Night Nanny, Sleep Training and Parent Advisor

Providing professional, friendly and practical support to empower people to be happy and effective parents

Testimonials for Little Matters services



		Gemma’s support and advice helped us to get our baby into a routine that actually worked!
Karen from Gosforth		Gemma put us at ease instantly with her knowledge and warm professionalism, and with her help we went from having an overtired baby that fought naps and needed to be breastfed to sleep to a baby that self-settles for all daytime naps and only wakes for 1 or 2 feeds during the night which has reduced from 6-8 night wakes. Our baby is so much happier now that she isn’t overtired and she can put herself back to sleep rather than relying on the breast every time. Gemma made some simple but very effective changes to our routine as our timings weren’t right for our baby and she gave us some techniques that we would never have thought to try on our own. Mainly, she gave us the confidence that our baby was ready to sleep longer at night and was more than capable of self-settling which is what we needed to move forward and persevere.



		We can only describe Gemma as a life saver!!
Jill from Darras Hall		Gemma came into our home for new born twins and a 4-year-old to help and left as part of the family. With her knowledge of multiples, she provided us with advice and support which was invaluable. Within a few weeks she had established a routine that we were able to maintain and manage, then go on to help sleep issues. The nights she was with us, allowed us to have the sleep we needed and to recharge our batteries, ready to face the challenge of twins again feeling refreshed! Gemma is very professional but friendly and approachable. She is highly trustworthy, in fact, other than Grandparents, Gemma is the only person we trust with our children and they love her so much. We would recommend her to anyone, whether it is just for catching up on sleep or for guidance on sleep issues with the babies, she is worth her weight in gold.



		Gemma was a massive help to us in the first few weeks of settling into life with new born twins.
Sarah and David from Gosforth		She's got a ton of experience with babies, and specifically with twins and it really helped to quiz her no end with all my questions! She provided much needed rest as I recovered from the C-section, especially as I was looking after my toddler during the day as well. She's incredibly down to earth, and extremely flexible which is exactly what we were looking for in a night-nanny; someone who just very easily slotted into our routines and got on with helping the babies establish their routine. By the time she left I felt a lot more confident in serving our twins well, and definitely had more energy to do so!



		Gemma has been an absolute godsend to our family since the birth of my son.
Jane from Darras Hall		My son had awful silent reflux. Gemma's incredibly calming, nurturing, trustworthy and knowledgeable approach really helped us through a challenging period. I can't thank her enough!



		Gemma was recommended to us by a friend when we were completely exhausted by the sleeping habits of our 3rd baby aged 10 months.
Claire Glasgow from Surrey		He would only go to sleep whilst breastfeeding or being cuddled and he was waking many times each night. We were looking for Gemma to give us a bit of a break to catch up on some sleep as well as hopefully giving us some practical help with getting our baby to settle in his cot without needing to feed him to sleep but without leaving him alone in distress. Luckily Gemma was able to make arrangements to be with us quickly and she stayed two nights and the day in between. Arriving in the afternoon she immediately slotted into the usual hectic teatime/bath time/bedtime routine chatting easily with my older children and playing with the baby, as well as lending a much appreciated helping hand! We agreed that on the first evening Gemma would settle our baby to sleep in his cot after his feed. I was prepared for him to protest severely at this change - so was surprised when Gemma appeared after 4 minutes and told me he was asleep! It was then that I knew we were in the hands of a real pro! The following day we worked on his naps. My husband and I were able to practise some of Gemma's techniques for settling him and encouraging him to settle himself whilst she was there to help out if we felt unsure of what we were doing. Thanks to Gemma's help we were able to have two nights rest and we have seen a big improvement in our baby's daytime and night time sleep. He has gone from waking almost hourly and needing to be fed or cuddled back to sleep in our bed to sleeping much longer stretches in his cot. If he does not settle himself we are now normally able to settle him back to sleep quickly using the gentle techniques that Gemma taught us. We would definitely recommend Gemma to anyone else finding themselves in a similar situation.



