BABIES ARE SLEEPING IN MOM'S BED: HERE'S THE NEW RULES

BABY’S FIRST YEAR: WHY THE EXTENSION OF THE AAP'S GUIDELINES?

The AAP, the American Academy of Pediatrics, has come out with an extention and more stringent guidelines for parents for the first year of life. But are they really new? What prompted the changes? Busy parents and caregivers need to know, but often don’t get past the scary headlines. It’s important to go a bit deeper and see why the changes were recommended, in order to make the best choices for each family's situation.

Actually, the only new guideline is that the rules should be followed for the first year, rather than the first six months. And, doctors are recommending that babies sleep in the same room as their parents for the first year. 

“The new rules were created because pediatricians are seeing that parents aren’t actually following the old guidelines,” says Terian Gregory, a seasoned Phoenix Certified Newborn Care Specialist. “They realize that parents are sleep-deprived, not making good choices, and are too exhausted to follow the guidelines. They’re inadvertently taking less safe shortcuts,” she explains. "Like taking baby to an armchair or couch and falling asleep. Taking baby into their bed to nurse, and falling asleep. A lot of parents have done it, but it’s risky. The result is that babies are not always sleeping in their own beds, cribs, or bassinets, with a firm surface, with no pillows, blankets or soft toys.”

Pediatricians are recommending co-sleepers, bassinets attached to the parent’s bed or sleeping the baby in a crib in the parent's bedroom.  Mom can pull baby out, nurse, and put baby back without even getting up or leaving the room. Terian explains that what is happening is that doctors are responding to what parents are actually doing. "The AAP often puts out recommendations when there are safety concerns."

According to a recent NPR article, The updated recommendation, then, is that mothers feed their baby in bed and then place the baby on its own sleep surface afterward. If the mother falls asleep by accident, it's not as hazardous as it would be on a couch. When she wakes again, she should immediately place the baby back in its own bed, since the risk of death increases with the duration of bed sharing.

"I am struggling to find a concrete study,” Terian tells us, “that shows that if parents are actually following the guidelines and sleeping their baby in the baby's crib in the nursery vs. having babies sleep in parent’s bedroom actually keeps a baby safer". These parents are so sleep deprived they just aren’t making good choices.  If the parents put a bassinet in their room, it makes it simply makes it easier for parents to keep their baby safe."

“So what is the AAP really saying?” asks Terian? “They just extended the time of following their guidelines. They’re not just looking at SIDS, but all sleep related deaths. SUID (Sudden Unexpected Death) can include suffocation, aspirating on something, babies put in cribs with pillows, soft toys, or blankets, sleeping on tummies, on their sides. Parents are just not following the recommended practices." Terian stressed that if a baby is sleeping through the night, some of these concerns may not apply.  “As a Certified Newborn Care Specialist, I prefer to be in the same room as the baby. That’s my job. I prefer working with a baby to develop positive fundamentals and begin with "sleep shaping/sleep learning" strategies within the first 12 weeks. I have clients who prefer to have the baby monitor on even though I’m in the baby's room. In that case, I recommend them keeping the sound off.  Parents can see the baby better on a monitor from their room than I can staying in the same room as the baby. Babies make a lot of noise during the night.  They often grunt, pass gas and makes noises and then fall right back to sleep and when the baby is in the same room, parents tend to be over responsive. Monitors actually exacerbate any noises the baby makes. Therefore, the parents get less sleep because the baby's noises are waking them.  The AAP recommends that parents do not use 'Home Cardiorespiratory Monitors'.   It is important that parents understand that this is different than the typical baby monitors that allow them to hear or see their babies. A regular monitor with a baby in their own room, is very workable."

Terian continues by suggesting, "If a mom is nursing those first few weeks, and up every two to three hours for an hour each time, it makes sense to keep baby in the parent’s bedroom."

So, if you’re co-sleeping, follow the recommendations. 

If you’ve been getting up one to two times a night for 6 months or longer, parents are in survival mode, and not typically not making good choices.

