Baby Coordinators, Baby Planners & Baby Concierge Services
There is nothing scarier than the first time you walk into Babies “R” Us and stare down the aisle with 40+ different car seats. It doesn’t get much easier when you look at all of the different types of bottles, pacifiers and diapers and think that one day you are going to have to make a few decisions. I immediately turned around, walked right out of the store and went to Baskin-Robbins for a double scoop of cookie dough ice cream with extra hot fudge.
Luckily, if you think you need a little support, there is a burgeoning new industry of “baby coordinators” to help you every step of the way as you prepare for the arrival of your little angel. Much like a wedding coordinator, a baby coordinator will help you organize everything as you plan for the big day – your child’s arrival. She can help you pick out the best baby products for your registry, set up your nursery, pre-screen nannies, and ensure your home is safe and ready for your baby. The coordinator can manage all of the little things so you can maintain a little sanity as you prepare for the changes ahead. Not all baby planners are created equal and they offer a range of services. Hopefully you will find a good match.
If you have friends nearby who have recently had children, they may be able to help too. If you are working full time right up to your due date or you are on medical bed rest – having a little extra help may be just what you need.
Atlanta Baby Planners – the ultimate baby concierge in Atlanta, GA
Baby Bliss – Premier baby planning service, offering education, support and parenting solutions in Ottawa, Canada
Baby Smartz – New Jersey
Before & After Baby Planning – delivering everything but the baby in Minnesota
Belly Bumps Baby Planning – Ohio
BlissNine – San Diego, CA
Blue Skye Baby – Ohio
Cherished Expectations – Nevada
Ellie & Melissa – The Baby Planners™ - We take the labor out of your delivery® - Studio City, CA
Essential Baby Planner – San Diego, CA
Heaven’s Touch – Los Angeles, CA
Itsabelly Baby Planners – Atlanta, Chicago, Portland, San Francisco & Seattle
La La Land Baby – Los Angeles, CA
Little Miracles Baby Planning – Charlotte, NC
Mama’s Little Angel – North West England
Nursery Know-It-All – Washington D.C.
Perfecting Expecting - Boston’s baby planners
Premier Baby Concierge – Pennsylvania
Roselle Andrea — Baby Coordinator to Families-in-Waiting – for lavish nursery design and additional offerings – located in New York but services national clients
Sweet Pea Baby Planners – San Fernando Valley, CA; Denver & Boulder, CO; Palm Beach & Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Charlotte, NC
The Baby Coordinators – services are based out of Massachusetts
The Baby Planner – Rancho Santa Fe, CA
The Baby Planner – Maternity & pregnancy services in New York, San Francisco and Marin County
For more information on the topic – check out the National Baby Planner Association.
Baby Planners & Pregnancy Journals
Here are some resources to help moms-to-be everywhere get organized.
40 Weeks +: The Essential Pregnancy Organizer
by Dani Rasmussen & Antoinette Perez
The Working Woman’s Baby Planner: From baby’s room to boardroom–you can have it all!
by Marla Schram Schwartz
Baby Chronicles Pregnancy Planner: A Portable Planner for the Mom to Be
by Dania Lebovics
Your Practical Pregnancy Planner
by Brette McWhorter Sember
What to Expect Pregnancy Planner
by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg & Sandee Hathaway
Great Expectations: Pregnancy Journal & Planner, Revised Edition
by Marcie Jones & Sandy Jones
The Belly Book: A Nine-Month Journal for You and Your Growing Belly (Potter Style)
by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
The Pregnancy Journal: A Day-to-Day Guide to a Healthy and Happy Pregnancy
by A. Christine Harris
The Working Woman’s Pregnancy Book (Yale University Press Health & Wellness)
by Marjorie Greenfield
Baby Nurses & Newborn Specialists
A baby nurse, or newborn specialist, provides expert newborn care during the first few weeks or months of your baby’s life. When you arrive home with your newborn you may want extra care with your child until you are able to get comfortable with your new routine. Baby nurses are especially helpful if you have multiple children or if you or your baby has experienced any complications from the birth process. Many baby nurses will work at night to give you the valuable rest you need.
Your doctor may be able to recommend a baby nurse in your area. In addition, many nanny agencies place baby nurses as well.