		Gemma worked with us as a night nanny for a period spanning 10 weeks.
Emma Nelson from West Sussex		It was such a joy on the nights we had Gemma here as we knew that we would get a full nights sleep and our little boy Valentine was in wonderful hands! Gemma is a lovely, kind person and very easy to have around, nothing is too much trouble for her and she is always prepared to go the extra mile! I would have no hesitation in using Gemma again or recommending her to our friends.



		Gemma came to us at what should have been a joyous time but turned out to be incredibly difficult.
Jane from Haslemere		She provided, not only professional care and advice in relation to the care of our boys, but was of tremendous support to me during an extremely emotionally tough period - she truly is a diamond! Gemma was booked (loosely) to start with us as soon as I came home with the boys but things didn't go to plan. The first twin (and me) came home at 12 days and Gemma was there (at 12 hours notice on what I now know is her "night off") to pick up the pieces! She continued to support us until the second twin came home at 3 weeks after a rollercoaster stay in NICU. She then started doing what we'd planned - looking after me and the twins at night for 3 nights a week. One of the boys was bottle fed breast milk due to feeding difficulties and Gemma was always very patient with him. The other twin was breastfed whilst I expressed. Even though we were breastfeeding Gemma took all the sting out of the nights - we certainly missed her when she wasn't here! I'm certain it is in great part due to her care that they are both sleeping 11.30 - 6.30 at 3 months! Gemma is easy going, practical, and hugely experienced (although she never stops learning either). I hope the boys and I have a friend for whatever the future holds. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her unconditionally.



		We sought Gemma's help following two years of sleep deprivation after our son was born.
Kerry from Hampshire		He was sleeping full time in our bed but had never slept through the night, which meant that I was suffering from severe exhaustion which was affecting my health. We were at our wits end and did not know which way to turn, we were out of ideas and Gemma was our last hope. After our initial consultation with her she became our light at the end of the tunnel. We immediately felt at ease in her company and she developed an immediate rapport with our son. She was calm, confident, incredibly knowledgeable and never once made us feel that we had made wrong decisions or choices that had lead us into the situation we found ourselves in. She increased my confidence in the short time we spent together and taught me look at my son in a new light. I have fallen in love with him all over again and will never be able to thank her enough for that. Gemma has given me a functioning family again and I feel very privileged to have benefited from the help of a genuine Hungerford trained Norland Nanny. She is one of a kind. We do not hesitate in recommending her and wish we had made her our first port of call in resolving the situation rather than our last.



		Gemma has provided practical help to us via consultations on two occasions.
Val from Surrey		My husband and I had twins that were premature and had no idea of the ‘fun’ we were taking on. We asked Gemma to come in and help us get a routine that was manageable after finding the routine they came home with from 4 weeks in NICU began to slide and we were really starting to struggle. Gemma provided us with sleep techniques to get the twins down for structured morning and afternoon naps and feeding tips. After that first visit, we managed to get the twins down for two good naps a day plus more predictable night sleeps; we were the envy of my NCT group and other mums with twins! We asked Gemma’s advice again once we’d started weaning and the twins were shortly going to start nursery. I wanted their routine to align more closely with the nursery so they would have more chance to interact with the other babies/toddlers at feed times etc, rather than being fed according to their then routine. This meant stepping away from the 4 hourly feed regime we’d got into during the day. Gemma helped me to re-set their routines so that we had feed times that fitted in with the more traditional, breakfast, lunch and dinner times, incorporating nap and snack times. It has been so reassuring to have help from someone who has ‘seen it before’ and knows all the pitfalls and can help guide us round them. Gemma’s help has been invaluable. We now have twins that are weaned, have three main meals a day, two snacks, nap well and go 12 hours through the night with no dream feed required. Well worth every single penny. Gemma – thank you!



		Gemma came as a night nanny to look after our three month old daughter Emily to give us some much needed extra sleep.
Anna from East Sussex		Gemma instantly put us at our ease with her relaxed and calm manner and we felt very confident in leaving her to look after our daughter. As first time parents, we also benefitted from her advice and reassurance on a number of issues. We have already recommended her to a number of our friends.