However, If your baby is sleeping through the nigd and not making good choices, PLEASE follow the recommendations.

"The medical community is doing their job: saving babies lives, but sometimes these headlines feed on parent’s fears. Parents and caregivers need to dig deeper, read a little more, and make the best choice for their particular family. Parents, Nannies, and Newborn Care Specialists need to assess the particular family's environment, physical, emotional, environmental, and assess this new information, and make the best choice for their particular situation."

Terian concludes with, "Caregivers need to educate themselves to make the best choice for their families. For example, how does the family plan on parenting? What's they physical layout of the house? Is baby’s room across the house or upstairs? What is Mom’s physical condition? Is there a lot of anxiety? Is she going back to work or will she be a stay at home Mom? Our goal is to empower parents and caregivers."ht, or if you can safely get up during the night and put the baby in his own crib after nursing, there is not a reason not to put him in his own room.  But, if you’re sleep deprived and not making good choices, PLEASE follow the recommendations.

"The medical community is doing their job: saving babies lives, but sometimes these headlines feed on parent’s fears. Parents and caregivers need to dig deeper, read a little more, and make the best choice for their particular family. Parents, Nannies, and Newborn Care Specialists need to assess the particular family's environment, physical, emotional, environmental, and assess this new information, and make the best choice for their particular situation."

Terian concludes with, "Caregivers need to educate themselves to make the best choice for their families. For example, how does the family plan on parenting? What's they physical layout of the house? Is baby’s room across the house or upstairs? What is Mom’s physical condition? Is there a lot of anxiety? Is she going back to work or will she be a stay at home Mom? Our goal is to empower parents and caregivers."

Beth Weise

ROUTINE POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION SCREENING FOR NEW MOMS

When I brought my second baby home, I felt overwhelmed. I had trouble connecting with him, feeling blank. One day when I ran out of fresh diapers, I felt paralyzed. This was before disposable diapers and clothes dryers and the diapers were clean, but were hanging on the clothesline in the back yard. I laid on my bed,thinking,“This is how people feel when they’re depressed.” I knew I had a choice. I could give up, or go out there- a blustery April day, and pull a diaper off the line. I got the diaper that day, but It wasn’t until two weeks later when I saw a full page picture of a baby’s heart in a Time magazine add, that the numbness melted, and thankfully, it didn’t return. But for 9% to 10% of pregnant and postpartum Moms, it's more serious. The medical industry is now recommending that pregnant women and new moms need special attention in screening for depression, according to the U.S Preventive Services Task Force. This panel was appointed by the Department of Health and Human Services, and now formally supports that advice.This is a first of it's kind  call for doctors to routinely screen women either pregnant or who have already given birth. There are extra hormones working in women during these times and a lack of sleep can trigger depression. Dr. Eleanor Martinez, M.D., told ABC7 News, "By making this recommendation we are putting it up in the front and saying, 'Listen, this is a diagnosis. This is a disease. We need to embrace it like anything else.'" Evidence shows that new mothers can be accurately diagnosed and successfully treated with the help of alert pediatricians, family doctors and OBGYNs. Not taking depression seriously is harmful to both mother and the baby. Research shows that untreated moms have  babies and toddlers, with sleeping problems and take longer to be comforted. Until now, depression in these new mothers  has been under recognized and under treated. A routine test can be given to the mom while she is waiting for her appointment. It will tell the doctor if she needs further screening for depression. Treatments that work are “talk therapy" or drug therapy, or a combination on them are most successful. However, part of the problem is motivating a depressed mom to keep trying while the right treatment starts working. Plus there is a small risk of miscarriage and preterm birth leaving talk therapy as the best choice, and a nursing mom will be hesitant to take any drug. Legislation in Congress may authorize Washington to fund screening and treatment for moms with babies one year and under, but as for now, there is none. If you’re pregnant or a new mom the questions a doctor may ask to determine if you are at risk may be: “Have you felt down a lot in the last few weeks? How often have you felt tired or were unable to concentrate?" Anyone working with a new mother, family members, friends, or a nanny should be aware of symptoms. Mild depression, anxiety and mood swings are common in new mothers and this is called Baby Blues. This is normal in new moms and usually fades away after the second week. The entire process of giving birth is exhausting, hormones are raging, sleep can be sketchy. Most moms go through this. How is postpartum depression different?  It brings more severe emotions that don't go away, with thoughts of suicide, or feeling like one is unable to care for the baby. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale is a set of 10 questions  to determine if  medical help is indicated.  I got a call one Sunday morning from a distraught Dad, who reported that his wife had come out of the bedroom  stating that she had thought of suicide three times that morning. The baby was 5 days old, and we were able to find a Newborn Specialist for this family for a few weeks to get up at night with the baby and do all the night feedings so the parents could get their much needed sleep. Beth Weise