Celebrities Staffing Services – caters to clients across the United States and internationally
Aunt Ann’s Agency – San Francisco Bay Area
Emily Schaffer – Marin & the San Francisco Bay Area
Stanford Park Nannies – San Francisco Bay Area
Town & Country Resources – San Francisco Bay Area
VIP Nannies & Household Staffing – Ventura, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles & Orange Co
Babiease – Washington D.C.
First Class Care – Chicago
An infant and toddler sleep consultation based in New York City, but consultants work with families all over the country. Methods co-created with a board of advisors including a pediatrician, lactation consultant and a psychotherapist. Check out their website for some free sleep tips!
Infant & Toddler Sleep Consultants
Don’t waste one sleepless night wondering how to make your little sweet pea sleep – hire a pro. Most consultants will have you keep a minute by minute log of your baby’s activities for a week or two and then will provide you advice on a very rigid sleep schedule for your baby to follow. The gist of it all is – the more your baby sleeps, the happier she will be (and you will be too!). Get some advice from a sleep expert right away, and you will all rest a little easier. Here are a few baby sleep books
Angelique Millette – parent coach and sleep consultant located out of Marin, CA – she will travel nationally and internationally to assist clients
Babies2Sleep – nationwide infant and toddler sleep coaching services providing customized in-person and telephone consultations as well as webinars – they’ve got gift certificates available (a great gift for sleep deprived parents!)
Baby Sleep Science – “The Baby Sleep Science mission is to reinforce sleep in children, both biologically and psychologically.” – based in Boston and works with families anywhere.
Child-Works Family Sleep Solutions – located in Boulder, Colorado
Cloud B – helping children sleep easier and safer
Dana Obleman’s Child Sleep Center – in Vancouver, Canada – also does consultations via phone and email
Family Sleep – they have been around for over 12 years, helping educate parents on the importance of providing healthy sleep habits for their children
Helping Your Baby Sleep Through the Night - Proven, effective, gentle solutions to solve baby, newborn, and infant sleep problems.
Hushababy Consulting – she also has some sleep articles, information and tips on her website
National Sleep Foundation – information regarding children & sleep
Sleep Nannies - offerings include an e-book, telephonic and in-person consultations
Sleepwellbaby – Sound machines, sound conditioners, white noise machines, night lights and other sleep aids
Sleepy Planet - in addition to sleep consultation services they offer Sleepeasy Solution books, DVDs and CDs
The Sleep Doula – provides solutions for birthing, post-partum and sleep needs
The Sleep Lady – “West has developed an alternative, effective approach to helping children learn to put themselves to sleep without letting them “cry it out” – an option that is not comfortable for many parents.”
Vivian Sonnenberg – infant sleep consultant
Good Nights: The Happy Parents’ Guide to the Family Bed (and a Peaceful Night’s Sleep!)
by Maria Goodavage & Dr. Jay Gordon
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Sleep Training for Your Child
by Melissa Burnham PhD & Jennifer Lawler PhD
The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night
by Elizabeth Pantley
The Sleepeasy Solution: The Exhausted Parent’s Guide to Getting Your Child to Sleep from Birth to Age 5
by Jennifer Waldburger & Jill Spivack
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
by Marc Weissbluth
Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems: New, Revised, and Expanded Edition
by Richard Ferber M.D.
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby
by Tracey Hogg & Melinda Blau
Nanny Search
The search for a nanny typically begins in one of three ways; talking to other moms and getting personal referrals, working with a nanny agency, or using an online resource.
When you are looking for a nanny you need to consider and prioritize many variables including:
• Do you want someone who can drive?
• Does she need to have her own car?
• What language(s) do want her to be able to speak?
• How many hours a week do you need coverage?
• How much flexibility do you need in the schedule?
• Do you need someone who has evening and weekend availability?
• Do you want someone who will travel with you on an extended vacation?
• What sort of educational background do you desire?
The Interview Process
It makes everyone comfortable to have your initial interview in a public place – your local coffee shop is always a good bet. For a second interview you can invite the nanny to your home so she can meet your child and get a better feel for your living situation.
If you think you may have found a match, it makes sense to have the nanny work for your family for a few days while you are still in the interview process. During this time you and/or your spouse should be at home with the nanny and your children. (This can be done on weekends or evenings too.) You can see first hand how she acts in your home, get to know her a little better, and see how your children respond to her. It will help both you and the nanny ensure that it is a right fit and that you will both be happy long term.