		Gemma is incredibly professional, but also warm and caring, and very helpful, supportive and full of very good advice.
Lucy from Hambrook		Gemma was highly recommended when we were looking for help with our second son. After three weeks he developed terrible colic, was incredibly hungry, and with a twenty-one month old toddler to look after as well I was becoming increasingly exhausted. I was not sure how well a night nanny would work as I was exclusively breast feeding, and had not had time to express. Gemma was simply amazing. I felt completely confident to leave Ben in her care, and was so grateful to get some much needed sleep. I continued to breast feed through the night, but Gemma looked after all the burping / settling / nappy changes, allowing me much more sleep than I was otherwise getting. Gemma is incredibly professional, but also warm and caring, and very helpful, supportive and full of very good advice. I wish we had known about her when we had our first son. I would not have any doubts about recommending her to anyone struggling in the first few months.



		Where to start..... Gemma is experienced, instantly likeable, and approachable
Victoria from Midhurst		Before our twins were born, we had no idea what type of help would be most beneficial. Exhausted when they were days old, we contacted Gemma on a friends recommendation and she started coming 2/3 nights a week for 3 months. Where to start..... Gemma is experienced, instantly likeable, and approachable. Having someone come into your home during such a special & emotional time could be tricky, but Gemma has a rare natural ability, and despite our twins being days old we felt completely at ease leaving them in her care and Gemma being in our home. Gemma provided so much more than the sleep we were after so we could recharge our batteries to look after our twins during the days and remaining 4/5 nights each week. She really listens to her clients needs and queries (and I bombarded her with questions!!), and offers practical advice and suggestions, whilst at the same time respecting how you want to parent your own baby. Gemma definitely played a large part in us gaining confidence as new parents. Gemma is always professional, completely trustworthy, a genuinely friendly person, and clearly loves babies. She was exactly what we needed and more - providing invaluable support. We've been recommending Gemma to anyone who will listen!



		Gemma was always professional, yet become part of the family from day one.
Mr and Mrs Rees from Wisborough Green		Gemma stayed for the first six weeks and by the time she left us we felt confident as first time parents and our baby was sleeping through the night. Gemma was always professional, yet become part of the family from day one. We have been recommending her to all our friends and we will be calling on her immediately if we have more children.



		Gemma is not only professional with a wealth of knowledge, she is friendly, approachable and trustworthy.
Mrs L. Linnane from Privett		Gemma first came to work with us when our youngest son was 4 weeks old. Both my husband and I were literally at our wits end and exhausted having been pacing the floor with a screaming baby for hours on end. Our eldest son was also quite stressed and very jealous of his new brother. Gemma was an absolute blessing for us. Not only did she identify that our baby was suffering from both reflux and colic which helped us resolve the issues quickly, he quickly became more contented when she looked after him. The moment Gemma took hold of him, he instantly relaxed and calmed. Having suffered from reflux, our youngest son was also a terrible day time sleeper and Gemma quickly helped us by showing us some comforting techniques to enable him to sleep longer – none of which involved crying. Gemma is not only professional with a wealth of knowledge, she is friendly, approachable and trustworthy. Her face lights up when she takes hold of your baby which is a gift that very few people possess – particularly when it comes to other peoples’ children. We were always completely at ease when we knew Gemma was coming to help us and able to relax knowing that our baby was in her care. She is obviously a natural with children and loves them as they do her. Not only did Gemma help us with our newborn, she also helped us tackle the jealousy issue with our eldest son by imparting tips and recommendations which has led to a complete turnaround in his behaviour. I cannot recommend Gemma highly enough, she is hugely knowledgeable and capable, as well as so very easy to welcome into your home and entrust your children to her care. I wish I had known Gemma when I had our eldest son as I am certain, I would have learnt a lot from her and made the initial transition to parenthood much more easily.



