A Day In The Life Of Maxine One Of Our Great Maternity Nurses
My name is Maxine and I live with my husband in rural Leicestershire. I am a proud Mum to two grown up sons, Alex, a bio-medical scientist and Ed who is studying business and politics whilst pursuing his love of travel writing and photography. I knew thirty-four years ago that a career in childcare was what I wanted, so trained as a NNEB nursery nurse.
Once qualified my childcare journey began, time spent working with a family in America, eleven years in primary school settings plus running my own pre-school music and movement classes.
As the boys grew, I no longer needed to work term time only, so a return to working with private families ensured my love of working with children could continue.
This change of direction saw me working with first time parents to a four-week old baby, although I hadn’t completed my maternity nurse training at this stage they were happy that my experience as a parent and professional child carer meant that I was right for them. For me this opened up a whole new dimension that I hadn’t even considered, solely working with babies.
Throughout my career I have actively continued to study to further my knowledge and professional development so maternity nurse training seemed the next logical step.
So here I am thirty four years later, loving life as a maternity nurse, enabling and supporting parents whilst caring for their precious new-born in a gentle, respectful and responsive way.
Tell us how you came to be a maternity nurse ?
I have been a childcare professional for over 35 years, originally training as an NNEB nursery nurse. I’ve provided care in a variety of settings over the years including pre-school & education and in private homes.
I’ve always enjoyed working with babies and decided a few years ago to specialise as a maternity nurse and newborn care practitioner.
What do you love most about working with babies and newborns?
Enabling and sharing in the development of each individual new-born and seeing their personalities start to emerge.
What is an average day in the life of a maternity nurse ? ( is there such a thing !)
Each day can be very varied but often with a gentle routine to meet the needs of the baby and family. A typical day, alongside the practicalities of feeding, changing and sleeping, we may have daily walks, sensory play, singing with the baby as well as meeting the needs of the parents’ daily routines.
I typically take my break at the same time each day and usually explore the local area, go to the gym and take some downtime. I rarely go to sleep during my break.
How do you feel about working with twins and multiples , is that an area you specialise in ?
This hasn’t been an option for me to date and I generally look for roles with singletons
What’s your approach when helping parents?
Always hands-on and practical. Guiding and enabling rather than prescribing. Allowing them to lead the way when it comes to decisions about how they want to raise their child.
From your experience do you feel Maternity Nurses receive enough recognition for the role in caring for newborns and supporting new parents?
I don’t think we receive enough recognition given the significance of the role and the responsibility that it entails. Let’s hope that formal recognition of Maternity Nursing as a profession in its own right can be achieved soon.
What is your most memorable career experience so far?
There’s nothing like the buzz when a family decides that you are the one they want to support them with their precious newborn at their very special time.
What’s been the best advice you have received and how has it influenced you and your philosophy ?
Being reminded that it’s never too late to branch out and try something different. This has enabled me to experience a wide and exciting range of different childcare opportunities over the years.
One just for fun , What was your favourite childhood toy or game ?
My Tiny Tears baby doll (it’s still in the loft!). Little did I know at the time!!
If you feel your family would benefit having a maternity nurse or you would like to know more information
We have offices in London, Leeds Yorkshire, Harrogate Yorkshire, Leigh-on-Sea Essex and Chester Cheshire. We have matched nannies with families across the UK and Europe.
