From baby nurse to the stars, a step-by-step plan to managing sleep and feeding issues to survive-and enjoy-the first six weeks of your newborn baby's life.
Have you ever wondered why celebrities look so rested in such a short time after giving birth? The answer: baby specialists like Helen Moon. A baby specialist and professional nanny for the past 25 years, Helen has worked closely with hundreds of families, including some of Hollywood's biggest stars.
Helen knows that the first six weeks of a baby's life-when parents tend to be nervous, siblings are needy, and new babies need immediate and constant attention-has a huge impact on the entire family. Getting a baby on a sleeping and eating schedule is an achievable dream, and it's not a mystery. Helen's step-by-step plan shows new parents exactly how to integrate their baby into the family so that she will be able to sleep when she's tired, eat when she's hungry, and calm herself when she's fussy-self-regulating skills that will enable her to thrive for the rest of her life.
Assured that their babies are secure and happy, parents can confidently enjoy this most precious time of their baby's life, trusting their own instincts, and-most importantly-sleeping through the night themselves! Chapter 1
Why the First Six Weeks Are So Important
Have you ever wondered why celebrities don't seem stressed or sleep deprived, and they look so good after giving birth to their babies? In addition to the benefits of private chefs and in-home personal trainers, celebrity moms usually hire a baby specialist like me!
Now, it's your turn to learn all my inside tips for caring for your newborn. I may not be able to come to your home and guide you in person, but I can share with you all my years of baby and parenting wisdom, practical advice, and tried-and-true shortcuts. Since babies don't come with instruction manuals, the next best thing is a book that will make your baby's first six weeks as smooth and comfortable for both baby and parents as possible.
As a baby specialist and professional nanny for the past twenty-five years, I have worked closely with hundreds of families in England and the United States, and I can comfortably say that I have probably seen--and heard--it all. There's nothing like getting involved in the first six weeks of a baby's life to understand the huge impact that this short time period has on both the entire family and a child's entire life. Parents tend to be nervous, siblings are needy, and new babies need immediate and constant attention.
I can remember vividly the first day I walked into actor Andrew McCarthy's house. Neither Andrew nor his wife had had a great deal of experience with babies before, so they looked to me for guidance at every turn. We quickly established a feeding routine to benefit their new little boy, and we worked together to reset the baby's nocturnal sleep cycle, gradually teaching the baby to sleep more at night and less during the day.
Like any couple, Andrew and his wife, Carol, were full of questions: "Is he eating enough? Is it normal for him to be pooping so frequently?" And my favorite, "Is it normal to have a contented baby who is eating well and sleeping well?"
I remember vividly Andrew actually commenting on the fact that he hadn't watched so much TV in his life, as we all sat together and watched the first series of The Bachelor. He was so relaxed; watching television was a pleasure, and not something he thought he would have time to do.
I think it was at this point that Andrew turned to me and said, "You need to write a book! I don't know how we would have done this without you!"
That was about ten years ago, and I am finally writing that book--for you.
In this book, I will share with you a nurturing yet practical approach to caring for babies that will show you exactly how to put your infant (or baby) on a sleeping and feeding schedule in the first week and h
