Sleep Training Tips from a Nanny/Mama Who Knows!

Getting a good night’s sleep for anyone is incredibly important, but for new parents it can seem like a far off dream(she’s got puns!). After nannying professionally in Austin for 11 years(including much sleep training of children from infants to toddler age), and now being the mother of a fully sleep-trained baby, I am excited to share some of my tips for sleep training your child. My partner is offshore six months out of the year, 28 days gone, 28 days home, so I am a single parent, half of the time, and I highly suggest sleep training for single parents and couples alike!

 

The first few numbers are more of a checklist involvingwhether or not your family is ready. This seems like a no-brainer, who wouldn’t be ready to sleep through the night uninterrupted? But there are many moving parts to the snooze machine, and checking them all is important.

1. Is your baby ready? I generally suggest waiting to sleep train until your infant is at least 4 months. By this age he/she usually weighs enough, is no longer swaddled and can wear a sleep sack, which I highly suggest, and can take down a larger pre-bed feeding to keep him/her full overnight. As always, consult your pediatrician if you have doubts, questions.

Read the rest of this entry »


Get Some Rest, Y’all!

Phone Consultation + Custom Sleep Plan  1 hour $150

This includes a full, detailed, comprehensive discussion of your current nursery environment, routine, family’s needs, baby’s current feeding and sleeping schedule, so I can better determine a custom course of action. I will create your custom sleep plan and send via email.

Sleep Training On-Call  1 night unlimited texts and calls $150

I am just a text or phone call away, troubleshooting any issues that arise and giving support, encouragement, and advice on the spot, in real time.

Sleep Training On-Call  3 night package unlimited texts & calls $350

I am just a text or phone call away, troubleshooting any issues that arise and giving support, encouragement, and advice on the spot, in real time.

In-Home Sleep Training Consultation 1 Hour + Custom Sleep Plan $175 CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE

This includes a full rundown of any changes to baby’s environment that will help us, including a recommended products list. It will let me get to know your family’s needs, routine, baby’s feeding and sleeping schedule, and determine how best to proceed with your custom sleep plan. I will then create your custom sleep plan and send via email.

In-Home Sleep Training 8-12 hours/1-3 nights $25 per hour CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE

I will come to your home, stay overnight, and put sleep training plan into practice. From then on, the parents will be in charge of keeping up with routine I have set in place and maintain consistency.

Night Nanny In-Home Consultation 1 hour CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE

I will come to your home, get to know your routine, location of necessary items, meet your baby, and discuss exactly what your needs are. Nursing on demand? I will bring your baby to your bedside. Bottles all the way? I will take over all feeding duties. We will discuss it all; I am here to help!

Night Nanny Services 8-12 hours/ 1-3 nights CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE

While you sleep I will tend to your infant’s every need, feed, and all with my trademark care!

Email Cheryl Milan for availability & payment info:  misscheryl223@gmail.com

Testimonials:

“I cannot say enough wonderful things about Cheryl. She is such a kind, loving, RELATABLE mama who cares deeply about her clients. She truly understands that the no-sleep struggle is REAL. She met us right where we were, no judgement, all positive encouragement and LOVE. I cannot recommend scheduling a sleep training consultation with her enough. Yes there are online programs (we tried them), but there is absolutely nothing like having someone so wonderful to go through the process with you, encourage you, and be available for questions and feedback. Because of her, we are FINALLY getting some rest after 7 months of sleepless nights, and it only took 2 nights of her training. We are so thankful for the care that she has provided our son who absolutely LOVES her. She really has a gift with children and we’re blessed to know her!” – Whitney P. Austin, Texas

“Cheryl fully understands the difficulties of a baby who isn’t sleeping enough. Her knowledge, love, and care is evident (even over the phone from another state) and effective. In just a few nights my daughter went from waking up 2-3 times per night to sleeping 11 hours straight!! Cheryl gave great ideas and continuous encouragement along the way.” – Jenny T. Orlando, Florida

“Cheryl’s sleep training worked like a charm! After a phone consultation, Cheryl, with her vast experience and understanding of babies and children, was able to give us a plan of attack. She maintained constant communication throughout the process, following up and even encouragement. After a short three days, our 4 month-old went from waking and eating two to three times a night to sleeping through the night…much to the delight of Mom and Dad!” -Leslie O. San Antonio, TX 