APNA CONVENTION THIS WEEK IN SCOTTSDALE!

Our Caring Nannies staff is excited about the 2015 APNA annual conference starting this week in Scottsdale at the FireSky Resort and Spa. We have motivating and insightful speakers. We're looking forward to meeting first-timers as well as old friends, and even more we're excited about learning how to hone our skill-sets so we can improve our nanny and domestic staffing service and better serve our families.  APNA is a highly principled organization made up of hard-working, smart and creative industry leaders and we are proud to be a part of it. Caring Nannies is happy to be a sponsor this year.   Conference Speaker Spotlight: Rosalind Prather   Rosalind Prather is a Trusting Connections Co-Founder, a nanny placement agency and sitter service based in Tucson, Arizona. She helped grow Trusting Connections from a small 2-woman operation to a growing full-service agency of over 60 employees and oversaw the agency's expansion into the Southlake, Texas market. She currently serves as the Marketing and Client Relations Director and travels between Texas and Arizona to head the marketing and sales efforts of both locations.  Rosalind is above all, the proud mother of two girls and has a deep understanding of the joys and struggles of family life and parenting. As a successful "momtrepreneur," Rosalind is very passionate about sharing her insights with aspiring woman business owners to inspire them to believe that being a mom and a business owner is a beautiful possibility.  Rosalind will lead attendees in Anatomy of a Successful Sales Call on Saturday, October 10.

About Association of Premier Nanny Agencies  The Association of Premier Nanny Agencies, established in 1993, promotes best business practices in all areas of the nanny placement and household staffing industries. Media Contact Ginger Swift, APNA President 400 South Colorado Blvd. Suite 310 Denver, CO 80246 303-321-3866

Beth

AM I PAYING MY NANNY ENOUGH? 2014 NANNY SALARY AND BENEFITS SURVEY

The INA has just released the results of their 2014 Nanny Salary and Benefits Survey. Compare what your nanny is getting.



The International Nanny Association has released the results of their 2014 Nanny Salary and Benefits survey, done in conjunction with Survey Design & Analysis, a professional research firm.

The purpose of this annual survey is to collect data on the state of the nanny industry, to see if the profession is keeping up with the economic gains in the US. A new twist is that for the first time, the survey included international data, especially from Australia. Australian salaries are a bit higher than the US. One online source,  quoted $15-$25 per hour or an average of $20 for an Australian nanny. Some of the new questions this year were designed to determine how additional training and experience affects salaries. 

Comparisons were made back to the 2012 INA Nanny Salary and Benefits survey to highlight trends. 

General trends-

Only 8% of responders were live-in nannies, a trend we have definitely seen in Arizona, where live-in nanny placements have become increasingly rare. Also not surprisingly, 85% of respondents have some college education, and three fourths work full-time. The percent of full-time nannies is up 7% since 2012. Happily, 67% have a written work agreement in place, but this number goes up to 80% if they were placed by a ‘brick and mortar’ agency like Caring Nannies. Caring Nannies sees a written working agreement essential for long term satisfaction and longevity in the nanny/family relationship. However, only half of the respondents reported that what they’re actually doing on a daily basis matches their written list of duties.

