Night Nanny & Night Nurse Cost Calculator
Overnight newborn care is usually priced by the hour, so the total depends on your schedule. Set your nights, hours, and weeks to see what a night nanny — also called a night nurse — is likely to cost.
Your overnight schedule
Your plan adds up to 30 hours of overnight care per week — 240 hours across 8 weeks.
Your estimate
- Typical hourly rate
- $40/hr
- Estimated weekly cost
- $1,200
Estimated total for 8 weeks
$9,600
Most rates in this data fall between $35 and $50 per hour, so a realistic budget range for your schedule is $8,400–$12,000.
Based on 2125 hourly rates published by night nannies, newborn care specialists, and postpartum doulas across the US on Bornbir. Medians resist outliers better than averages, and we exclude prices outside $15–$200/hr.
Night nanny vs. postpartum doula vs. newborn care specialist
Three kinds of providers cover overnight shifts, and their published hourly rates sit close together — the bigger difference is what happens between feeds. Rates below are current US medians from Bornbir listings.
| Provider type | Median hourly rate | Middle 50% of rates |
|---|---|---|
|
Night nanny (night nurse) Overnight newborn care in your home while you sleep |
$40/hr | $35–$50/hr |
|
Postpartum doula Overnight care plus recovery, feeding, and emotional support for you |
$45/hr | $35–$52/hr |
|
Newborn care specialist Specialized newborn training, often including gentle sleep conditioning |
$45/hr | $35–$55/hr |
What moves the price
Two families in the same city can pay very different totals for overnight care. These are the levers providers themselves price on:
- Schedule size — every extra night per week multiplies the total faster than any rate difference
- Twins or multiples — most providers charge a higher rate for more than one baby
- Credentials — newborn care specialist certification or nursing experience commands more
- Agency vs. independent — agencies add placement and backup coverage on top of the caregiver's rate
- Timing — holiday weeks and last-minute starts often cost more
Ways to trim the total
- Book fewer nights per week — even two or three protected nights of sleep compound quickly
- Front-load support in the earliest weeks, then taper instead of keeping a full schedule
- Ask about multi-week commitments; some providers discount longer bookings
- Compare a postpartum doula for overnight shifts — the table above shows how close the rates run
- Get every quote as an hourly rate times your exact schedule so totals are comparable
Every number on this page is computed live from rates that providers publish on Bornbir — nothing is hand-entered or estimated by us.
Night nanny cost FAQs
Is a night nanny the same as a night nurse?
Families use the terms interchangeably, and this calculator covers both. Strictly speaking, "night nurse" implies a licensed nurse, while most overnight newborn caregivers are night nannies or newborn care specialists without a nursing license. Unless your baby has medical needs that require an RN, the care — feeds, diaper changes, settling baby back to sleep — is the same role at the same kind of rate.
What does a night nanny actually do overnight?
A typical shift runs 8–12 hours: the caregiver handles night feeds (bottle, or bringing baby to you to nurse), diaper changes, soothing baby back down, washing bottles and pump parts, and keeping a log of feeds and sleep so you wake up informed instead of exhausted.
How many nights a week do families book?
There's no single right answer — it's a tradeoff between budget and sleep. A common pattern is more coverage in the first weeks home, then tapering as feeds stretch out. The calculator makes it easy to compare, say, three nights a week for eight weeks against five nights for four weeks before you start interviewing.
Will insurance cover a night nanny or night nurse?
Usually not — overnight newborn care is generally treated as non-medical support, so health plans rarely pay for it. There are exceptions and workarounds worth checking before you rule it out; our guide to night nurse insurance coverage walks through them.
Ready to meet night nannies near you?
Compare overnight care providers in your area, see their published rates, and message them directly — it's free for families.