“After we welcomed our third child it became clear that our family’s schedule was going to drastically shift. With two older children in preschool and endless after school activities, etc. Mila, 3, was missing that predictable nap schedule and so was I! After speaking to Cheryl about my concerns she suggested some small changes I could make to reintroduce nap time. I have to say, I was reluctant, but after a few days my girl is back to taking an afternoon nap. She hasn’t done that since she was 1.5! I’m so grateful to Cheryl for a little bit of mommy time and a rested, happy girl!” -Sarah N. Austin, TX

“Mrs. Cheryl was our true Supernanny!  She was a valuable and integral part of our family for many years and helped us not only with sleep training, but many other child development issues, as well.  Her wealth of experience and knowledge in child development make her the perfect Supernanny/Sleep Trainer for any family.” -Crickett B. Austin, TX

“Cheryl came into our lives almost 7 years ago, when my first daughter was born. I was a nervous first-time mom, but Cheryl’s warm personality and extensive experience quickly eased any anxiety I had. She helped us in so many ways- our baby’s playtimes, mealtimes, and sleeping schedule. I can’t recommend Cheryl enough! She is truly a professional with kids of all ages, and our children love her as much as we do.” -Kendra & Jacob Y. Fairfield, TX

“Miss Cheryl’s expert guidance in sleep training has been life-changing for all of us. When I reached out to her for help (as in “help!!!”), my son at 8 months old, had gone from one short wake-up to feed to waking up every other hour and wailing if I put him back in his crib. I was emotionally and physically exhausted, hanging on by a fraying thread. As a person who tends to over-think things, having Miss Cheryl’s expert coaching by phone and text enabled me to get out of my own head and trust that I was doing exactly what my son needed to help him learn how to sleep through the night. Even though she coached me remotely, Miss Cheryl was very perceptive about what changes to our routine and messaging to our son would be most effective for him. And she was right! Even though we had to travel just days after starting sleep training, our son was sleeping through the night is less than a week. You are the best Miss Cheryl – thank you!“ -Jen W. Boulder, CO

“When our daughter was 4 months old, we enlisted Cheryl to help us with our daily routine. She observed our current schedule and made some gentle tweaks to help us prepare for the big sleep training moment. I’ve read the baby books and referenced blogs and articles, but honestly, nothing has compared to having an expert guide us through the sleep training process. Cheryl’s expertise in child development and her encouragement during tough nights was crucial in keeping us on track and committed to following her personalized plan. It really wasn’t as painful as I thought it would be. Our baby sleeps through the night and our daily schedule is predictable. We cannot recommend Cheryl enough.” -Carly X-S Princeton, NJ

“OMG – Mrs. Cheryl is just the BEST!!! She knows more about babies and little kiddos than anyone else on the planet. She trained our seven-month-old daughter to sleep 12 hours through the night almost immediately, using her Custom Sleep Plan! My favorite thing about Mrs. Cheryl is her knack for knowing the best learning toys and books. Our daughter is absolutely obsessed with all the things she’s recommended for us. She is a wealth of knowledge – you are in the best hands with her!” -Mary Ann V. Houston, TX

“ I cannot say enough about Cheryl’s sleep training abilities. She saved our sanity! Our youngest daughter is 16 months old. She was waking up 3-4 times a night and ready to party. Cheryl asked a lot of questions, and took time to explain why she was waking up. She explained that she was getting too much sleep during the day. Cheryl was thorough about the psychology behind her sleep patterns. We always rocked our daughter to sleep and laid her down fully asleep. Whenever she woke up, she was disoriented  because we were not there, and she was unable to put herself back down. It all made perfect sense. Cheryl put us on a new sleep schedule, eliminated a nap and helped us identify other bad habits we were oblivious to. Things quickly turned around and our daughter started sleeping through the night after just a few days. A couple weeks into our new routine our daughter had some setbacks and Cheryl was able to troubleshoot the issues. We eliminated her pacifier and changed her feeding times. Our daughter is now sleeping 12-13 hours a night. I would highly recommend Cheryl’s sleep training to anyone suffering from sleep deprived nights!” 
-Brittany L. Austin, TX

