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Category: Child care

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Baby Care Child care Maternity Care Night Nursing Post-Cesarean Care Post-natal

How to reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

SIDS - suddent infant death syndrome
SIDS - suddent infant death syndrome

One of the biggest worries for many new parents is sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), which refers to the sudden unexplained death of an otherwise healthy baby under the age of one, usually during their sleep. Premature babies, or those with a low birth weight, are at greater risk, and it tends to be slightly more common in baby boys. Thankfully, SIDS is rare, and the prevalence has fallen significantly over the past few decades as advice about reducing the risks is more widely shared. While healthcare professionals don’t know exactly what causes SIDS, a lot of research has been done into the things parents and caregivers can do to create a safer sleeping environment for their little one.

Do’s for reducing SIDS

WHAT ARE SIDS CAUSES & RISK FACTORS
WHAT ARE SIDS CAUSES & RISK FACTORS

Based on advice from the NHS UK, recommendations are as follows:

  • always place your baby on their back to sleep
  • place your baby in the “feet to foot” position – with their feet touching the end of the cot, Moses basket, or pram
  • keep your baby’s head uncovered – their blanket should be tucked in no higher than their shoulders
  • let your baby sleep in a cot or Moses basket in the same room as you for the first six months
  • use a mattress that’s firm, flat, waterproof, and in good condition
  • breastfeed your baby, if you can
  • recent studies have found that using a pacifier while the baby is sleeping reduces the risk of SIDS

Dont’s for SIDS

  • smoke during pregnancy or let anyone smoke in the same room as your baby – both before and after birth
  • sleep on a bed, sofa, or armchair with your baby
  • share a bed with your baby if you or your partner smoke, or if you’ve been drinking alcohol, taking any sedative pain relief-medication or sleeping pills
  • let your baby get too hot or too cold – a room temperature of 16C to 20C, with light bedding or a lightweight baby sleeping bag, will provide a comfortable sleeping environment for your baby. NB. here in the UAE, we’re used to much warmer temperatures, and the recommendation is 22 to 24 degrees Celsius. Signs your baby may be getting too hot include sweating, or their chest feels hot.

You should also visit your pediatrician and/or midwife for regular check-ups to assess their health and development. At Nightingale, we provide a wide range of postnatal support at home or in our clinic, provided by fully-trained nurses.

Contact us to find out more.

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Baby Care Child care Maternity Care Night Nursing

10 Breastfeeding Questions Every Midwife Gets Asked

breastfeeding mother
breastfeeding mother

breastfeeding mother

With World Breastfeeding Week coming up on the 1st to 7th August, we asked Nightingale’s Public Health Practitioner Julia Youll about some of the most common questions she gets asked by new parents.

Read her advice here and feel free to get in touch with us for one-to-one support on your breastfeeding journey.

The first stage of milk is called colostrum; it develops during pregnancy and gets replaced by true milk after about three days. You will see the colour and amount of your milk change, but you may also have quite swollen and tender breasts when extra fluid accumulates in the breast tissue.

Try to feed frequently (around every two hours at least) and avoid a backlog of milk. You can soothe any discomfort and drain the breasts by standing under a warm shower, smoothing the skin downwards with a soapy hand. Applying alternate cool and warm flannels or compresses may also help.

Some people recommend applying cooled cabbage leaves straight from the fridge, the savoy variety! Gently expressing by hand between feeds can relieve engorgement, but try to avoid mechanical pumping at this stage as it may make the problem worse. Leaking milk is to be expected but this will settle as the baby grows.

Many new mums worry about this in the early days. The immediate signs of optimum milk are plenty of wet and mustard yellow nappies and a baby who falls asleep after their feeds in a milky stupor! You can usually expect your baby to regain their birth weight around two weeks after delivery.

Aim to feed as soon as the baby shows signs of readiness to latch; frequently draining the breasts at a feed will promote a good supply for later. If you have any concerns about your milk supply or the baby settling, it’s worth chatting to a breastfeeding specialist, as many common issues can be resolved quickly. For example, the presence of a tongue or lip tie could affect the baby’s ability to access the milk.

If you’re tired, feeling emotional, or sense that the milk isn’t flowing as fast, try skin-to-skin contact with the baby lying on your chest. Failing that, soak in a bath, try to rest and relax, ask your partner to take the baby for a short while, and drink plenty of fluids. Adrenaline is very powerful and can temporarily disrupt the milk hormone oxytocin if you’re feeling stressed.

