References

Additional references available upon request.

Premature baby / thriving issues, Mrs D of London

Like all new and inexperienced parents, we were exhausted and somewhat shellshocked when we called Sam in for a consultation. We found her immediately reassuring - she offered support and encouragement, backed up with advice and gentle guidance where required. The routine she devised for feeds, naps and activity has worked extremely well, but even more importantly she gave us confidence in our own abilities to understand and care for our baby. The end result has been a thriving and contented baby and happy (and slightly less exhausted!) parents. We cannot recommend her highly enough.

Sleep & behaviour issues, Mrs V of Surrey

Our 3.5 year old daughter had been waking in the night and climbing in to our bed for many months and we were exhausted. I felt I had little control over her behaviour during the day and was feeling increasingly anxious. Sam spent a few hours with us observing tea time, bath and bed time, and quickly identified a number of factors which were triggering E's feelings of insecurity and our lack of 'discipline'. I liked the fact that Sam was able to come to our home, see how we operate and answer our specific questions and concerns with total confidence and experience - rather than offer generic solutions which might not be relevant to us. I was amazed at how quickly E accepted most of the changes which Sam suggested and demonstrated for us. For example, eating meals politely at the table, not watching TV after 5pm, not using milk bottles for comfort at night, sleeping without a night light were all accepted straight away. She is now sleeping through the night and I am 'teaching' her to stay in bed a little longer in the monring. With Sam's back-up I now have the confidence to tackle getting E dry and night and I completely trust that her strategy will work. Although effort and commitment is needed every day I am now in control of the situation. For any parent who feels they don't have the strength, energy or direction to turn things around, with Sam's help you will be surprised at how much easier it can be to make changes than you think.

Breastfeeding, Ms B of Wiltshire

It's a miracle, thank you.

Breast feeding issue, Mrs L of London

As a first time mum with no family nearby I reached out for the support and expertise of Sam as an experienced child care specialist. From the first contact I felt a sense of relief. Sam has the great skill of being able to mix sensitivity, skill and practicality to the chaotic and emotionally charged situation that is the household with a new baby. Sam was able to empower myself and my husband immediately – she showed us the way with our 4 week old baby without it feeling like she was doing it for us. Her expertise lies in her ability to nurture parents own natural nurturing abilities. I was experiencing real difficulties with breastfeeding but knew I did not want to give up. She was able to identify a medical issue within hours of meeting me and our baby, something that breastfeeding counsellors, midwives and health visitors had not picked up on. I know that without her intensive support, guidance and practical information i would not have continued breastfeeding. Sam worked tirelessly and professionally at all times. It did not feel uncomfortable having her in the home for two days and two nights – in fact her easy going nature made it effortless. Sam played a hugely vital role to our new family and gave us confidence at a time it is so easy to feel overwhelmed. I would recommend her without hesitation.

Sleep issue, Mrs M of Surrey

In the last year, since having my first child, Sam has twice attending our home and resolved a sleep issue within 24hrs that we have been struggling to get on top of for weeks. I cannot tell you what it feels like to get a full nights sleep after being so deprived of it for so long. As well as the two troublshoot sessions, Sam has also helped remotely by phone on more than a few occasions when we simply weren't sure of the right thing to do. The value of this to us as a couple was tremendous and I'd heartly recommend Sam to anyone unsure of how to deal with any child related issue , at their wits end trying to get the little ones to sleep or simply needing reassurance that you are doing the right thing from a childcare professional.

Feeding issues, Mrs C of London

Sam came for a 24-hour period to help us with our 7-week old baby who was still quite unsettled following a number of medical issues (e.g. infection). Sam carefully observed the baby and us and after collecting detailed information, has helped us to put into practice a structured routine following a set of basic rules. These mainly concerned with feeding and settling down the baby after feeds and we picked up some additional useful tips and tricks. Moreover Sam has also helped us to address some issues concerning breastfeeding in a professional and knowledgeable manner. Sam has been very helpful to provide remote support in the days following her visit to help us adjust details of the routine to fit our changing circumstances and we would be happy to invite her back should further interventions be required.

Feeding issues / allergies, Mrs N of Surrey

My first child would not sleep through the night, we had problems getting him to feed properly and he seemed genrally unhappy. We'd tried everything we could think of including following to the letter all the advice in [ original content removed - a well known baby guide] but nothing seemed to work. Finally I called Sam in, she stayed with us for a night and a day and quickly identified the reasons behind it all and devised a plan with us to address things. It worked like a dream. Six months later, with increasing health concerns Sam also immediately identified a food intolerance as our baby increasingly moved to solids which again was addressed with excellant outcomes. Our baby boy is now sleeping well, thriving and very happy. I can't praise Sam enough for her help at a time we'd all but lost hope. Sam is professional but best of all she is understanding of parents and our needs and lifestyle - I feel we received a plan that worked around us as much as it it did around [baby G] which was essential if I was going to hold down my job.

Routine / settlement, Mrs Y of Sussex

A huge thanks for coming out to help out with my work crisis & settle R into our family routine at such short notice. Things were very hectic workwise for me during the 3 days but you helped us through this very calmly and in a totally professional and helpful way. I could not have managed without you and we really enjoyed your time with us! And even though R is baby no.4 for us we learnt lots of things from you about how to settle R without endless breastfeeding so he and I could be more relaxed. He is sleeping much better now as a result and we are able to enjoy him a lot more. Thanks also from the other kids, especially S who was overjoyed at all the attention you gave to her & from A who was delighted to learn how to swaddle R from a real pro. You are a real star and would benefit any family with a baby.