Night Nannies

The UK’s Leading Night Nannies, Maternity Specialists and Sleep Trainers

Night nannies are the UK’s leading maternity nurse and night nurse specialists. Since 1999, they had given over 10,000 parents throughout the South of England a good night’s rest. They provide expert solutions to sleep, feeding routine problems and help parents build good, safe sleeping habits that last. It sounds like the stuff of dreams to us, so we ask them to share their wise words on the do’s and dont’s of getting your little one to sleep better and longer.

Do:

Get your baby into a routine at night from two to three weeks old. For example, from 6:00 PM you could massage your baby, give them a bath and then breastfeed or bottle feed them in a darkened room and then put them to bed. This acts as an unwinding process and the baby will know that it is bedtime
Try to put your baby down in their cot awake so that they get used to going to sleep on there own
Blackout blinds are useful for keeping out early morning rays
Try not to pick up your baby as soon as they cry. Stop, wait a few moments and see if they will settle themselves back to sleep. If not, try putting them in their cot and if you cannot settle them, pick them back up, comfort them but then put them back in the cot and leave the room. If they don’t settle, then leave him to cry a little longer [three or four minutes] and then go back in and repeat the process

Don’t:

Don’t get into the habit of rocking your baby to sleep you may be there for hours!
When feeding in the night, do not go into the room and turn on the lights and the TV. It is night time and the baby needs to understand this, so try to keep things quiet.
The last feed before bed is vital if your baby is going to sleep longer at night. Do not just give up if they fall asleep during the feed because in an hour or so they will wake again for more. Encourage them to finish the feed by waking them. You could change their nappy, tickle them, wind them or cool them down. But, whatever you do, keep going!
Do not expect your baby to sleep through the night until they are on solids at around six months.
It will take at least two to three weeks of persistence to get rid of bad habits and see the benefits.

Ask for help

Life with a young baby can be draining and you may want to call upon an expert to provide you with help and support.

Whether you are simply looking for a good night’s sleep, some new ideas to encourage your baby to sleep better or you want some ongoing support, night nannies will match you with the best person to suit your requirements.

Hannah Maxwell overseas the Hertfordshire region for Night Nannies covering Buckinghamshire, North London and East London. Speaking from experience she says once your baby sleeping through the night you will notice a significant change for the better in their behaviour, their concentration and their daytime sleeping habits.

A Sleep Trainer can:

Provide specialist expertise in guiding older babies [from six months to five years] to sleep through the night
Implement consistent methods in a calm manner so that your baby understands what is expected
They will normally be able to resolve sleep issues within a week
They will NOT abandon your baby
Some travel abroad with you
Tailor their techniques to your family’s specific needs. They will explain their strategies to give you a good understanding of their processes

A Night Nanny can:

Give night feeds
Change nappies
Settle the baby
Prepare and sterilise bottles
Dress the baby in the morning
Give help and advice on getting the baby into a good sleep pattern
Offer strategies on coping with postnatal depression
Stay longer in the mornings to allow you a lie in (if pre-arranged with the night nanny]
Give advice and support on all feeding options

24 hour Maternity Nursing:

Your Maternity Nurse will come to your home or travel abroad and stay 24 hours a day for up to six days a week. She can be booked for as many weeks as you require.
She will develop a 24-hour pattern for your baby focusing on effective feeding and sleeping patterns and ensure that the new baby settles quickly and easily into your family.
She will also ensure that the mother is well-looked after, getting enough sleep and eating and drinking properly.
A Maternity Nurse will also undertake the baby’s laundry and can help with essential purchases – and advise on the non-essential!

Day Maternity Nursing

Your Maternity Nurse can come in the day for a minimum of 5 hours and do the same duties as a 24 hour nurse but leave at night. She will give guidance on sleeping and feeding plans and ensure the mother is well looked after and do light shopping and cooking, if required.

Most Maternity Nurse’s hold certificates in:

Infant sleep solutions
Breast and bottle feeding
Reflux and allergies
Newborn care
Care of Multiples

Some may have more formal qualifications, including:

Paediatric Nursing
Midwifery
NNEB (Nursery Nurse Examination Board) CACHE Level 3
NVQ Level 3 in childcare
BTEC Nursery Nursing

All cultural, religious and lifestyle factors will be tailored for and we are committed to providing an inclusive and respectful practice.

All of our team are fully vetted, with an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and an up to date paediatric first aid certificate.

At Night Nannies we will do our utmost best to provide you with the ideal Night Nanny to meet your requirements. Your Night Nanny will arrive at 9pm and finish at 7am. These hours can be flexible if pre-arranged directly with your nanny. They will not only care for your baby, but also guide your baby to sleep through the night.

The Agency will do its utmost to give you the same Nanny for the entire period that you require – for a maximum of up to six months. After this time, your Night Nanny will have established a good sleep pattern for your baby. You can hire a Night Nanny for anywhere between 1 and 7 nights a week.