Being a wet nurse is a satisfying career. These professionals are still relatively in demand across many countries because their services are essential.
A wet nurse is a woman who breastfeeds and cares for another woman’s child, mainly because the baby’s mother is not in the best health condition.
This post will further discuss who a wet nurse is, the steps for becoming a wet nurse, the education and training needed for this career, how to secure a wet nurse job, and other relevant information.
What is a Wet Nurse?
A wet nurse is a trained expert who breastfeeds and cares for an infant instead of the mother, especially if the mother cannot or does not want to.
They provide vital nutrients to the baby, enabling them to mature appropriately, just like regular babies should.
To perform this job, wet nurses develop a good understanding of lactation, baby care, and postpartum affection, which are required to nurse babies well.
Besides breastfeeding, a wet nurse may also groom babies through their first few months.
Generally, wet nurses contribute immensely to the development of babies by directly ensuring that a baby is healthy and grows well.
What is the Average Income for a Wet Nurse?
The average income for a wet nurse is about $55,000 per year. However, salaries increase with experience, education, special skills, and prestige.
Steps for Becoming a Wet Nurse
Here are the steps that must be taken to become a wet nurse:
1. Complete an accredited lactation program
To become a wet nurse, begin by enrolling in and completing a lactation program. Seasoned lactation experts coordinate this type of program.
Throughout this program, you will learn about the anatomy and physiology of lactation.
Lactation programs are always rigorous because, besides classroom lessons, participants also engage in clinical experience under the supervision of a professional.
2. Take classes from hospitals
Enrol in a class offered by any top-notch hospital in your vicinity. A hospital is an excellent place to learn much about this profession and develop skills that will enable you to excel at it.
Throughout the classes, you will learn infant care, nutrition, and breastfeeding, which are essential for success as a wet nurse.
Also, you will learn about the laws and policies regarding this profession so you don’t break any of them while discharging your duties.
3. Maintain good general health
You must maintain good general health to succeed as a wet nurse.
Ensure you stay on a balanced diet, as the nutrients you pass to the baby through your breast milk can either facilitate or impede their development.
One of the ideal ways to boost your general health is by constant exercise. So, make time to hit the gym and work out to boost the quality of milk you produce.
4. Complete medical tests
Complete a medical assessment test such as a blood test to ensure you are not suffering from any medical illness or disease that can directly impact the baby.
5. Develop empathy
If you don’t have empathy, you will never be able to perform your tasks to your highest level as a wet nurse.
It enables you to establish a welcoming and vibrant relationship with the baby and its parents. Also, develop the ability to persevere as well as the capacity to multitask.
Additionally, you must have good communication skills to enable you to interact with the baby’s parents in a way they can easily understand.
How to Find a Job as a Wet Nurse
Immediately after you have gone through all the educational and training programs you need to work as a wet nurse, finding suitable work is the next step.
You can achieve this by following the steps below:
1. Connect with other professionals
Building an excellent wet nurse network will enable you to find a job quickly. Signing up with a wet nurse association in your locality is a great way to grow your network.
Besides providing a platform for interacting with others, joining an association will enable you to access several resources that will help you do a better job.
Also, you will always be aware of the latest developments in this line of work.
2. Check online job boards
There are several online job boards in the world at the moment. However, LinkedIn and Indeed are the best sites for finding good openings as a wet nurse.
Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are powerful tools for finding opportunities. However, you may have to join a group to receive steady updates on professional openings.
Optimize your profile and upload a compelling resume to stand out on platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn, where the competition is high.
3. Keep things professional
When dealing with any client, ensure you discharge your duties professionally. Don’t get too comfortable where you are working such that you forget about why you were there in the first place.
Also, make sure that you maintain steady communication with the baby’s parents consistently, especially if they are not at home with you.
Don’t do any job without a written contract to back you up so you can be protected if things go wrong.
What are the Professional Prospects of a Wet Nurse?
The nature of job opportunities available to wet nurses has changed in recent years.
Wet nurses with the skill to develop breast milk are currently highly sought after in medical settings, households, and other environments.
These professionals also can work as lactation experts that provide counseling services to moms struggling to breastfeed their babies as they should.
Additionally, some wet nurses can work with adoption agencies or surrogacy centers where their skills are highly required to develop babies.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on How to Become a Wet Nurse
Certified Registered Nurse Anaesthetists (CRNAs) are the best-earning nurses in the world. The average salary for a Certified Re Registered Nurse Anaesthetist (CRNA) in the United States is about $200,000 per year.
Yes, men cannot work as wet nurses because they can’t produce milk regularly as women do.
The best nursing specialty to focus on are Nurse Anaesthetists, Nurse midwives, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, Family Nurse Practitioners, and Clinical Nurse Specialists.
Although nurses make good money, their salaries cannot be compared to that of doctors. It is understood that the starting salary of some doctors can be as high as $100,000 per year, which is the highest possible salary in some nursing specialties.
School nurses, nurse educators, labor and delivery nurses, travel nurses, care management nurses, and parish nurses are the nurses with the happiest jobs.
Conclusion
Becoming a wet nurse is a satisfying experience, although it can be very tough. You must obtain the relevant training and education to understand the expectations of the job before venturing into it.
Also, ensure that you go through the law in your locality to be sure that you are not breaking any of them while discharging your duties.
Wet nursing is a delicate job; thus, performing your services with the highest sense of professionalism will keep you from causing harm to the baby.
Awesome one; I hope this article answers your question.
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