Your baby doesn’t need anything other than breast milk for at least the first five months if you wish to exclusively breast feed. Breast milk adapts to hot climates and extra water is not necessary to quench their thirst.

Latching effectively from the start can be the key to successful breastfeeding and good milk supply. I recommend speaking to a lactation consultant or breastfeeding specialist if you need any help or advice in the early days. Rather than nipple feeding, the baby needs a full open mouth to compress the milk ducts beneath the areola. This is a skill that doesn’t always come naturally to you both, and it’s worth looking for signs that they’re attaching correctly before each feed.

Following on from the previous question, a good latch is the best way to prevent very sore nipples, but  even then, it’s sometimes difficult to avoid completely. Nipple soreness does get better as time goes on. If you need to use a soothing balm, you can apply pure lanolin cream (hypoallergenic) or even a few drops of breast milk between feeds. If soreness and cracks continue to be a problem other factors need to be ruled out, so it’s worth seeking professional advice. Also, if breastfeeding is painful at any stage of a feed, gently remove your baby and attempt to latch again.

Feed as frequently as you can in the early weeks, watching for other feeding cues before the baby actually cries. This really boosts milk supply, because the more milk that is removed, the more milk you will continue to make.

After a few weeks when your supply is more established, the baby will be a pro, and while they might still be feeding frequently, the feeds will be much quicker. Bear in mind the baby is programmed to wake at night in the first few months. Plus, the hormones designed to support milk production are higher at night, helping to increase milk production for the next day.

Basically you can eat and drink pretty much everything, though in moderation. Some very sensitive babies may react to certain food substances in your milk, but this is thankfully rare. You can require  up to 500 extra calories a day to make milk, so indulge in that chocolate bar! Alcohol and heavily caffeinated drinks are best avoided in the early weeks when the baby is very tiny, but then you can start to enjoy an occasional glass with your evening meal and a coffee in the mornings.

The main tips for your partner are simply to be there, give encouragement and bring plenty of tea and snacks! When the supply is more established, around the four to six-week mark, it’s possible to pump milk so that he can offer a bottle of expressed milk while you have a long bath or an early night. (Our postnatal training classes will help you get trained on milk expressing).

This is sometimes a worry initially but soon you will be an expert. The UAE is extremely breastfeeding positive and there are plenty of places to feed if you need privacy in the malls. However, a breastfeeding cover or a thin muslin is perfect when out with friends and family for coffee or lunch. There is no reason why you should be at all limited if you feel comfortable with feeding whilst out and about.  Grab a spare nappy and go!

Gentle hand expressing can be done from the outset  to relieve overly full breasts or to soften them before the baby latches. Using a mechanical pump is normally not recommended until the supply and demand system of milk production is aligned (at least 4 weeks).  After that, women often want to pump during or after feeds to build up a supply for returning to work or for babysitters. Clearly, it is a very different situation if the baby is in NICU or when you suddenly need to be separated – then, using a breast pump is crucial.

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Baby Care Babysitting Child care

25 Activity Ideas for kids to do inside home

activity ideas for kids inside home
activity ideas for kids inside home

Summer in UAE may be slightly different this year when many families aren’t travelling home to cooler weather. Thinking of activity ideas for kids inside your home can really stretch your imagination to the limits, so here are a few things that might help to keep everyone entertained in the hot days ahead. If you are working and need a babysitter, we have some wonderful nurses who will keep your kids entertained.

Activity ideas for kids:

