Hi, my name is Annemarie and I am the Client Services director for Night Nannies.
I use this blog as a way to give you tips and idea's in all areas of childcare and development.
Posted 17 April 07
What does Night Nannies do?
Night Nannies has a specialised Team of Nannies and Nurses in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane hand picked for their qualifications and specialised experiences working with babies and children.
We provide day and night sleep guidance to families who want support and guidance with their child's sleeping patterns and routine. Night Nannies uses a holistic approach providing individually tailored routines or fine tuning the family's current routine and teaching families gentle settling techniques that are appropriate for the age and development of the child. Our goal is to support our families and empower them with information, choice and techniques that they can use with realistic expectations.
Night Nannies does NOT use controlled crying because in the past it has been used inappropriately by people in the community when a baby is too young or the technique has not be utilised correctly. For example when a baby is left to cry it out for 20 minutes or more before falling asleep from sheer exhaustion. There has also been a paper published in 2002 by the Australian Association of Infant Mental Health that can be read here: http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/pdf/papers/april2003_aamia.pdf discussing the reasons behind controlled crying and how it can actually be damaging if used incorrectly.
We believe in using natural and organic resources along with helping parents to have a good and realistic understanding of their child's age and development. We encourage you to have lots of close cuddle time to help you and your baby develop strong lasting bonds. This type of loving, nurturing care along with gentle settling techniques helps your baby to feel secure, loved and develop good sleeping and feeding patterns.
I often say to families who call to inquire, that if you are coping and happy with your situation then don't change it. You do not need to change something just because of outside family and friends putting pressure or unrealistic expectations on you. Its only if you feel the need to make the change should you make any changes. As a parent I felt those pressures and listened to my friends and family, but decided to do what was best for my baby and family instead.
The good news is that there are other alternative methods that are realistic and gentle so that everyone can get a good night's sleep.