Ask Nanny Connie

Straight talk from our favorite baby (and family) whisperer.

Raising little ones really does take a village. And that village often includes family both blood-related and chosen. For our founder, Jessica, one beautiful example of the latter is Nanny Connie. Helping families for over thirty years, Connie first became a part of Jessica’s when her eldest daughter Honor was born. During that time, she taught her how to bathe, breastfeed and soothe her new baby...and helped her understand the importance of self care as she embraced her new role as a mother.

Nearly ten years later, Nanny Connie is once again helping Jessica and her family through those first beautiful (and challenging) months. This time, with sweet baby Hayes. And she’s doing it as she always does — with humor, compassion and zero nonsense. We’re thrilled to share that parents everywhere can now benefit from her wisdom and experience with her just-released book, The Nanny Connie Way: Secrets to Mastering the First Four Months of Parenthood. Her mission: to help every parent, no matter race, gender, sexual orientation, age or socioeconomic status, build the foundation to be confident in their own unique parenting style.

Just for you, here are Nanny Connie’s answers to a few of new parents’ most frequently asked questions:

1. How do we deal with setting boundaries for family and friends?

As I like to say, there’s a “come to Jesus” you have to have with everyone (preferably before your little one arrives). If you have a partner, the two of you have to put up a united front. If they sense a crack in the wall, trust me they’ll bust right through it. If you’re single, then you have to put your big girl or big boy pants on and stand firm. Be firm but respectful. You can send an email or have a family/friends meeting and give them a list of visiting hours that you feel comfortable with. At that point, they can let you know when and if they’re available to help.

Whether you’re single, married or co-parenting you’re going to need extra pairs of hands to help you at some point. The point is that they don’t need to all show up within the first week of you coming home. You are going to need time to adjust to this new journey. At the end of the day, this is your family and you have to set the tone.

2. When should the baby sleep in their crib?

The first four months, I recommend you have your little one in co-sleeper or bassinet. Don’t stress about putting them in a crib prior to then because during these months it’s all about conserving your energy. There are going to be feedings and diaper changes, and it’ll be easier if you’re not sleepwalking down the hall every few hours.

3. When will I be able to fit into my clothes again?

Hey you, who just pushed out a whole person...put those pre-pregnancy jeans down! It took you 9 months to gain the weight, so what makes you think you're going to lose it in 9 days or even 9 weeks? Your body has transformed in ways that you're not even aware of and it needs to heal. Not to mention the fact that your hormones are trying to get back in check. Trust me, if you rush this process you're doing yourself way more harm than good. This is especially true for those who are breastfeeding. You have to put those calories in your body for that milk to have all the nutrients your baby needs. Trust the process!

Ps. Her new book features AR technology. Simply download the app and have Nanny Connie at your fingertips!