Better Sleep for Brighter Days

Tanya is an outstanding night nurse. I write with the highest possible recommendation.

Tanya worked with us for about three months (initially two, but we couldn’t let her go!), both doing nights in NYC and 24 hours when she traveled with us. The recommendation could go on for pages, but I will limit it to three areas: her wonderful and attentive care of our second daughter, her support for our entire family, and her work ethic and professionalism.

First and most importantly, Tanya is the absolute best with babies. She’s attentive but not hovering. She anticipated our baby’s every need—so much so that our baby barely cried in her first three months. But she didn’t jump to soothe or feed her when the baby was just adjusting herself at night, giving her enough independence that she could (and did) sleep train herself to be sleeping 12 hours without any formal training or crying. She tracked her tummy time and did other age-appropriate activities to make sure she was developing properly. And, of course, she handled all the baby work of laundry, emptying diapers, etc.

Most importantly, our baby loved Tanya: she would smile up at Tanya and, whenever she heard Tanya’s voice, turn her entire body towards Tanya. And Tanya seemed to genuinely care for her too, which made it much easier to hand the baby off at night.

Second, Tanya supported me and our entire family. Tanya supported me in nursing, not only attentively bringing me water or various nursing and pumping gear, washing all the parts, keeping everything sterilized, etc., but also helping me come up with a plan in the beginning to ensure I had enough milk and then later to wean from nighttime pumping. It all felt so much more manageable in partnership with Tanya.

Beyond me, Tanya got to know our toddler well enough to put her to bed, giving us a couple special nights out when we were traveling—well above and beyond her usual duties. She helped with our laundry and our dishes when she had time. She was even kind and helpful to my parents when we visited them, and our extended family when we traveled for a wedding.

Finally, in all her work, Tanya is professional, incredibly hardworking, proactive, and smart. I never had to ask her twice to do anything, and she picked up on our systems quickly. She was unfailingly kind and thoughtful. It might sound small, but because Tanya always asked if there was anything else she could get me when I was nursing—literally every time—I always felt comfortable asking for gear or water or whatever else I needed, even once everyone else was quite sick of getting me water. She never complained, no matter how long the day (or how many hours in the back seat of the car).

I am always happy to sing Tanya’s praises or answer any questions. But to answer the only relevant question: yes, I’m 100% sure you should hire her to care for your baby.

Upper West Side, NY