Night nanny for breastfed baby? Any recommendations/candidates? (South East)

[Flingmoo]

Hope someone can help.

We live in Sussex are considering getting a night nanny next year after having such a difficult first few weeks/months of sleep with our first baby.

We would ideally like someone who has experience with breastfed babies, and someone who uses 'gentle' techniques to settle baby. I didn't have any issues breastfeeding the first time round so I am expecting to do it again, I am not sure if this makes having a night nanny pointless? Our son was not a 'good sleeper' though and I am terrified at the prospect of going through all that again...

I am wondering if anyone can recommend someone, or if any night nannies on here could give me some info? I feel a bit unsure about choosing a complete stranger based on a google search, but I would feel happier if I get to chat to them on here or get a recommendation on here!

Thanks!

I would recommend the agency Night Nannies, we had someone fab from there and I know other family who have also had good experiences with them. Definitely not pointless, I was breastfeeding too and I not only got really good feeding advice but it meant I knew I would only be up for a relatively short time feeding and not have to do the winding, changing, and settling. If you can afford it, go for it! Good luck!

Hi OP

We used a night nanny for our second baby. It was a really good experience. We used Eden Nannies to find someone really gentle and sensitive, who was comfortable helping a breastfeeding mum. She helped with bedtime (I was often on my own with two little ones), and in the night she brought DS to me when he needed feeding, and sat with me to chat / keep me company, and she did the settling and changing.

Although she was gentle and I specifically didn't want a strict routine, she did I think have a positive influence on his sleeping pattern, and he is a good sleeper to this day. Oh and in case you are worried about it (I was), my bond with DS could not be stronger than it is, and has been completely unaffected by having had this help in the early weeks.

Good luck. I do recommend Eden Nannies and this lady (can pm you), although she may not be local enough to you.

Seconding the recommendation for Night Nannies, we have had a couple of great nannies from them. They won't even think about 'sleep training' as such till the baby is weaned but will try to get the baby onto a gentle routine so everyone maxes out their sleep. They are trained to be very supportive of breastfeeding.
My advice is to try to get your baby to take a bottle early doors - I know this is contrary to popular opinion but with my 2, it meant that they happily switched from boob to bottle and back again, so I could express a feed and get someone else do give a bottle while I slept. It would really make the most of having the nanny there if she could do the 2am feed while you happily snoozed!

Oh yes definitely agree with Teddy on the bottle thing!

Thanks this is all really helpful! DH is not convinced as he thinks it's far too expensive Personally I think it's worth it... he's not the one who will be awake all night every night for months on end otherwise! I'd happily make cutbacks in other areas in order to afford it.

How many weeks do you normally have a night nanny for? This makes a big difference to affordability for us. I think 5 or 6 weeks would be the most we could afford.

Do they start as soon as the baby is born, or a week or so later?

You can have them for as long or as short as you like. One thing to consider is you don't need to have them full time. Our night nanny came Monday-Thursday, and DH helped with the other three nights.

Yes we also just had a couple of nights a week for a few weeks too, it made loads of difference to us

A maternity night nanny will always support a mum who wants to BF some jobs I've worked in when baby's wakes I will take to mum. She will feed then I will wind change nappy and resettle them

Other jobs the mum will either express for a night feed or use formula so that the mum does get sleep 11/7ish

I would recommend introducing a bottle early on so that feeds can be swapped about if need be and mum get a chance to rest and someone else whether dad maternity night nanny or grandparents etc can give a feed

How many times depends on the family and their routine and life

One family I did 5 nights for in a row for months but was 2 newborns

Others 3 nights alturnanite so tue thur sun etc

Another family 3 in a row mon tue wed as then mum said she could cope with thur night alone and then fri and sat hubby helped and she did Sunday alone knowing I was then there the next 3 nights

Thanks for your message - this is my area but depending when your baby is due I don't think I can help as be heavily preg myself

Elizabeth Henry Nannies is who I get most of my night work from. Lady called sam who is lovely and if you go via her then me know

Good luck and see several people if you can as many have the same routines and views but you went to feel relaxed and comfortable with who you entrust your baby to

Also considering a night nanny for a breastfed number 2.

Silly question, but do they sleep and get up in the night or are they awake all night, sleeping in their own homes during the day?

Also did it make you feel like Lady Mary or similar with the baby being presented for a feed then taken away again?? Hope no one is offended by that, just can't imagine what it would feel like at what I felt was an intimate (tho brutally exhausting) time.

I work as a maternity night nanny and several of my clients have breastfed. I take the baby to the mum for a feed and then resettle the baby so that the mum can go straight back to sleep. Some of the mums I've worked with have used expressed milk or formula for one of the feeds so that they can have a longer stretch themselves.

I doze between feeds if the baby is settled and catch up on my sleep the following day at home

Check references throuroughly and go with gut instinct.

Good luck

I will always doze /nap when baby is asleep

I have turned down jobs who want a waking night nanny

It's a one ear and eye open sleep for us

And no bf mums have ever felt bad for feeding then sleeping while I settle baby

I had a maternity nurse (for our second dc after dreadful sleeper first dc) and I was BF - it did feel a bit Lady Mary for the first few nights! I felt guilty for handing over the baby and going back to sleep, especially if it was obvious dc was likely to be up for a while. But soon got used to it and very grateful that she was there to do all the winding and settling.

What we found with DC2 is that she got her first cold very early (6 weeks) - caught of course from DC1 - so we had quite a few night wakings/non settlings that were because of snot rather than hunger. It was invaluable to have our maternity nurse able to settle her at those times rather than me doing it - especially as I think I'd have resorted to boob very quickly because it was easier, and so we would have ended up with a frequent night feed habit.