		Just being able to get some sensible advice when we were both very tired, made us feel so much better.
Mr and Mrs Taylor from Hindhead		After our 16 month old boy started waking religiously at 5:30am, I thought I would give you an update of our progress after your home consultation. After using the techniques you taught us during the last week to improve our baby boy’s sleeping patterns he went through with not a squeak until 6:50am and when he woke he was babbling and happy which is a major improvement! We definitely do feel more positive and feel we can carry on without further help! Thank you for all your advice and guidance, it has really helped. Just being able to get some sensible advice when we were both very tired, made us feel so much better.



		Gemma has at all times been highly efficient, helpful, approachable and is clearly highly experienced.
Mr and Mrs Gibson from Alton, Hampshire		When we first thought about getting some help from a maternity nurse we were not sure whether we would find it helpful or not as our twins were very little and exclusively breast feeding. Gemma came to visit us and explained how she might be able to help. We were immediately put at ease with her approach and experience and we decided to give it a go. Even though the twins were breast feeding it helped immensely and soon we were looking forward to the nights that she was due to look after our twins, we were able to gain some precious rest in the knowledge that the twins were safe, comforted and being well looked after. Gemma has at all times been highly efficient, helpful, approachable and is clearly highly experienced. We would have no hesitation in using her again or recommending her to friends and family.’



		Gemma helped us recharge our batteries through a very tiring time of our lives.
Mr and Mrs Nawarski from Lightwater		Gemma came highly recommended by a local agency to help with our 8 week old twin girls for a few nights as a night nanny. I was breast feeding on demand for two babies of very different weights (due to one of the girls having an earlier stomach operation) It meant I still needed to feed during the night, but having the extra help with nappy changing, winding and resettling meant I could get the maximum amount of rest. Gemma helped us recharge our batteries through a very tiring time of our lives. Gemma is confident, reliable and knowledgeable. We would recommend her highly.



		Gemma came once a week to look after our twins overnight from when they were 5 weeks until they were sleeping through.
Esther from Alresford		Gemma came once a week to look after our twins overnight from when they were 5 weeks until they were sleeping through. She was a calm, trustworthy person and very easy to have around, plus advised on a few things to try with a baby with reflux. She was very flexible and even on one night also looked after our 4 and 5 year old while we went out. I would not hesitate to recommend her.



		Gemma Perez provided complete, reliable and confidence-inspiring overnight and respite care for our premature triplets
Paul from Winchester		Gemma Perez provided complete, reliable and confidence-inspiring overnight and respite care for our premature triplets (born in March 2012) at an agreed rate of usually one night a week for four months. During that time, we felt that we benefited in gaining knowledge about our babies from our direct experiences and Gemma's guidance and insight in almost equal measure. We later discovered that Gemma not only has lots of experience, but also knowledge and training from the acclaimed Norland College. Certainly it was wonderful to be able to consult Gemma (eg in relation to their stage of development) on the nights or at other times and feel that all important sense of confirmation and confidence that makes such a difference, especially in the more uncertain early days and nights. We quickly got the sense that Gemma is dedicated to caring for children and was genuinely interested in our babies and their development. This meant so much and added to the sense that we were working as part of a team. We found Gemma to be not only very approachable but also infectiously happy, smiling and positive. This was often a welcome pick-me-up after a long day! Gemma became a part of the family for the time she spent with us and blended into our home context seamlessly. When morning came around and we had had a good nights sleep, it was always a shame to see Gemma go and know that the calm would soon be broken. Not only had she managed the little ones (we rarely heard crying or only for short bursts - they always did this in the early days when having their nappy changed), but they were presented to us with new baby groes, nappies, tidied beds, all bottles sterilised and notes about their night up to date. Even when we had help during the day, we were rarely in such a state of calm and efficient organisation! Which is especially significant when one considers that we have three babies with very different personalities requiring attention! We're still not sure how Gemma managed to keep all three satisfied, which we could see when we came down in the morning, they clearly were. Its difficult to say what we gained most from working with Gemma. Certainly the benefit of a good nights sleep cannot be underestimated, as all parents are aware. Yet the fact that the package Gemma provided also included practical advice, moral support and genuine care and support for us (sometimes arriving an hour or two early by arrangement so that we could relax) made all the difference and resulted in us wanting to provide a reference so that we can help introduce other parents to her wonderful care, help and support.



