Little Dove Co.

In the areas hit the hardest by Helene, this is going to be a loooooong rebuilding process. There are people who still have not been rescued because the lack of fuel means chainsaws can’t be used to clear the roads to get to them.

Fuel is a HUGE need right now as well as propane, charcoal, camping stoves, tarps, work gloves, quality flashlights, etc.

If you have gas cans you aren’t using, PLEASE consider donating those.

My house is now a drop off site, you can message me for my address. My Venmo is in the comments and anything donated today is going straight to propane and charcoal, camping stoves, can openers, and other such supplies.
I’m saving all receipts and totals so you know your money is being spent on supplies going into these communities that need us so badly right now.

I’m so blown away by the generosity of people I barely know and friends from out of state.

This is what it looks like to love your neighbor. We take care of each other. We are meeting the actual needs of people who otherwise are not yet seeing federal aid.

The other day I overheard someone say “oh I’m just a mom” when someone asked if they worked.

Two things immediately popped in my head:

1) Being a stay at home parent IS work, and it provides so many benefits to the parent who works outside of the home. But that’s a whole different post.

2) Moms are never “just” moms.

Especially in the early days I know it feels like that, all you ever do revolves around your babies and it can feel all encompassing. You can’t even p*e by yourself. It’s easy to let resentment creep in for all the things you have to do that you physically cannot take a break from.

It is vital to create the space for yourself to rest, to reset, have a few minutes here and there throughout the day where you’re not needed by someone. Nap times don’t always have to be productive. You don’t have to wash the bottles, it’s okay to sit down and watch tv, or take a nap yourself!

Tag your partner in and tell them you’re going for a walk or to take a long bath, and that you need some time to yourself. It’s not selfish, and you’re not complaining. Investing in yourself, taking time for yourself is a gift for everyone. No one benefits from a burnt out mama.

The unseen work you do in your home is not nothing. Cooking, cleaning, planning activities for your kids, caring for sick babies, waking up multiple times a night, feeding babies from your body, or making bottles all day everyday is not nothing. Your babies have a safe and healthy environment to grow up in. That is everything! I could talk for hours about this. Moms are never “just” moms.

What is something you do to reset yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed as a parent?
Comment below so we can help each other with new ideas! 👇🏻

Hiiiiii I’m back! I’m easing in after maternity leave and I’m taking on a limited number of in-home and virtual sessions.

If you have questions or concerns about:

✨ Infant/Family sleep

✨ Sleep and breastfeeding/pumping

✨ infant care

✨ how to prepare for postpartum

Or, if you would like someone to come to your home and help you set up for baby before birth, or help you get into the groove if baby has already arrived, DM me, or email at: [email protected]

Tonight we lose an hour, but don’t panic! You don’t need to worry if you forgot to put your kids to bed early! You don’t need to adjust, everything will likely even out on its own over the next few days. If you have an early riser and you’re hoping for a later wake time, this is a great opportunity to shift bedtime and wake time to be a bit later!

I had a baby!

My son was born 1/26 after a very fast labor. We are all so in love, including big sister!

Even though I’m on maternity leave, I’ll still be around in stories and DMs while I’m snuggling and nursing and snacking (omg I forgot how hungry and thirsty you get while breastfeeding!) and pumping 🍼🐄

Anyone relate? It’s the best victory!

Anyone else? At 36 weeks the nausea from not eating has made a full return 😅

Daylight Savings Time ends early Sunday morning at 2am, your local time.

An extra hour of sleep! Not for us, we’re parents, but for some people.

So, do you need to do anything to avoid an extra early wake up time?

If your littles typically wake on the earlier side you may want to:

- put them to bed 20-30 minutes later tonight, and then 20-30 minutes later on Saturday night.

- go straight for an hour later on Saturday night

If you are trying to resolve a late bedtime/late wake time situation:

- do nothing, do bedtime at the normal time and adjust moving forward with the earlier wake time!

👻 What would your haunted house be?

✨TOMORROW✨
Saturday, 10/14, 11a-2p

I can’t wait to see you there! I’ll have some goodies and freebies! There will be so many free pregnancy and parenting resources available including mini maternal chair massages, mini 3D ultrasound, sensory play and a soft play area for infants and toddlers, a free music class for the kiddos, and face painting!

When someone criticizes your parenting decisions or reacts poorly to you setting boundaries, remind yourself that the haters gonna hate, hate, hate…but you’re just gonna shake it off!

✨ G I V E A W A Y ✨

In honor of National Nanny Recognition Week, we want to buy coffee for two nannies in our community!

To enter:

1) Be sure that you’re following

2) Like this post and share it to your stories! Tag us so we can see it! (If your account is private, you’ll have to send us a screenshot)

3) tag 3 nanny friends in the comments!

We’re so thankful for all you do!
I hope you all feel so appreciated this week and every week!

* this giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Instagram*

If you’re a family who employs a nanny, these are some ideas from the Nanny community on how to celebrate National Nanny Recognition Week!

If you’re a nanny, what would you add? 👀

Happy National Nanny Recognition Week!

Having been a professional nanny myself for 9 years, I have a special place in my heart for the role that nannies play in a family. From giving love, to expertise, fostering a child’s imagination, independence, creativity, nannies bring calm to chaos.

Keep an eye out the rest of this week for a special announcement, giveaways, and other nanny related excitement!