  1. Finger paints, and making hand and potato prints using brightly coloured card or paper.
  2. Make your own slushies – guaranteed to be less sugary than bought ones!
  3. Make memory books with pictures and photos. Baby books will intrigue children when they see the mementos you’ve kept from their early months.
  4. Use moulding clay to create various shapes and trinkets. Some types of clay harden and dry in the air, whereas others may need oven baking.
  5. Playing cards, UNO and Old Maid and Go Fish.
  6. Create a ‘lucky dip’ by putting rice in a big tub and hiding small gifts to retrieve.
  7. Grocery let’s pretend – bring out packets and small tins from the cupboard to play shop.
  8. Make hand puppets from old socks and put on a puppet show in an improvised handmade puppet theatre.
  9. Making friendship bracelets.
  10. Have fun with balloon art.
  11. Make your own ice cream and ice pops with healthy ingredients.
  12. Set up an indoor obstacle course.
  13. Make a camp with a clothes horse and a sheet.
  14. Have some pamper time with a face mask (the cosmetic, child-safe variety) and do at-home mani/pedis.
  15. Try a children’s meditation app for some quiet time.
  16. Make a display or decorate a box with shells from the beach.
  17. Freeze coloured water for ice cube painting. Adding tonic water might even make the paint glow!
  18. Bubble blowing with a giant bubble maker. You can make your own bubble solution.
  19. Create a herb garden or a bug hotel if you have some outdoor space undercover.
  20. Cook treats like brownies and little buns. Packet mixes are a bonus.
  21. Host a dolls’ and teddies’ tea party.
  22. Enjoy an indoor picnic on a rug.
  23. Bring out the dressing up clothes.
  24. Watch old family DVDs that haven’t been seen for a while.
  25. Tye-dying plain white t-shirts is a great creative option for older children.

DIY play items for kids at home:

PLAY DOUGH RECIPE

DIY play dough
DIY play dough

2 cups flour, ¾ cup salt ,4 teaspoons of cream of tartar, 2 cups lukewarm water,2 tablespoons vegetable oil, food colouring, plus vanilla essence for added fragrance. Large tubs or plastic bags for storing. Mix together on a low heat and form a firm dough (this is not dangerous if accidentally eaten!)

SLIME RECIPE

DIY Slime at home
DIY Slime at home

8 ounce bottle of white school glue, 1 tablespoon of baking soda, food colouring,1 ½-2 tablespoons of contact lens solution that contains borax (not to be ingested). For extra fluffiness add shaving foam. Sealed tubs needed for storing. The stretching and moulding of the slime are irresistible for little fingers.

FRUIT MOCKTAIL

Mocktail for kids
Mocktail for kids

Orange juice and lemonade with grenadine fruit syrup, orange slices and sparkles and sticks.

This might even be a good time to start potty training or perfecting naptimes while you’re spending more time at home.

GOOD LUCK and HAVE FUN!

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Baby Care Child care Home Care Night Nursing

International Nurses Day 2021

international nurses day
international nurses day

To mark this year’s International Nurses Day on May 12th, we’ve asked three of Nightingale’s nurses to share a glimpse of their typical day and tell us what they love most about the job.

Malin Ghavami (Head Midwife)

My day frequently starts with a home visit to new mums, usually when their little one is less than four days old.  We discuss the delivery and their recovery, and I offer any help and encouragement they need about things like feeding techniques, monitoring the baby’s weight and progress. After each visit, I write up my notes and tell the family when I’ll be visiting them next.

nurse malin
nurse malin

Afterwards, I schedule baby massage sessions for infants who are a few weeks old and sometimes a postnatal massage for their mums. I also manage the nurses in the community, so I dedicate time to training, or we have a general catch-up meeting. Training topics range from perfecting swaddling techniques to discussing clients’ specific needs and how best to address them.

As the day winds down, my colleagues and I discuss the schedule and requirements for the next day, although that can change entirely when a little one needs special attention earlier than planned.

I chose to be a nurse because I wanted a profession that I could be proud of, where I can positively impact people’s lives, be it the mummies or their sweet little babies. There’s no better feeling.

Julia Youll (Public Health Practitioner)

I wanted to be a nurse ever since I was six years old and was given a nurse’s uniform for Christmas, complete with a medical bag.  My grandfather was a GP and I was fascinated by the surgery and all the paraphernalia (in those days kept at his home). As soon as I turned 17, I started applying to teaching hospitals in London.

We were trained at the hospital and had a lot of practical time on the wards, interspersed by study blocks.

nurse julia
nurse julia

We certainly weren’t supernanny as students in those days, and we wore stiff starched detachable collars, cotton frilly caps and proper aprons!

I usually start my morning checking in with the families that I’m supporting with sleep problems, and it’s always great to hear that a good night has been achieved. Everyone has a new lease of life when they’re feeling rested.

My home visits (or calls) usually take place in the afternoons. It’s really productive to see babies and their parents in their home environment. After an hour or so’s discussion, I go away and create a plan for families to work with. This is tailor-made, specific to each one’s circumstances and dynamics. Follow-up may entail tweaking the plan, or looking at different ideas, but in general, a family without sleep deprivation is a happier one. Even a small change can make a huge difference.

