Night Nannies, a few questions

Ditto. You leave one job as you have got them sleeping through and into next family

I start my new job sun with another 10day old - more cuddles with a delicious squishy bubs :)

Yep take the good nights when get them n i love that development n change through a job from waking lots at newborn to that one mid night feed to finishing a booking with them sleeping through from dream feed til 6/7am

Its hard when we don't get sleep but part and parcel of the job really.

Last night little one settled well at 7pm, EBM at 10.30pm, slept until 2.30am and BF, after a good winding was back in bed and settled by 3.45am and I woke him at 7am so he could BF as there is two older brothers who mum needs time to help get ready for nursery and school. Am hoping for same tonight.

Wishy i had a night like that the other wk with a teething baby 15wks old n we had got her going from dream feed til 6.30/7 for feed although trying to break a 2am habit wake that we stretched to 3 then 4 but don't feed before 6 unless obviously hungry but teeth are really bothering the poor thing but hopefully over the worst.

I'm in kent southfields

blondes.. where are u based please

When I night nanny I charge £15/hr minimum of 10 hours.

I also have recently completed the millpond sleep course and am happy to give advice on getting older children to sleep longer at night. I don't advocate cold turkey but do gradual withdrawel or the Dr Jay night weaning plan. As you are not giving toddler what they expect then they will be gross but it is short term. The children and families that I have helped to sleep longer at night can't believe how differently the nights are and how quick the turn around occurs after making some simple changes.

Night nannies/mns definitely earn our pay. Last night I got all of two hours sleep as had a very windy 10 day old who needed cuddles. Must go to bed earlier tonight when he sleeps the best.

My rates are similar to blondes n slightly more for twins n if i have to travel far.

Night nannies vary in what they charge and this is often due to experience n location.

If you want someone just to deal with baby when they wake then someone New to night nannying but with baby experience would be fine n cheaper.

If you want someone experienced who can offer advice n support with routines. Support with enabling baby to sleep through from dream feed til 6/7am from around 12-15wks. Feeding advice whether breast or bottles feeding etcetc then u need an experienced night nanny who will cost more.

I am a qualified children's nurse n certainly the high end of rate range for east midlands but there are not many night nannies in the area n parents value my nursing qualifications n experience.

People think night nannying is an easy job - well u just sleep at someone else house wake feed baby n go back to sleep - if i get sleep that's a bonus but i have sat up many a night with unsettled babies colicy reflux teething babies. Prem babies who need 2-3hrly feeds n take 90mins to take a feed.

Good luck to all those looking for a night nanny and hope you all get some much needed and deserved sleep soon.

Blondes has a v good reputation if u r local to her. :)

Sure when the time comes you will find someone ginger - possibly me though again you are slightly further then I normally travel but if happy to pay towards travelling expenses time and petrol then as and when bubs happens then we can have a chat if im free :)

Hi Blonds I'm just outside of brighton. I'm just possibly planning ahead. DS wasn't and still isn't a great sleeper and I think the exhaustion contributed to my pnd. We don't have family nearby and DH works a mentally demanding job so I had to do most nights. I'm pg with DC 2 and if he/she isn't a good sleeper I want to know that I can get some help since.

Good luck :) Feel free to PM (don't want to derail the thread) but it's worth a shot.

ginger I charge £150 per night 9pm-7am or 10hr shift around those hours-normally leave by 7am as most parents want to do the am feed for a single baby

twins are a bit more - where in the south east are you/

NomdeClavier: thank you, that is encouraging. Might try it quite gradually: as you say, I think still quite a lot of his calories come from milk...

What does a night nanny usually charge? I'm in the SE and thinking ahead for next baby.

I am in leicester n cover all of east midlands n warwickshire i have night nannied for lots breast feeding mums inc twins and do as blondes n wishy washy do.

I don't fully sleep i doze n have baby/ies in their crib/basket in same room as me.
Love doing it n parents are so grateful for the sleep.

you can't live like that though Sui - walking on eggshells, afraid to upset a toddler. Toddlers cry when they can't get their own way - it's not going to scar him for life!! if you wait for him to outgrow it you could find yourself feeding a 5 year old throughout the night!

a child will cry and upset - that's life, you can't protect them forever.

I weaned my second ds from night feeding at around the same age, it took 2 nights only, best thing I ever did, he immediately started sleeping through as there was nothing to wake up for!

When I night weaned DS I set times where he didn't get fed to sleep and stuck to them, gradually extending until he was having a bedtime feed and morning feed only. If a child is using to taking 50% of their milk during the night then they do still 'need' it. Going cold turkey is like starving them half the time for their system and they need to up their food intake during the day gradually too. Yes they should be able to cope without food, but so should an adult for 24 hours, yet none of us would find it particularly comfy. A BF snacked is nothing like a FF snacker where you can offer milk then water. They want boob and boob means they get milk.

That said night weaning really does improve sleep and children will rarely self night-wean from the breast so it's worth trying at least partially.

Thank you for your suggestions. The crying is the sticking point for us. We'd feel too guilty at making DS suffer for our convenience. I think we will wait until he grows out of it. Last night, for example, he slept a 3-hour chunk and went to sleep twice without feeding (and perhaps 4 times with).

If you want to sleep at night and ds to stop waking then agree cold turkey

He is waking as knows he will get fed, you said so yourself as it's quick and stops waking the others

At 18mths a child doesn't need feeding in the night

So if you want to stop then you need to stop feeding him when he wakes. Offer him water from a sippy cup but nothing else

He prob will scream and cry etc and for a few nights wake up the others but stick to your guns however hard it is and ds will stop waking up

May take a few nights - may be a week but if you don't give in then within 2 weeks ds would have stopped - but only you can do this

Good luck :)

I would go cold turkey with him! He has no nutritional need to bf at night now and is waking as he knows it is there and you will give in. 2-3 nights is enough to break this, just don't do it as you are making a rod for your own back. Only you can do this - not a night nanny!

I don't know why he is waking up, he always has. I feed him because it lets us both go back to sleep quickly (I breastfeed him lying down), because he is thin and to minimise the risk of waking others...

why is your 18 month old waking that often Sui? And why are you feeding him every 90 mins? are you breastfeeding?

Mmh, that sounds more pessimistic than I feel. Having DS in bed with us is lovely. I just wish we could sleep in three-hour chunks....

Thank you Mrswishywashy. It sounds like we will not get extra sleep until DS starts sleeping. Oh well, at least I know there is no way out.