I’m back!! I took a long, unintentional break from this page because we found out we’re expecting baby number 2 a few months ago! We are so excited to welcome a baby boy to our family early 2024!

I gotta be honest though, this pregnancy has been ROUGH. During my last pregnancy, I was very nauseous and dry heaved my way through most of it, but it was manageable and I still worked full time. This time it’s been all I can do just to get out of bed most days and I’m just now beginning to gain back some of the 20lbs lost in the first half of this pregnancy. I’m 22 weeks tomorrow and having some good days again!

I currently have openings for one on one sessions, and I’ll be opening spots for a group session soon! 👀

Sunday, 3/12 we will lose an hour during the night as Daylight Savings Time begins. Sometimes referred to as “Spring Forward”.

So as a sleep consultant, how do I handle this time change?

For my daughter, I don’t do anything at all.
Her bedtime typically ranges from 7:30-8, so on Saturday night we’ll make sure she goes to bed on the earlier end of her typical bedtime range.

Do you need to move bedtime back? Nope! I don’t generally recommend stressing about moving bedtime around. If you’re looking to fix early morning waking, this could be a great opportunity!

If you’re worried about your little not getting enough sleep because you need to be up for church in the morning, you can move bedtime back by 15 minutes tonight, tomorrow and Saturday night.

But if you’re like me and you don’t want the added stress of moving bedtime around, don’t worry about it! Even if you have a late morning wake, or even an extra early wake since babies often like to throw us for a loop, it will likely go right back to normal in the next few nights.

Getting reviews from y’all just makes me whole day!!
I love supporting families to get more rest in the way that works with their parenting style and their comfort level!

What is sleep pressure?

Sleep pressure, or homeostatic sleep drive is simply the biological need for sleep. It is driven by hormones and chemicals released in our brains, and builds up the longer we are awake. That’s what makes us feel tired and ready to go to sleep at the end of the day.

Babies build sleep pressure more quickly than adults, which is why they need naps. Younger babies will need more naps than older babies because of the sleep pressure building more quickly. This is why “wake windows” often stretch to a longer period of time as a baby gets older.

Babies who haven’t had the chance to build up enough sleep pressure, simply will not be able to fall asleep easily.

On the other hand, a baby who has built up too much sleep pressure will be overtired and may have a more difficult time falling asleep as well. This is why I recommend following baby’s sleep cues rather than the clock.

If your baby is taking longer than 10-15 minutes to fall asleep at naptime or bedtime, try moving their sleep time earlier or later and see if that helps!

I hope you have all had a safe and happy holiday season! It has been such an honor to be here this year, my very first year officially as Little Dove Co.

To each family I’ve been able to work with one-on-one, thank you for choosing me to help you and your little(s) get the most rest you can get.

I’ll be announcing in the next few days when I have openings for January and beyond, I’m looking forward to helping you have a peaceful home in 2023!

Happy New Year! 🎊

Pass the rolls, not the baby.

(If you don’t mind others holding your baby, this post isn’t for you)

If you’re anything like me when my daughter was a newborn, I didn’t want to pass her around. It increased my anxiety x1000 to have other people holding her and kissing her, etc.

Here’s the bottom line:

That 👏🏻 is 👏🏻 your 👏🏻 baby 👏🏻

No one else is entitled to holding or kissing or smelling your baby. Period.

You are not responsible for the way other people may feel about this.

Here are some things you can do to help your family understand your boundaries:

🎄 Send a group text just letting everyone know ahead of time you won’t be passing the baby around.
“Hey everyone! We’re so excited to see everyone for Christmas! With RSV and flu going around, we wanted to let you all know that we’ve decided to have only myself and (partners name) hold baby this time. Thank you all for understanding and we can’t wait to see you this weekend!”

🎄 Wear baby in a wrap or carrier. This will typically discourage most people from trying to kiss or hold the baby.

🎄 Practice saying no when someone asks. That way you won’t feel as awkward when it happens.
“Thank you for offering, but I’ll continue holding her.”

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and you and your baby deserve to have a special and beautiful day as well, free from anxiety and the weight of other’s expectations.

Traveling with your baby can feel stressful, but it doesn’t have to be! Swipe through these tips for making the most of sleep + travel!

Where are you traveling for the holidays?

It’s been a while, let’s do an introduction post!

There are quite a few new faces around here so I want to share a few things about me for anyone I haven’t met yet.

My name is Liz, I live in the Charlotte, North Carolina area with my husband Kyle, my 20 month old daughter Norah and our cat, Henry.

I’ve lived in Charlotte almost all of my life, with a few months spent living in Hawaii and Pennsylvania in my early 20s.

I am a former infant nanny, with over 11 years of professional experience working with several families as their full time nanny.
In 2016 I became certified as a Newborn Care Specialist and Postpartum Doula. I have had the pleasure of supporting families as they welcome their new babies for the last several years.

I became interested specifically in supporting total family sleep after seeing the lack of support our society gives to sleep deprived new parents, and the myth that you have to sleep train in order to get rest. I love to learn, and I’ve spent the last few years focusing my education in the area of infant brain development, specifically when it relates to sleep.

I’m so excited to have all of you here and build a supportive community! Please feel free to chime in on posts, stories and reels! I can’t wait to get to know you!

✨BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL OFFER✨

Today, through the end of the week when you book a one-on-one session with me, it will be $50 off!

Click the link in my bio to get started!