Hermina (Nurse)

nurse hermina
nurse hermina

Working as a nurse at Nightingale gives me the opportunity to support families during an incredibly important yet challenging time ,and it’s wonderful to see them experience so many beautiful firsts together.

Baby Afra, born earlier this year, was premature and underweight. She was so small and delicate. The first time I held her, I could feel her vulnerability and how much love and care she needed. I fed her every three hours with precise measurements of milk and the correct feeding technique, checking her weight every ten days. She started gaining weight and every day she amazed us with her smile. Now, when I look at her playing and giggling, I can’t explain the happiness I feel having being part of her life. Moments like these are why I decided to become a nurse.

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Baby Care Child care

Rickets or bowed legs

bow legs or rickets
bow legs or rickets

bowlegs
bowlegs

Do your child have bowed legs like like this? Did you know that there are chances that it could be a child-hood disorder known as Rickets. But don’t worry. Most of the time it turns out to be Bowed Legs (Blount’s Disease) which is very common in children under 3 years and will gradually get corrected when he/she grows up.

Bow legs (or genu varum) is when the legs curve outward at the knees while the feet and ankles touch. Infants and toddlers often have bow legs. Sometimes, older kids do too. It’s rarely serious and usually goes away without treatment, often by the time a child is 3–4 years old.

The main reason for Rickets is not able to absorb Calcium due to the lack of Vitamin D. This is a common case in middle east and usually associated with living inside apartments where there is not enough sunlight.

It is recommended for all children to supplement with oral vitamin D-drops after birth

You can get a Vitamin D test from home by clicking here.

There are three major types of rickets are distinguished:
•  Renal osteodystrophy, in which the kidneys fail to maintain blood levels of calcium and phosphorus.
•  Vitamin D‒resistant or hypophosphatemic rickets, which is a genetic disorder characterized by low phosphate levels unrelated to intake or vitamin D status
•  Nutritional rickets stemming from deficiency of intake of dietary vitamin D, calcium, and/or phosphate during childhood – the most common form

Globally, rickets is most commonly found in children between 6 months and 24 months of age.

Findings associated with prolonged and extreme deficient intake typically include muscle weakness; delayed growth; pain in the legs, pelvis, and spine; and significant skeletal deformities. A child with rickets may display projection of the breastbone, thickened ankles and wrists, and bowed legs.

It’s always best to consult your pediatrician and get an x-ray done to check whether the child has got some skeletal disorder and treat it with proper vitamins and calcium.

We do pediatric physiotherapy for cases who suffer from disabilities , deformities and other pediatrics conditions using splints, braces ,swiss ball exercises and other effective treatment.

Tip: Let your children be in the sun as much as they can be. It really helps them in their growth. But also take care about the Sun safety measures to protect them  during peak summer. 

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Baby Care Child care Sleep training

Building Good Sleep Habits for Your Little One

baby sleeping habits
baby sleeping habits

As new parents, sleep is a rare and cherished commodity. It may seem like an uphill battle now, but it’s important to know there are things you can do to get more rest. And, what better time to try than World Sleep Day (Friday 19th March)?
Sleep is essential for improving health and well-being, and the theme of this year’s event – “regular sleep, healthy future”– will resonate with families, in particular.

The science of newborn sleep

Babies sleep in utero, but they’re not born with sleep association or any concept of day and night. They only start to produce the sleep hormone melatonin around 12 weeks of age, which explains why they wake up frequently for feeds before then. The circadian rhythm (the body’s natural internal sleep regulation) also takes a while to develop but once it does, infants sleep longer at night, meaning you can squeeze in a few more precious hours of rest.

Sleep disruption

Various stages in a baby’s development impact their sleep performance, so it’s important to remain flexible with a newly established routine. Common ages where we see sleep regression are 4 months and 8/9 months, when separation anxiety kicks in. Teething can also disrupt sleep because of the discomfort and distress it causes, making your little one more restless than normal. Toddlers, meanwhile, are learning lots of new things, which is exciting as well as overwhelming, so they may start to devise strategies to keep you in the room longer for comfort before they nod off.