Nanny Background Checks
Once you have interviewed and selected a nanny it is important to perform a background check to ensure the safety of your family. The background verification process can include the following: searching county records for felony and misdemeanor convictions, running a DMV report, verifying her social security number, reviewing her TrustLine registration, drug testing, and/or performing a sex offender registry check. In addition, it is also important to talk to as many references and prior employers as possible to get a good understanding of their experiences with the nanny. If you work through an agency, they will typically handle all of this for you.
There are a few services that will help you perform background checks before you hire a nanny.
Establishing a Contract
The next step is to put together a contract outlining salary, vacation and sick day policies, and clear expectations. Like any other employment situation, this will ensure that both the family and the nanny are on the same page as to the specifics of the childcare arrangement. The less ambiguity there is – the better.
Salary, Payroll & Taxes for Household Help
Payroll agencies are a great way to coordinate paying your nanny’s wages and appropriate taxes. It is advisable to discuss the arrangement with your accountant to ensure all of the necessary tax implications are addressed. Don’t forget to check with your employer regarding child care set-aside accounts. You may be able to pay for a portion of the expense using pre-tax dollars.
One of the most common questions I hear moms ask each other is “what are you paying your nanny?” Nobody wants to lose a good nanny to a “nanny snatcher” so you want to make sure you are paying your nanny a fair wage. Rates can vary dramatically depending on a number of factors including:
Geographical location: A nanny in Manhattan or Silicon Valley is going to cost more than one in a smaller, less affluent town.
Number of children: Watching 1 child is much different that caring for 3 or 4 kids of various ages.
Years of experience: A nanny with 1 or 2 years of experience will command less pay than one with 10-15 years of experience.
Additional responsibilities or special needs: If you ask you nanny to cook, do extra housework, or drive a considerable amount, this will typically cost a bit more.
Also, if your child has special needs, you will likely need to pay more for someone who is properly trained to provide appropriate care.
Here are a few services that can help you with all of the logistics and details around payroll and taxes. If you go through an agency, they will often be able to provide you guidance in these areas as well.
Internal Revenue Service - search for publication 926, household employers tax guide
Legally Nanny – household employment law firm
The First Week with Your New Nanny
If you are able, try to take a few days or a week to work at home when your new nanny starts to ease the transition for your children, and to be there to answer any questions as your nanny is learning her routine. It will help your children, and it will help to give you peace of mind to know that everything will be in control when you are at the office or out of the home.
Also, if your nanny has not recently taken an infant or pediatric CPR class, be sure to sign her up.
Online Resources to Help You Find the Best Nanny
When you are ready to start interviewing nanny or au pair candidates, you have a few options. There are online resources available to you or you can work with an agency in your local area.
4EverythingNanny.com – find local agencies all over the country
Care.com - Free Background Checks. Safe & Easy.
Choose The Right Nanny (In Dallas and NYC they can help you find other domestic help too)
International Nanny Association
Mother’s Helper – Boston, Chicago & Denver
Robert Hanselman Domestic Agency
Sittercity - Need a babysitter? Find the most qualified sitters at Sittercity.com.
San Francisco Bay Area:
Los Angeles:
A Nanny Solution – Orange County
VIP Nannies & Household Staffing – Ventura, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles & Orange County
Chicago:
First Class Care, Inc.
New Jersey:
In a Pinch, Inc.
Massachusetts
Parents in a Pinch
Seattle:
Annie’s Nannies Household Staffing
Consulting Services for Families & Nannies
Some people will need a little support in learning how to bring a nanny into their family situation in a positive manner that works for everyone.
The Nanny Doctor
“In the spirit of Attachment Theory, Dr. Lindsay Heller seeks to promote positive relationships between families and their nannies that create strong, healthy, secure emotional bonds between children and their caregivers that will nurture future meaningful relationships.”
Nanny/ Babysitter Cameras
We’ve all seen those horrible videos of children being neglected and abused by the very people who have been hired to take care of them. The images are heart breaking to watch. There are many different cameras on the market now that you can easily install around your home. Some people set them up and have the video feeds link right into their computers so they can monitor their nanny and child throughout the day. Give yourself the peace of mind and install a camera, or a few, around your home.
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