“So I had my first child and thought I was going to know everything! I was pretty well equipped, but getting through the night was hard…Then there was Cheryl! I just want to praise Cheryl because my little girl literally reaches for her crib to go to bed now! I can’t even get through our bedtime songs!! 🥺😢😂 Cheryl and I started sleep training my daughter at 3 months old and I must say it was MAGIC! Cheryl created not 1, but 3 phases of sleep training schedules and helped us get a pretty consistent daily routine and it saved my life and sanity! We live out of state in Nevada and her consistent communication and availability was phenomenal. Thank you so much for taking the time to help tailor my girl’s eating and nap time schedule so that we both could get peaceful nights of sleep! Cheryl is an amazing sleep trainer and a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious mother!” -Paige J. Las Vegas, Nevada


Believe in Fairies!

Last Spring I had the good fortune of hearing from my pal and former nanny (now mommy/nanny/fairy enthusiast) about the Faerieland exhibit at the Zilker Botanical Gardens. I immediately though of Rebel and how much fun he would have scoping out whatever magic existed in such a place. Since he and I had two days per week together while big brother Doc was in school, it was the perfect late morning activity! fairy Read the rest of this entry »


Pic Post: Dandelions

My nannying charges are always showering me with gifts, mostly of the “found” nature. I receive rocks, am presented with feathers, am given acorns, marbles, pieces of string, the sky is the limit! I cherish each of these gifts, appreciating the sweet sentiments behind each little offering.

If dandelions were diamonds, I would be dripping in jewels:)

If dandelions were diamonds, I would be dripping in jewels:)


My Funny Valentines

Enjoy Ella Fitzgerald’s gorgeous voice as you give this a read!

The “Month of Love” is all too short in my opinion. March comes way too soon after the month of Valentine’s Day. But I can’t complain, as my February was filled with all kinds of love, especially from my nannying charges. As previously stated I am a big celebrator of Valentine’s Day, and bring love-themed treats to all my nannying homes, this year, in the form of cookies, candies, and Valentine-y books. Read the rest of this entry »


Tidbit from the Kidwits

While playing catch with Doc, I noticed Rebel was trying with some urgency to pull down my sweatpants(yep, Miss Cheryl the fashion plate!).

Me: “Why are you pulling down my pants, dude?”
Rebel: “Because I looove you!”

Ha! Once I stopped laughing, I firmly but good-naturedly informed him that sometimes, loving someone means letting her keep her pants on. I feel that this lesson can’t be learned young enough these days. Boys are getting fresher and fresher!


My Most Favorite Valentine

(click here for a love song to accompany this post!)

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Valentine’s Day is here! A day to celebrate love in all its myriad forms: the love of friends, significant others, family, pets, chocolate, romantic comedies, romantic tear-jerkers, chocolate-covered anything, all of the world is in love with love on Valentine’s Day. Your Mrs. Cheryl is no exception.  Read the rest of this entry »


Baby It’s Cold Out-side!

(click here to listen to She & Him‘s Baby, It’s Cold Outside while you read)

Austin has rung in the New Year in typical Texas weather style: in the 70s one day, in the 20s the next. During this uncharacteristically long cold slow clap(as opposed to a cold snap), I spent my days with my charges, trying to find things to do inside. Read the rest of this entry »


Pic Post: Stuck on Me!

photo

While spending the day with Doc and Rebel, Rebel felt I was doing such a good job that he rewarded me with, not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR reward stickers! This is the kind of sincere praise that makes happy my nannying days!


Lean Back

I spend most of most days on my feet. Whether I’m chasing kiddos around, fixing them meals, tidying up after them, taking them from one activity to the next, nannying is a highly physical job. One of the many ways it is beneficial to me is that it prevents anything resembling a sedentary work routine. Some studies have hypothesized negative health effects resulting from sitting at a desk all day. No risk of that here! In fact, one of the most rigorous workouts I experience in a day isn’t during my post-nannying runs, but during childcare. Read the rest of this entry »