Creating healthy sleep habits

Regardless of age, one of the most useful things we can do with a small child is to build healthy sleep patterns. There are many different approaches that depend on the baby, and your family’s circumstances. Some general recommendations include:

  • Be consistent – set a regular bedtime and wind-down routine, which is the same every night
  • Exposing your child to natural sunlight early in the day will help to set he circadian rhythm and regulate sleep patterns
  • Keep the bedroom dark and quiet at night with no blue light
  • Before settling them, check that baby isn’t too hot or too cold by feeling the nape of their neck or chest (rather than forehead)
  • Establish if they are thirsty, frightened, in pain, or if the nappy is wet
  • In the early days, many babies like the security of being swaddled but only use a light covering to avoid overheating
  • If possible, practice placing the baby in the cot drowsy but not fully asleep on occasion, so they can learn to settle themselves
  • Try soothing them by staying close and saying the same words, like a little mantra, on a nightly basis, lulling them into relaxed mode
  • Baby massage techniques are a great tool to learn and use at home before bedtime
  • If baby nods off in response to the breast or bottle, encouraging them to do it independently can be tricky. Ultimately, it is achievable if you use consistent methods that trigger the right brain chemistry and set their internal clock

Top tip: don’t overload yourself with guilt! When we’re tired and juggling many things, it’s easy to rely on short-term solutions to get you through. Establishing a long-term solution requires commitment, consistency and time, but it will pay off in the end.

When to get help

It’s difficult to define what’s normal or not and how long it will be before sleep issues constitute a problem. Generally speaking, if your baby is more than 6 months of age and you’re still chronically exhausted and experiencing poor sleep quality, it may be a good time to make arrangements with a professional sleep trainer.

– Written by Julia Youll, Public Health Practitioner at Nightingale
Categories
Baby Care Child care

Safety measures for your kids in Dubai’s heat

kid in dubais sun
kid in dubais sun

Table of Contents

Sun safety measures for kids:

  • Keep your baby cool and protect them from the sun.
  • Babies less than 6 months old should always be kept out of direct sunlight. Their skin contains too little melanin, which is the pigment that gives skin, hair and eyes their colour, and provides some protection from the sun.
  • Older babies should also be kept out of the sun as much as possible, particularly in the summer months and between 11am and 3pm, when the sun is at its strongest. If you go out when it’s hot, attach a parasol or sunshade to your baby’s pushchair to keep them out of direct sunlight.
  • It’s good to buy a rash vest or cover up for your child as the sunshine in the UAE is particularly strong, in addition to this if they still have skin exposed  apply a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 to your baby’s skin. Make sure the product also protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Many brands produce sunscreen specifically for babies and young children, as these products are less likely to contain additives that might irritate the skin. Apply the sun cream regularly, particularly if your child is in and out of the sea or paddling pool. Make sure your child wears a sunhat with a wide brim or a long flap at the back to protect their head and neck from the sun (NHS 2018).
  • Sunscreen should be applied to all exposed skin, including the face, neck and ears, and head if you have thinning or no hair, but a wide-brimmed hat is better.
  • Sunscreen needs to be reapplied liberally and frequently, and according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  • This includes applying it straight after you have been in water, even if it’s “water resistant”, and after towel drying, sweating or when it may have rubbed off.
  • It’s also recommended to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours, as the sun can dry it off your skin.

Check for signs of heat exhaustion

The signs of heat exhaustion include:

  • a headache
  • dizziness and confusion
  • loss of appetite and feeling sick
  • excessive sweating and pale, clammy skin
  • cramps in the arms, legs and stomach
  • fast breathing or pulse
  • temperature of 38C or above
  • being very thirsty

The symptoms are often the same in adults and children, although children may become floppy and sleepy. If someone is showing signs of heat exhaustion, they need to be cooled down.

Things you can do to cool down someone who has heat exhaustion:

Follow these four steps:

  • Move them to a cool place.
  • Get them to lie down and raise their feet slightly.
  • Get them to drink plenty of water. Sports or rehydration drinks are OK.
  • Cool their skin – spray or sponge them with cool water and fan them. Cold packs around the armpits or neck are good, too.

Stay with them until they’re better.

They should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes.

