Hi, welcome and thank you for dropping by. I’m Mel, offering you natural & holistic parent coaching. In the fields of baby sleep help, nanny, maternity nurse, maternity nanny & night nanny. I am also a Mum, Earth mother, Reiki Master and keen permaculturist.

I have over 35 years of hands on baby care experience and I am qualified at Level 4 OCN Maternity Practitioner Award. I have also attended the CPD accredited, Paediatric Sleep Training for Professionals course delivered by EDS Training Ltd. I hold a current up to date 12 hour paediatric first aid and enhanced DBS using the government update service

I have worked with babies, toddlers & children as a

• Private nanny for a wide range of families
• Maternity nurse
• Night nanny
• Proxy parent
• Sleep and parent coach

I have experience and extensive knowledge of

• Baby sleep
• Toddler sleep
• Breast feeding routines
• Bottle feeding routines
• Development milestones
• Weaning
• Weaning babies with food allergies
• Managing reflux
• Potty and toilet training
• Toddler routines
• Picky eaters, selective eating and food phobic toddlers.

I live in the beautiful South west of England, just outside Bath, with my wonderful & supportive husband. We have two amazing grown up daughters, that have now flown the nest and are developing their own careers in the pharmaceutical industry & stock exchange communications in the city. I have helped families from all over the world with non-sleepers, new born babies, twins, triplets, adopted children, selective eaters, food phobic children, tantrum toddlers, behaviour problems and those who have simply lost their way. I obtained my knowledge through many years of working with 1000’s of different children, with difficulties ranging from common sleep issues to Asperger and selective eating disorders. Not only theoretical training, but actual practical scenarios, for clients that include among others a many number of GP’s & Consultant Paediatricians.

My methods are holistic and I always look at the whole child. There is a huge link between a baby feeding and sleep, so some of the advice will be related to your baby’s nutritional intake.

Unlike many parenting organisations, we also have our own qualified nutritionist on call 7 days per week. Phoebe obtained her degree in human nutrition from Bournemouth university BSc (Hons) in 2017 and her post graduate certificate in nutrition and behaviour in 2018 and is a Registered Associate Nutritionist (ANutr)

Our newest team member Camilla graduated in 2020 from Oxford Brookes university with a degree in Psychology BSc (Hons) which is accredited by the British Psychological Society. Camilla is on hand to provide the scientific know how & back up in understanding the complex needs of babies & toddlers.

Toddler sleep and behaviour will be connected to many factors like how long did she nap for during the day, foods consumed, how much milk she drank before bed, how many hours spent outside in the fresh air, how much screen time, has she been ill etc. toddler don’t really know how they should behave and life can be very confusing, they have so much to learn.

I know only too well how much conflicting information a new parent is subjected to and how easy it is to feel overwhelmed, confused and frustrated. By listening to your parenting problems with a sympathetic ear I offer reassurance and empathy, then step by step I will put together a personally tailored plan for you to follow with you baby or child. By offering solution focused positive parenting plans, I work by listening to your baby or child related concerns, establishing your goals and providing a step by step programme for you to follow within a realist time span. Any baby sleep support plan must be sustainable, with routines that fit different lifestyles. By setting a series of goals to aim for I can enable a parent to regain confidence and lean to trust their own instinct. This leads to positive ability and success.

To reinforce my work experiences, I keep up with & follow diet & nutrition and child psychology to enhance & develop my knowledge and better understanding of children and how to help, not only them, but their patents too.

I know the stresses that new mums and dads have to through and how you constantly feel judged when things are not running smoothly. I have been helping the parents of non- sleepers and fussy eaters for over 12 years now. While many of the same problems and issues arise, every child and family is different, and this approach and philosophy is why I have become so successful in helping and understanding other families needs. By helping them find the right solution for their own specific situation. In my view “one cap does not fit all.” After I had my own children, I felt much more connected with the mums and their children. One of my own daughters was a bad sleeper, so I know the pain of exhaustion and sleepless nights. I also knew how hard it was to hear your own child cry, how you can get into a rut with sleeping issues and how everyone has their own piece of advice to give you

My methods are kind, gentle & will work effectively with you & your baby, ensuring a good night’s sleep for the whole family. A natural caring approach, that enables mums & dads to continue the process, long after I have completed a visit or appointment. Through a series of telephone appointments or a home visit, I can help you create a new pattern of behaviour leading to more desirable habits. Whether associated with sleeping, feeding or behavioural issues you can take positive steps forward, regain confidence in your parenting and restore some harmony to your life.

Having the right balance in life is something we all strive for. Having any kind of balance or order in our lives after the arrival of a baby can be an un-achievable target for most people. Trying to function when you have been up all night with a crying baby can seem like a form of torture. It can be particularly frustrating when everyone you talk to has a baby that is placid and calm and sleeps 12 hours through the night without a peep.

If your little one is a night owl, demanding feeds every 2 hours during the night or you have a toddler refusing to go to bed do not despair. With a sensible and realistic plan to follow you can create a more desirable set of sleeping habits for any baby or child. This can all be accomplished without relentless clock watching or sticking to a strict and rigid itinerary. We all need some kind of order in our lives and babies are no exception. A baby will need a basic but flexible routine that allows his parents some quality of life as well.

This is a realistic and sustainable plan of action. A philosophy that has been passed down from generation to generation using tried and tested methods. Now adapted to suit our modern busy life style and help you understand that getting your baby to sleep need not be an impossible target. In addition, help baby to go to sleep without relying on endless props and cues. In turn, allowing parents to have the flexibility to create the right baby life balance.