caregiver requirements – Some insurers will only reimburse if care is provided by a Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) or a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). For birth or postpartum care, doula certification is required.
Can Employee Benefits Cover a Night Nanny or Doula?
Yes. Even if your health insurance won’t cover care, employer-sponsored benefits sometimes do:
Carrot – Covers fertility, birth doulas, and postpartum doula care during the first 6 weeks. Let Mommy Sleep doulas are Carrot-approved and can be verified through the National NAPS Registry for Night Doulas.
Maven – Offers maternity and family benefits from preconception through postpartum. Let Mommy Sleep staff are Maven-approved.
FSA/HSA Accounts – Check with your provider to see if postpartum night doula services qualify as an eligible expense.
Employees with HR benefit programs such as Carrot or Maven
Carrot, Maven, Employer Sponsored
Check HR or benefits portal
HSA/FSA
Parents using medical savings
Postpartum doula care
Each HSA has different coverage
Insurance & Benefit Coverage Options at a Glance
The Role of a Night Nurse or Night Doula
A night nanny, also called a newborn care specialist or postpartum doula plays a vital role in providing specialized care during the nighttime hours. To see if insurance coverage is appropriate, first you can see if the role fits into your needs.
Responsibilities of the Night Nurse or Night Doula typically include:
Breastfeeding assistance or bottle feeding support and education.
Supporting healthy sleep and soothing for the newborns and twins
Keeping track of the newborn’s feeding patterns, diapers and overall health.
Allowing parents to receive deep, restorative blocks of sleep to aid recuperation, strengthen the immune system and receive better mental health outcomes.
Ensuring the home is ready for the day; tidy nursery, prepared bottles or pump and a calm, clean baby.
If you’re considering night doula care, you can talk with a potential caregiver and use the questions in What Should I ask a Night Nurse?
If insurance still does not cover your night nanny, you can try to offset the cost by financing, accepting gift certificates from loved ones or using a baby registry such as BabyList. If you have more questions about how to get insurance to cover my night nanny or doula, please contact us.
Yep, we wish postpartum care was cheaper too. The cost is still out of pocket for most, even though the need is there. Until newborn care is accessible to more families through insurance, we’ve got options of How to Pay for a Postpartum Doula below.
How to Pay for a Postpartum Doula
Yes We Have Carrot and Maven Approved Doulas
Companies sometimes offer employee benefits which pay for overnight postpartum doulas. The most widely known are Carrot and Maven. In addition to labor and night doula care, these private insurers can help you cover fertility treatments, adoption and more. Carrot and Maven coverage requires certified doulas who can provide proof of their education and experience. Let Mommy Sleep has Carrot approved night doulas and Maven approved providers listed on the Newborn & Postpartum Support (NAPS) Registry.
If your company does not offer one of these benefits, ask about including Let Mommy Sleep Postpartum Visits or night nanny care to the benefit program. The LMS package is very easy to implement and the impact on recruiting and retention far outweighs the costs.
Put Us on Your Baby Registry
Be Her Village is a baby registry solely for newborn and postpartum care services. Think of it as your night doula GoFundMe. As a Be Her Village partner, hours of Let Mommy Sleep services can be added to expecting parents’ baby registry. Loved ones simply deposit funds directly into the new parents’ account. Instead of a baby registry full of “stuff,” parents receive the support they need! ***This is especially helpful for parents of newborn twins. ***
Creating your registry is free and you get your FULL gift every time, with no fees taken out. If someone sends you $100, you get the full $100.
Pay Over Time and Finance with Affirm
Every Let Mommy Sleep location has partnered with Affirm. This means you have a pay-over-time financing option, sometimes without interest. Checking the terms of an Affirm purchase does not affect your credit score and there’s also is a 0% interest option. Families can purchase packages of nights and then use the nights however they wish or simply pay when they sign on. (You’ve probably seen or used Affirm when making an Amazon purchase!) Learn more.
How to Pay for a Postpartum Doula – Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
In-home night doula and postpartum services are sometimes HSA eligible. Acceptance depends on the parameters of your HSA issuer; some will only cover care that occurs in a healthcare facility, not in the home. If coverage is confirmed, you can use your HSA card just like a credit card and receive the tax savings of a Health Savings Account. On that note, Let Mommy Sleep services are also eligible to be included in the child-care tax credit during tax time.
Private Insurance
While pediatric care is covered in the home when a newborn has medical need, it’s not as common for private insurers to cover night nurses for a parents medical need. However, when coverage is doctor directed, insurance must cover the cost. The parent’s physician usually needs to write a letter attesting that the parents health will be positively impacted by getting sleep.
An important note is that “night nurse” is often used as a colloquial term for “overnight caregiver.” In terms of health insurance coverage however, insurers may require that services are provided by a licensed Nurse. This means the newborn or postpartum care provider must be 1 of the following: Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN). We can provide this level of care and while we don’t communicate with insurance companies, we can provide invoices with the correct wording for you to receive reimbursement.
Medicaid
Medicaid offers postpartum benefits varying by state. If you are eligible for Medicaid, coverage typically includes pregnancy and delivery. But you can check online if your state includes postpartum visits. More and more states are doing this!
Parents often ask us if we can help their baby or twins sleep through the night. The honest answer is yes, when a baby is developmentally ready, we can help families work toward longer stretches of overnight sleep, usually gradually over the course of a week or two. But the answer is also no: we do not offer “shock-and-awe” sleep training or short, 1–3 night interventions. We don’t have secret information that parents don’t already have, and we don’t believe families need an outside expert to take over in order for their baby to learn healthy sleep.