When to call an ambulance

You or someone else have any signs of heatstroke:

  • feeling unwell after 30 minutes of resting in a cool place and drinking plenty of water
  • not sweating even though too hot
  • a temperature of 40C or above
  • fast breathing or shortness of breath
  • feeling confused
  • a fit (seizure)
  • loss of consciousness
  • not responsive

Heatstroke can be very serious if not treated quickly.

Put the person in the recovery position if they lose consciousness while you’re waiting for help.

Heat rash (prickly heat)

Heat rash is uncomfortable, but usually harmless. It should clear up on its own after a few days.

The symptoms of heat rash are:

  • small red spots
  • an itchy, prickly feeling
  • redness and mild swelling

What to do when someone has a heat rash?

  • Use sponge with cool water to soothe the affected area. Place them in a cool room
  • Dry their skin with a soft towel by patting slowly and apply some calamine lotion to keep it damp
  • Bathe them in lukewarm water and pat the skin with a soft towel so that it stays between dry and damp.

Medical attention to be given if the spots are not fading away even after 12 hours or there is a rise in temperature.
If you need a helping hand to manage your children, our expert DHA and BLS (Basic life support) certified home nurses are just a call away.

Ref: National Health Service UK (2018) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heat-exhaustion-heatstroke/

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Child care

Children being bullied at school and by friends. What should be done?

bullying at school
bullying at school

At Nightingale we are keen to promote all topics related to Public Health.

Raising awareness on the subject of Children being bullied at school is one such topic.

There are many warning signs that may indicate that your child is affected by bullying, either being bullied or bullying others. Recognising the warning signs is an important first step in taking action against bullying. It is important to remember that not all children who are bullied or are bullying others will ask for help.

Some signs that may point to a bullying problem include:

  • Unexplainable injuries
  • Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewellery
  • Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness
  • Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating.
  • Children may come home from school hungry because they did not eat lunch.
  • Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares
  • Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school
  • Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations
  • Feelings of helplessness or decreased self esteem
  • Self-destructive behaviours

Possible signs that your child is bullying others

  • Gets into physical or verbal fights
  • Has friends who bully others
  • Are increasingly aggressive at home
  • Gets sent to the principal’s office or to detention frequently
  • Have unexplained extra money or new belongings
  • Blame others for their problems
  • Don’t accept responsibility for their actions
  • Are competitive and worry about their reputation or popularity

Children do not necessarily feel able to tell grownups about their problems for various reasons

  • Bullying can make a child feel helpless; children may want to handle it on their own to feel in control again. They may fear being seen as weak or a tell-tales.
  • Children may fear backlash from the child who bullied them.
  • Bullying can be a humiliating experience; children may not want adults to know what is being said about them, whether true or false. They may also fear that adults will judge them or punish them for being weak.
  • Children who are bullied may already feel socially isolated. They may feel like no one cares or could possibly understand.

So what next?

In the first instance, at a primary or secondary school, see the class teacher/form tutor and explain your worries in a friendly non-confrontational way.

Questions that you might consider:

  • Ask how your child is getting on with others in class and raise any issues of conflict with other children.
  • Ask if the teacher has noticed that your child seems unhappy and isolated and is being excluded from games or social groups in the playground or regularly not having a partner to work with in class.
  • Ask the class teacher, or the head of house at secondary school, if he/she can keep an eye on the situation and let you know if they have any concerns.
  • Ask what the teacher suggests would be the best way of sorting it out. This puts the ball very firmly in their court and makes it clear that action is required.
  • If you have spoken in person to the teacher follow this up with an email conforming key points, ask that a copy be placed in your child’s school record and also ask for a written response or action plan from the school.
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Baby Care Babysitting Child care

Tips for Finding Ideal Part-Time Nannies in Dubai

Ideal Part-Time Nannies in Dubai
Ideal Part-Time Nannies in Dubai

Ideal Part-Time Nannies in Dubai
Ideal Part-Time Nannies in Dubai

A burgeoning city of expats, Dubai is teeming with a multitude of new mothers, often of diverse nationalities, age, linguistic and professional profiles. The demand to get back to normal (by which, we refer to the outside professional life) is pressing after six months of childbirth. Since most expat women are independent and work equally to support their families and raise their children, most of them can’t afford to take a longer sabbatical from work.

For some, there may be some helping hand and holistic support in the form of their parents, in-laws or elders staying together. But even they might need some care and assistance to ease them through their daily chores. And in families with more than one child, there might also be a necessity for hiring professional help.