Reporters included 38% who described themselves as nanny/house managers. 72% have more than 5 years of experience in the profession.

Additional salary findings-

• The average salary is $18.66, which is up $1 from 2012
• Salary increases are up - 49% got increases in the past 12 months, compared to only 38% in a more cautious 2012.
• The more experienced and educated nannies tend to get the higher salaries. No surprise there.
• Annual bonuses hit 60%, up from 53% in 2011.
• Families paying their nannies legally topped out at 64%.

Nanny benefits-

• In 2012, 66% of nannies received paid holidays, now down to 57%, and 62% get a paid vacation.
• “Guaranteed pay”, money given a nanny when the family is on an extended trip, or when Grandma comes to town, is at 71%.
• Health Insurance is still an unusual benefit for the nanny profession, staying at 10% for full health insurance and 12% for partial. This is an area for employers to consider, as it gives the family and the nanny healthy tax breaks ,initiated in 2012 for employer provided health insurance.

Where are nannies finding their jobs?

39% got their current job through brick and mortar nanny referral agencies, and 34% online, a 10% increase from 2012.

The INA tells us that “Survey Design and Analysis’ concluded that improved economic conditions are evident in the nanny industry; with higher hourly rate, more bonuses, more full time work."

They see technology changing the industry via greater use of online classes, online job postings, and more families using payroll services. Education level and experience of nannies and most aspects of the nanny job have stayed constant since 2011.

See the complete survey at  2014_INA_Salary and Benefits Survey.

Beth

WELCOME TO OUR NEW NANNY RECRUITER

Our beloved nanny recruiter, Ashley Thrall, has gotten married, and now Michael has taken a position at a law firm in Durango, Colorado. Congratulations, Ashley and Michael!!!! We miss you both! We're excited to announce that Kristen Tourek has taken her place and is a quick learner!!  Kristen has a wide background in childcare plus administrative assistant skills. She's worked in church nurseries, and assisted in the children’s department organizing curriculum. Additionally, she spent a year as teacher at a preschool working primarily with two-year-olds, and as a one-on-one tutor for grade school students. She brings a love of families and children, and has a passion to build successful connections between the two.   Born and raised in Arizona, Kristen is currently attending school at Arizona State University, working on a degree in Graphic Information Technology, and when she’s not working, she enjoys drawing, painting, scrapbooking, and spending time with family. Kristen is doing nanny recruiting, reference checking, filing and is learning to do Temp placements. We're especially happy that Kristen is very techie, and is helping us with our social media. Welcome aboard, Kristen!  Beth

2015 STANDARD MILEAGE RATES ANNOUNCED BY IRS

Nannies and families, take note: The IRS has announced that the business reimbursement for business travel has gone up! Gas has been going down radically, and Costco's posted rate today is $1.65. We're all saving money every time we fill up. However, the IRS has announced that for business mileage, their rate has actually gone up slightly. Last year the rate was 56.5 and the new rate for 2015 is 57.5.  So you may be wondering why families will be paying more for errands their household staff run. Medical mileage as well as driving for volunteer work has stayed lower.  Beginning on Jan. 1, 2015, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car, van, pickup or panel truck will be: 57.5 cents per mile for business miles driven, up from 56 cents in 2014 23 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, down half a cent from 2014   14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations Moving use: 23 cents a mile The way the IRS sets the standard mileage rates is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of using a car, including depreciation, insurance, repairs, tires, maintenance, gas and oil. The rate for medical and moving purposes is based on the variable costs, such as gas and oil. The charitable rate is set by law. Why is the business rate up and the moving and medical rate down? The business rate adjustment takes into account all the costs associated with owning a car, including insurance and repairs, while the other adjustment primarily takes into effect oil and gas costs. There is another option. The standard rates are the simple option for taxpayers to use. The other option is to claim deductions based on the actual costs of using a vehicle. In either case, you need to keep records to prove how far you drove and when and for what purpose. Be sure to use these new rates to reimburse your nanny or household manager starting this month!   Beth