What we do have is long-term pattern recognition from working overnight with thousands of babies across every feeding method, temperament, and household setup, often with the same families for weeks or months at a time. That experience allows us to answer a more useful question:
When it comes to helping infants sleep through the night, one of the biggest challenges is wondering if your child is physically ready. What if they’re hungry? Are they starting to get sick? Do they feel abandoned? Even with all the data out there, these are all valid worries! For parents that would like a guideline to beginning a gradual change from waking through the night to sleeping through the night, here are the Free Baby Sleep Schedules by Age.
“At this age, what is biologically realistic sleep?”
This guide outlines what overnight sleep typically looks like at each stage of infancy, when longer stretches become possible, and how overnight feeds are gradually reduced when families want that outcome. These are not rigid schedules. They are age-based sleep expectations grounded in infant physiology and circadian development.
What Longer Sleep Looks Like at Each Stage of Infant Development
0–8 Weeks: There’s No “Night Sleep,” There’s Only Sleep
In the newborn phase you are following your baby’s lead. Our nurses like to say if it feels like you’re always feeding the baby you’re dong it right! Newborns have tiny tummies so they eat frequently and it’s common for them to wake up hungry every 2 to 3 hours, and sometimes even more.
Circadian rhythm: Not developed
Typical longest stretch: 2–3 hours
Night waking: Normal and necessary
Primary goal: Safe sleep, feeding on demand, parental recovery
Night Nurses Note: Newborns cannot be conditioned to sleep through hunger, discomfort or the need for connection. Any reduction in overnight waking must be gradual and responsive.
8–16 Weeks: Emerging Patterns, Not Training
Circadian rhythm: as your baby matures, their system will begin to produce melatonin (the sleep hormone) and they will begin to develop the day and night cycles that they will have for the rest of their lives.
Typical longest stretch: 3–5 hours
Night feeds: Still expected and typical
Common change parents notice: One longer stretch early in the night. It is also normal for baby to be awake and alert during the night, the same way they are during the day after a feed.
This stage reflects pattern emergence, but not readiness for abrupt or time-limited sleep training.
4–6 Months: Readiness Window
Circadian rhythm: Established
Typical longest stretch: 6–8 hours for some babies
Night feeds: May still occur
Pediatricians often discuss sleep expectations at the 4-month visit
This is the earliest window where gentle, gradual overnight changes, including slowly reducing overnight feeds, may be discussed, often over weeks rather than nights. Our Ultimate Guide to Baby Sleep Training contains step by step instructions on how to reduce feeds.
6–9 Months: Consolidation Phase
Typical night sleep: 10–12 hours with or without a feed
Night waking may still happen due to:
Teething
Illness – congestion and illness can cause night waking but remember that starting a new solid food can also cause gastric distress as baby’s body adjusts to the new foods.
Growth spurts – sometimes infants need calories overnight to fuel their growing bodies
Developmental leaps – babies love to practice the new skills of standing up, scooting around, talking and singing in the comfort of their cribs!
Longer sleep is common during this phase, especially when overnight feeds are reduced slowly and intentionally. Parents might consider giving a Dreamfeed around 10pm to help 6-7 month old infants stay full until they wake up in the morning. Regression is still normal during these months.
9–12 Months: Habit vs. Hunger
Night waking often becomes behavioral rather than nutritional – it’s not that baby has “bad habits” when it comes to sleep, it’s simply that they’ve never done sleep any other way than a series of long naps.
Consistency matters more than method – the sleep training methods really aren’t all that different, it’s more about what parents can stick with.
Separation anxiety may temporarily disrupt sleep
At this stage, routines, not rigid schedules or rapid sleep-training methods, matter most. But if and when parents decide it’s time for formal sleep training, success will depend on the parent’s ability to stay consistent.
Things to Remember
Twins and Multiples
Twins and higher-order multiples typically follow the same sleep-readiness timeline as singletons. When room-sharing, minimal overnight intervention can help babies learn to sleep through each other’s normal sleep noises. More tips for twins here.
Nursing Parents
Night weaning is a physiological process for the parent as well. If you’re breastfeeding, gradual reduction protects milk supply, comfort and hormonal balance. A lactation consultant can help guide the process safely and comfortably.
Crying and Sleep
Crying does not automatically indicate distress. Some babies cry briefly as a way to transition between sleep cycles. If sleep training does not feel right for your family, waiting is a valid choice. Healthy attachment is not dependent on sleep method.
FAQ: Baby Sleep Schedules by Age
When do babies start sleeping through the night? Biologically, most babies are not capable of sustained overnight sleep until at least 4 months of age, when circadian rhythm matures. It’s also normal for many babies age 4 months and older to need to take in calories overnight, so it’s recommended that parents ask their pediatricians if their baby is ready to start sleeping through the night.
Do formula-fed infants sleep longer than breastfed babies? No. While feeding type affects digestion, sleep consolidation depends more on neurological development than feeding method.
Can I ruin my baby’s sleep by responding at night? No. Responsive nighttime care in infancy does not create bad habits. Sleep patterns evolve with development and babies do not learn to sleep through hunger, pain or discomfort.
What if my baby slept well and then stopped? Sleep regressions commonly occur during growth spurts, illness, teething, and cognitive development. These are temporary.
Are schedules necessary for good sleep? No. Schedules are tools, not requirements. Biological readiness matters more than clock-based timing.