		When Gemma arrived I felt within moments I could trust her
Leela from Alresford		It does take someone very experienced with people, as well as babies, to come in to your family world and change a problem. You dread looking like a failure for asking for some help as you are meant to be able to cope. But after many nights of broken sleep and other children to look after, you just can't function at 100%. When Gemma arrived I felt within moments I could trust her with dealing with me and my embarrassment for not getting it right myself, and also (more importantly) deal with baby M (7 months). M was at the stage of needing to drop his dummy, swaddle and dream feed and I had no energy left as a full time mum of 2 with a part time job. Within ONE (yes one) night M slept through and understood that he needed to sort himself out and learn to fall asleep without any help.The second night he went to bed without fuss and stayed asleep. He woke in the night for a few minutes and then decided to go back to sleep himself. That was it! She was only ever kind, professional and cheerful. She gave us confidence and the skills to know which cry to respond to and which to wait and listen for. With our first son we let months go by before someone told us about night nannies and we were determined to have someone in straight away with our 2nd son if we had made another mess of sleeptime again!. It has been 3 weeks and we all sleep. All night. 7 to 7. A remarkable lady whom I wholeheartedly recommend. Don't let days or weeks or months go by before you get proper professional help with sleep issues. You haven't failed and you don't have to put up with it. You made a very good choice for your family.



		It was so comforting to be able to contact a calming, supportive, professional
Julie from South Harting		My baby has not settled to sleep at all and it is 9 o clock. I am tired and fed up and desperate to get to bed myself. It has all gone wrong! It was so comforting to be able to contact a calming, supportive, professional individual who can offer clear tactics to help the situation. Thank you!!!



		Gemma provided a perfect opportunity for a much-needed rest
Kirsti from Liss		Gemma has been such a wonderful find. I've benefited over the past 3 years from her support and commitment to my wish to breastfeed, which was difficult as my baby had a few problems getting the hang of it! At times I was simply exhausted and Gemma provided a perfect opportunity for a much-needed rest, sometimes I just needed a few hours to catch up with the house or squeeze a bit of work into my day, or even to get some errands done in town. I have left both of my children in her capable hands and would not hesitate to recommend her, they adore her and her sense of fun makes it a pleasure for me and for them!



		My baby adored her!
Kat from Winchester		Gemma came into help when our son was only a couple of weeks old and her assistance was invaluable. Our son is our first baby and as new parents, we were desperate for that elusive night of sleep. On meeting Gemma we felt an immediate rapport with a very professional and experienced nanny, with a down to earth and friendly nature. After an initial chat about our son and a few questions on how things were going, my husband and I were packed off to do as we wished. The fantastic thing about Gemma is that we felt we could leave her completely to it and my husband and I were able to catch up on some much needed rest. Gemma interprets the needs of her clients very well, with subtlety, care and diligence and in this respect her service is of a gold standard. She is a rare breed of person, in this day and age, who takes a real pride in her job and works at 110%! My baby adored her and I would have not a single moments’ hesitation to call on Gemma in the future.



		Our own “Super Nanny”!
Susan from Leiden		Gemma is our own “Super Nanny”! A wealth of advice when it comes to dealing with the demands of twins and sibling rivalry. Always a calm and positive influence, and a reassuring voice in times of self-doubt.



		I trust her implicitly with my children
Kirsty from Upton Grey		Gemma has clearly had a lot of experience in being a night nanny / maternity nurse, she looked after our little boy extremely well giving us valid advice on sleeping through and feeding him...She is cheerful, relaxed, reliable and honest and I would trust her implicitly to look after any of our children in the future



		Reassured and advised us during a difficult weaning period
Jo from Petersfield		Gemma's service was prompt and efficient. Through her kind and friendly approach and her understanding manner, she was able to reassure and advise us during a difficult weaning period. As soon as we made Gemma aware of our difficulties, she visited us and talked through options to resolve our concerns. As a result, the weaning process for our daughter became less stressful and more efficient. We would highly recommend Gemma to anyone requiring support.