NANNY ONLINE SITES VS NANNY AGENCIES

What are the pros and cons of using an online nanny site vs a nanny agency? Your greatest concerns in life revolve around your children and home. When you need some extra help at home, a nanny or babysitter, how should you  go about finding the perfect one, the one just right for your family?  Should you go with a 'do-it-yourself' online site? Or hire a service to do the sleuthing for you. What are the pros and cons of using an online nanny agency versus a full service agency? We checked with some experts in the industry and have some pros and cons to help you decide which way is best for your family. Complete control. An online company gives parents complete control over  the process. Some parents feel that they know their needs and their family better than anyone, and want to do it all themselves. Price. An online service is much less expensive initially than an agency. Some online companies charge only $45 per month and a Phoenix nanny agency can be anywhere from $800 to $3,500.  Candidates. There are lots of candidates to choose from. There are outstanding, experienced candidates mixed in with others. Experience levels vary greatly. For example, Care.com requires candidates to have worked in three different homes at least one time each. Most 'brick and mortar' agencies require a minimum of one to two years experience outside friends and family.  Convenience. Since it's all online, a parent can do a lot of the work after hours. Cons of an online service  Time. Initially it may seem easy and some families find a great choice quickly and move forward, but others find it confusing because there are so many nanny candidates and it takes a lot of time to review resumes, interview candidates, call references, get quality background checks, get copies of Driver's Licenses, proof of auto insurance, First Aid, CPR certifications and validate the knowledge base of each candidate.  One family was successful, but recounts: "I found someone good but it wasn't easy. I spent a lot of hours interviewing and checking references...hours that I didn't have. I saved some money, but if I had it to do over, I would find an agency that does more of the work."  Another comment was, "I didn't realize all the stuff that ultimately fell on my plate." And again, "I had no idea that they don't even meet the nannies. They have a lot of resumes but I gave up after a while. It was like finding a needle in a haystack." Pros of a Full-Service Agency Streamlined Hiring Process: An agency has the ability to determine your needs and send candidates for interviewing within a day or two. Judi Merlin of A Friend of the Family Staffing Corporation in Athens, Georgia, tells us that her vetting process for nannies takes 15-20 hours. "We have found that only 1 in 10 applicants successfully complete our process," she adds.  There for you during and after the placement. One of the most valuable benefits of going with a nanny agency is being able to work with one person who will guide you through the process. One family in the Breedlove survey stated: " I liked being able to do a lot of the work online to save time. But I thought most of their nannies were un-hireable and I didn't have anyone to call when I needed help." Mimi Brady of Westside Nannies in Los Angeles tells us: "Most agencies always provide ears to listen, even after a nanny has been placed, and this can be extremely helpful in working on glitches regarding training your new nanny and miscommunications." Back-up help and support. If a family uses an agency, they can call for a last minute substitute sitter in case of an emergency. If a placement doesn't work out, most agencies guarantee the placement for three months. Cons of a Brick and Mortar Agency Price. It is definitely more expensive to hire a nanny or babysitter though an on-line service, but time and having a stress-free experience are more valuable to many families than the money they would save. Loss of control. Some parents prefer to be in charge of the whole process themselves. Pros of a Do it Yourself Website  Failure Rate. One out of three online hires results in a failed placement, according to a study by Breedlove, a nanny tax service. There is also the consideration of a failed placement and children who have grown to like a nanny or babysitter only to have them leave. There is also the fear factor of meeting a person in your home who may not be who they seem. Each family's budget, time constraints and priorities are what will determine the best way to go about hiring a nanny or babysitter. The bottom line for every family is the safety and well-being of their children. If you  have any questions about the process of finding just the right nanny or babysitter for your family, we're glad to help. You can give us a call at 480-946-3423 or fill out a Family Application to start your personalized search today. Beth