How Night Nannies Fit Into Affluent Urban Family Life
When Sandra Barsoum gave birth to her son, almost three years ago, she was worried. “The fear of the unknown as a first-time mom is really scary,” she said. “You hear a human you created screaming.” She was 39 years old when she became pregnant, having wanted to focus on her career in her 20s and 30s. Once her child was on the way, she quit her job as a city manager of West Hollywood, California, because the 13-hour days became too much.
Even though she had downshifted to a consulting role, after the baby came she was exhausted—she couldn’t sleep well, anxious about deciphering the baby’s cries. Her husband received no leave from his job as a financial adviser and was working New York hours in California. After she received a diagnosis of postpartum depression, she decided to hire a night nanny, who ended up staying with her family for nine months, sleeping in her son’s room. “Because I couldn’t think straight,” she said, “having another pair of eyes was not just a comfort for
