Everyone can agree that babies are adorable and sweet and you can’t help but feel your heart burst with love when you look at them, or hold one. And for many, the only contact you end up having with babies is having your own kids, or when family or friends have a baby. What if you want to take that love you have for babies, and the desire to care for them to the next level? How can you turn this passion into a career?
There are actually a number of rewarding, exciting, and challenging careers that allow you to work with infants each and every day. These careers allow you to make a real difference in a baby’s health, well-being, and development and even help parents along the way. So here’s a look at six careers that make it possible for you to work with infants.
Nanny
Here’s a job that is always in demand and allows you to play a very important role in caring for infants and kids in general. As a nanny you can work with a particular family or an organization; you may even take a job as a live-in nanny wherein you live with the family whose kids you are caring for.
Besides looking after children, nannies are often asked to do some light household chores, cook meals for the kids and the family, and run errands for the family. Many nannies end up staying with the same family for years, watching the kids grow along the way.
Childcare Center Worker
Maybe you like the idea of being a nanny, but don’t want to be restricted to caring for just one child. If that’s the case, you may want to work in a childcare center that takes in infants. You also have the option of opening your own private child care center either in your home or a building you rent/purchase.
As for how you can become a childcare center worker, it really depends on the state you live in. It’s wise to do your research well in advance so you fully understand what will be expected of you should you decide this is the career path you want. It’s also important to point out that not every childcare center takes infants, so if you specifically want to work with babies you’ll need to be picky about where you work.
Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Another option is to look into a career as a neonatal nurse practitioner.In this career you’ll be looking after infants during their first two years of life, giving you plenty of opportunities to make a real impact. As a neonatal nurse practitioner, you can also expect a very healthy salary. This job has a median annual wage of $109,820 and it has a projected job growth of a massive 45% by 2029. This equates to lots of opportunities for you.
If you are currently a practicing RN you can look into the neonatal nurse practitioner programs at a school such as Baylor University. These programs are meant to provide you with the proper training, skills, and accreditation to explore this career path.
Once you have your DNP NNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice Neonatal Nurse Practitioner) some of the other careers you can get into include professor of nursing, chief nurse executive officer, informatics/chief information officer, and chief clinical officer. This just gives you more potential career options down the road if you choose.
Pediatrician
Perhaps one of the more well-known career paths to take if you want to work with babies and kids is to become a pediatrician. In this job it will be up to you to examine, diagnose, and treat various illnesses and conditions in kids. As a pediatrician you will care for kids from birth onwards.According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for pediatricians is $184,570, and this career is enjoying modest growth.As for where you can work, it ranges from your own private physician’s office, to hospitals, outpatient care centers, and general medical clinics.
In order to become a pediatrician you will need a medical degree and then you’ll need to go on and do a three-year internship or residency. It is a long process, but that’s what it takes to properly train and prepare these professionals.
Lactation Consultant
Many women who wish to nurse their babies find it to be quite challenging, and even a frustrating experience. This is where a lactation consultant enters the picture and can prove to be instrumental in nursing success.
As a lactation consultant, you will be working with new moms and babies to ensure that breastfeeding is not only possible but also successful for mom and baby. You will be helping with such issues as latching, how to increase milk supplies, tracking the baby’s weight gain and overall health, and supporting moms in the process.
In this job you may be required to have your bachelor’s degree and specific certification. It is a career that is showing signs of job growth between now and 2029 and the average yearly salary is $84,535.
Postpartum Doula
Because there is no way to possibly prepare for what being a parent means, many new parents can be left struggling and feel as though they need that extra help and support. This is exactly the role that postpartum doulas can fill. You will be working with new parents who have just had a baby,making sure everyone is cared for and all their needs are met.
Some of the responsibilities can include taking care of the baby so that parents can have some rest periods, helping with feeding (bottle and breastfeeding), giving advice, and support. You will go right into the family’s home to work with them.
As you can see by this list there are a lot of different career paths you can take that allow you to work with babies. Which one entices you the most?