The Maternity Nanny

NHM: I met Sarah when she came to the NHM Christmas Expo and feel REALLY bad for not getting her Guest Post out sooner! Here it, finally, is!

The Maternity Nanny

I really enjoyed my day at the NorthHantsMums Christmas Expo and just wanted to share with all you amazing mums, a little bit about what I have to offer you and your little ones.

I work throughout Hampshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire as a night nanny, maternity nanny and sleep consultant. I trained at The Norland Nursery Training College and have worked with families and their babies and young children for nearly 25 years (wow – that makes me feel old!!).

Most of my work revolves around the sleeping habits of babies and small children! Unwelcome night time waking and erratic sleep patterns can impact on the whole family. We often struggle as parents, due to our own tiredness, to find a resolution to these problems, and end up doing everything and anything we can, just to get some sleep!

A newborn baby may wake two, three, or maybe more times during the night to feed.  This is perfectly normal as their little tummies can only hold small volumes of milk. Over time it is possible to encourage longer periods of sleep, and I feel that by “starting as you mean to go on” in the early weeks, parents are able to achieve peaceful nights sooner than they imagined.

Over the age of 6 months, babies frequent night waking and feeds are often related to their struggles with self soothing and being unable to fall asleep without help (rocking, feeding, sucking etc), rather than a need for nutrition. It is possible to gently teach your baby how to settle to sleep independently at the beginning of the night, and to re-settle in the middle of the night when transitioning between sleep cycles.

Positive sleep associations lead to happy bedtimes, peaceful transitions to sleep and restful nights for everyone. I believe my gentle, calm and consistent approach is reassuring for parents and their babies or children. At all times I follow the “safer sleep for babies” recommendations of The Lullaby Trust www.lullabytrust.org.uk (formerly FSID) and the guidelines of the NHS for reducing the risk of cot death.

I support families in a variety of ways including one off consultations, advice and practical support with feeding your baby in your home during the day, and night time support in your home allowing you to catch up on some much needed sleep.

I am also keen to offer group consultations if you have a Mother & Baby Group, ante-natal group or some like minded friends who would all like to learn some strategies to encourage your little ones sleep.

For more information please take a look at my website www.thematernitynanny.co.uk or contact me on 07974 705693.

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