Who is a Part-time Nanny?

In comes a nanny in Dubai. A professional caregiver, trained to assist with day-to-day childcare. However, recent working mothers’ blogs in Dubai show that with some experience in raising their elder child and with the presence of family elders, they look forward to hiring part-time nannies or weekend nannies in case they are freelancers whose volume of work increases on weekends. So, for freelance or weekend-working mothers, as well as mothers with some helping hand present in their family or mothers with some prior experience in childcare, the answer lies in hiring a part-time nanny for in-home infant care. This also helps them cut down on the fees of a full-time nanny and invest the money in quality childcare.

However, one can’t easily find a part-time nanny agency in Dubai. One has to ask for part-time nanny recommendations in their neighbourhood and/or at regular nanny agencies. One can look at sharing part-time nannies in their known circle of friends and neighbours. This solves the problem of reliability and also helps in cost-cutting.

Checklist for Hiring Part-time Nannies
Hiring a nanny or babysitter at home is no child’s play, one needs to check a few vital parameters before that. At Nightingale Dubai, we make sure that our professionally trained nannies are well-versed with the demands of modern-day holistic newborn care at home. Most importantly, at Nightingale Dubai, we work with nannies who are willing to work on a part-time basis and on weekend shifts or late-night shifts.

Here’s a look at the necessary qualifications and traits that a professional nanny must be equipped with:

  1. Friendly, positive, and caring attitude
  2. Basic child teaching tools
  3. Preliminary medical care

1. Friendly, positive, and caring attitude: A friendly and trustworthy nanny is the biggest lookout for a family. A homecare nanny must have balanced temperament to tackle the moods of a newborn, be non-judgemental towards the child, and positive so that the child imbibes a cheerful personality. All these are important factors for any parent to consider, as in the absence of a family member, the nanny is going to be the most important psychologically influential person in the child’s life. This is very important factor for a part-time nanny as they get to spend lesser time with the child than a regular nanny and developing that bond with the child might be more difficult.

2. Basic child teaching tools: This involves age-appropriate language-learning and educational activities with the help of learners’ books and games. A well-trained nanny must be able to engage the child’s potential and mind through a series of story telling techniques, learning games, and playful activities. When the child is big enough to go out to take classes in sports or arts, the job of a part-time nanny is also to ferry the child to her classes and back home safely and cover up for the time the parents are not available.

3. Preliminary medical care: This includes day-to-day caring for the child and administering medical care whenever the need be in terms of medicines of first-aid for the duration for which they have been hired.

Here is a list of daily duties that part-time nannies working in Dubai need to fulfill:

  • Nursery duties
  • Fulfilling the emotional void
  • Keeping the home environment stimulating
  • Monitoring the child’s daily nutrition needs

Nursery duties: Often part-time nannies are hired for assisting with children’s daily nursery duties including preparing children’s meals, feeding and cleaning, washing and ironing clothes, making beds on weekends or during late-night shifts. So, they need to devise their daily routine in a manner which covers the needful applicable for that time.

Fulfilling the emotional void: A major problem that a parent faces is that their child misses them when they are not present at home. It is within the professional premises of a qualified baby sitter’s role to fill that gap in the most loving, caring, and engaging manner possible. A part-time also needs to emotionally invest in the child such as to develop both a fruitful, productive as well as a mutually enjoyable time together. Devising learning and enriching activities that the child and enjoys doing could be one of the more fruitful ways of doing this.

Keeping the home environment stimulating: It is the role and duty of a professional, part-time nanny to keep the home environment stimulating enough for the child. Cooking delicious meals, hosting interactive story telling and play acting sessions, and engaging the child in games and activities like building blocks keep the home environment creatively charged, no matter for what duration of time the part-time nanny fills in.

Monitoring the child’s daily nutrition needs: Another cause of concern for parents is whether the child is getting their daily dose of nutrition or not. The part-time nanny must adhere to a well-balanced diet in consultation with the parents, and if need be the child’s physician, to ensure that all the vital nutrients are maintained and there is enough variety of healthy and nourishing food for good growth. They must also be mindful or dietary restrictions and allergies if so prescribed and keep medical contacts on speed dial in case of an emergency.

At Nightingale Dubai, we understand that a part-time nanny’s engagement level has to be optimal in order to provide holistic care. And our registered part-time nannies are flexible, caring and objective enough to smoothly operating within their unorthodox shifts.

