Night Nanny

[Twiglets11]

Where is the best place to find a night nanny please ?

I am looking for one for a few nights week for my twins for a) some rest (an exhausted ) and b) one of my twins is not sleeping well as she used to and is up during the night again, I’d love some help for her to sleep through as I will be going back to work soon

Thanks in advance

I know Millsie Tonya and Daisy all vetted me as my previous clients told me and I can see they be checked my dbs

In the end of you use an agency then that’s why you pay the extra , to know the agency has done checks

@Blondeshavemorefun, yes, my post is long winded but we figured after trying both that the agency fee is with it for the peace of mind

Worth it *

Not long winded at all

Factual :)

Hope agency mn works out. A sounds good

Right my baby is winded and asleep. Time for me 😴😴

Me again ,

Is it worth investing in a nanny for ‘sleep training’ as opposed to a night nanny to look after. I understand that sleep training is more intensive and across consecutive nights, but costly too ! Is it worth it? Would they really sleep like 11 hours without us having to settle them

How old are they now ?

Would never sleep train under 6mths

Why are they waking ? Do you feed them ? Rock back to sleep?

How do they settle back to sleep ?

How often are they waking ?

Do they sleep well daytime ?

Sleep breeds sleep so if overtired babies find harder to settle /sleep

Get the day sorted for feeds /food and sleeps and nights should be easier

Yes a sleep trainer can come in / some will train for you - others will stay with you and guide /support you while you settle them

Might find a maternity nurse better for this than a nanny. I would recommend Imperial Nannies/Maternally Yours (the same company different divisions). Give them a call and explain what you need - they are usually able to find someone who can meet your brief.

@Blondeshavemorefun thanks for coming back to me. I’ll answer one by one..

1. 8 months, 6.5 adjusted ( they were premature)
2. twin a sleeps pretty well, only wakes if real issue and in pain etc. Twin b is harder, wakes up a few times and I have to settle. Either shh and tap, but otherwise I do have to pick her up and rock. I don’t feed them, maybe just a bit of water

I don’t know why they wake. With twin b, wind used to be an issue, but now I make sure she is winded, floppy etc before I put down. So I don’t know what wakes her.

They also wake around 6am but often too early like 530am. It’s just too early. I’ve tried to change the bedtime and make later, but it just made the night worse so I quickly went back to what they were used to

Twin b can wake about 2 - 4 times, usually sleeps well from when she falls asleep around 8 / 830pm until midnight / 1am, then sleep seems to be hit and miss, always wakes around 4am

3. they don’t sleep well in the day time. I try, but sometimes I can see the cues .. rubbing of face, ear etc but they just won’t sleep. Today they had 2 half hour naps, twin a slept probably half an hour more

They are overtired , I can see by the crying to get them to bed

We did take the twins to see a gastro paediatrician as they have had lot of tummy issues, and he suggested speaking to a dietician too - we are weaning currently

I did try to make post not too serious, but I am utterly exhausted. They definitely don’t sleep the worst , but they don’t sleep through either. My days are hard too as day sleep isn’t good. I’m just very tired, getting anxious that maternity leave will end soon and I’m going back to work, and husband going back to office physically from Oct which means he won’t be able to help me with the first AM feed or possibly bath time etc

I don’t know how best to address. Get a night nanny for a couple days a week over a longer stretch of time for some rest or invest in shorter term what seems to be a crash course to help twins sleep through. Just worried it wouldn’t work and we’d spend all that money!

If you rock to sleep that’s why she isn’t self settling as doesn’t know how to

Prob also why not having good naps at daytime as if wakes after 30/45m they can’t self settle back to sleep

As PREM I would be reluctant to sleep Train at the moment

You need to sort out days imo before even at attempting to sleep train

The 234 sleep is good at this age / so awake for 2 hrs. Then 3. Then 4

So

7 wake
9/10 sleep
1/3 sleep
7 bedtime

They are still little

Plus if just weaning they may be hungry

Make sure still have the same amount of milk daytime

When wake at 530 are they hungry

Some would suggest introducing a Df at 11 , as long as they feed happil sleepy and doesn’t disturb their natural sleep rhythms

8 /830is too late for bedtime

I would do last feed 630 and bed by 7 ideally

And as exhausted bless you 💐💐 , if finances allow , I would get a night nanny in ideally 2/3 times a week to give you some much needed sleep

When you go back to work what childcare do you have in place - cm - nanny - nursery - gp etx

@Blondeshavemorefun thank you, I appreciate you taking time out to explain all this.

I know the daytime is not working , but I just can’t manage to get them to sleep same time for a decent stretch each day. I will keep persevering.

I have started a night nanny this week , for couple days a weeks. I’m asking as a couple agencies I had approached said after 6 months they don’t offer night nanny but only sleep consultants / nannies.

Plan is for them to go to nursery. They actually start for two afternoon or morning sessions a couple months before I start work, and build up to 3 full days a 3 - 4 weeks before I start. I want to be at home if they really don’t settle, get sick etc and if I need to look for alternative.

We do put them into bed for 7, but it’s around 8ish or past that when they fall asleep. Sometimes one of my twins wakes up hungry and crying at 530, other times will just wake up playing.

Agencies said that 🙀

Guess as usually by 8mths most babies are in some kind of routine /sleeping through and if waking lots then some babies need some sleep guidance

Tho I’ve also gone in at 7/8mths and helped get into good sleeping habits without actually training them as such

Usually by looking at daytime routine and tweaking

But more to give parents a break /sleep /support /respite

Hopefully the lady you have going in can advise

Nursery will help get babies into a routine as they want all similar ages to be in same for meals and sleep

They did, well one agency.

The nanny seems lovely so will give it a try, and definitely gave us a break. Hopefully she can guide us too.

Me again ..

My husband and I are thinking hard to go down the route of sleep training our twins. Ad hoc nanny is lovely lady who I trust. However, it is still hard having someone else in the house settling my babies - I know this sounds silly. Also, for longevity we can’t keep nanny. I will go back to work etc and we have to find a way on our own without being completely sleep deprived.

Any tips on this pls. I see so many options ,,. Online, phone, someone coming in in person.
Any views on best route to go down pls

Hi. Was at work wondering how you were doing and your reply

I’m A believer till the daytime is sorted with proper naps then can’t sleep train as they will be overtired

But if you are certain uou went to do this then get a sleep trainer in
They will either do it for you

Or work alongside you giving you tips and support and advise but you settle then

Various methods

Gradual retreat
Pick up put down
Controlled crying

These are the main 3

Cry it out - don’t rec this

@Blondeshavemorefun

Thank you! Very informative as always !

No, I really don’t want to cry it out - I really struggle with that

Few other questions if I may
If someone comes and does this , how many days normally
What would be the rate roughly I’d expect to pay

And important one pls, currently the twins sleep in same room. I love them being together.
However, my reason for wanting to sleep train is that one twin, my daughter has really regressed in her sleep. Lately waking up almost hourly after 2am. My other twin does sleep well and often through the night - just wakes up too early at 5 - 530am which id love to change

Would I need to split them up for this to be any level of success

No you wouldn't need to split them up.

Happy to help with any advice if you want to message me x

No need to split up if you went them together

They have to learn to sleep through each other as as they have always been together should be ok