Categories
Baby Care Babysitting Child care

A professional nanny can make all the difference to quality baby sitting and holistic newborn care

professional nanny
professional nanny

professional nanny
professional nanny

A professional midwife, nurse and childcare assistant can make all the difference to quality childcare, babysitting and holistic new born care.

Your little bundle of joy demands all your love and attention. And it’s most likely that as parents you are going to lavish all the attention that you can on your little one, be it in terms of creature comforts, daily care giving, medical monitoring, emotional nurturing, or hand holding your child through the first few formative years of educational foundation.

But you can’t be around all the time given the professional demands of your careers, as you have to get back to the rigmarole of your daily grind sooner than later. Modern-day lifestyles are governed by hectic work schedules leaving one with not sufficient time to bring up a child.

Hence, a professionally trained baby sitter comes into the picture of newborn baby care. But finding a good and reliable nanny is no child’s play.

One needs to check a few vital parameters before choosing a baby sitter for baby care at home. At Nightingale Dubai, we make sure that our professionally trained nannies are well-versed with the demands of modern-day holistic newborn care at home and are caring-yet-knowledgeable at the same time.

Following are the necessary qualifications and quality traits that a professional nanny must be equipped with:

  1. Friendly, positive, and caring attitude: Finding a loving and reliable nanny is the biggest challenge that a family might face. For a nanny to be chosen by a family, she must be someone who has a good temperament to tackle the moods of a newborn, must be friendly and non-judgemental towards the child, must be positive so that the child imbibes a cheerful personality. All these are important factors for any parent to consider, as in the absence of a family member, the nanny is going to be the most important psychologically influential person in the child’s life.
  2. Basic child teaching tools: This involves age-appropriate language-learning and educational activities with the help of learners’ books and games. This function is important as this is the time a child is very keen and curious to learn and is most eager to pick up linguistic constructions and numerical calculations during the growing-up phase. A well-trained nanny must be able to engage the child’s potential and mind through a series of story telling techniques, learning games, and playful activities. A well-engaged child is likely to be more active and social as opposed to being dull, lethargic, or unsocial.
  3. Preliminary medical care: This includes day-to-day caring for the child and administering medical care whenever the need be in terms of medicines of first-aid. This also involves maintaining a regular medical calendar or check-ups, vaccinations, and other tests. This also involves a close monitoring of any physical or psychological problem or impairment, be it in speech or the ability to learn and adapt that the child might be facing, and reporting that to the concerned parents.

Here is a list of daily duties that nannies working in Dubai need to fulfill:

Nursery duties: Assisting with children’s daily nursery duties including preparing children’s meals, feeding and cleaning, washing and ironing clothes, making beds, and maintaining cleanliness and hygiene standards.

Fulfilling the emotional void: A major problem that a parent faces is that their child misses them when they are not present at home. It is within the professional premises of a qualified baby sitter’s role to fill that gap in the most loving, caring, and engaging manner possible. Be it by developing a bond with the child and addressing to the child’s needs promptly or by devising an all-around routine to keep the child well-cared for as well as engaged, the nanny must create a conducive child care environment at home by emotionally reaching out to the child as is proper for a professional care giver.

Keeping the home environment stimulating: It is the role and duty of a professional nanny to keep the home environment stimulating enough for the child. Cooking delicious meals, hosting interactive story telling and play acting sessions, and engaging the child in games and activities like building blocks keep the home environment creatively charged.

Monitoring the child’s daily nutrition needs: Another cause of concern for parents is whether the child is getting their daily dose of nutrition or not. The nanny must adhere to a well-balanced diet in consultation with the parents, and if need be the child’s physician, to ensure that all the vital nutrients are maintained and there is enough variety of healthy and nourishing food for good growth. Another problem that parents face is that the child becomes irritable and prone to skip meals or eat less when parents are not around. A good nanny is someone who is able to keep the child duly engaged and is also strict if the need be to ensure that the daily dietary needs of the child are taken care of.

At Nightingale Dubai, we provide trusted, professionally trained, and fully vetted nannies in Dubai who are qualified to give quality baby-sitting services and newborn baby care at home. They are trained in the art of dealing with children of varying age groups and backgrounds and have a pleasing personality and well-groomed mannerisms.

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