Nobody really prepares you for motherhood. You can read all the literature out there and still find yourself not really knowing what to do.

A prime example of that is helping your baby to develop a sleep routine. The books make it sound so easy and nothing could be further from the truth. I had a baby that was getting so grumpy in the afternoons that I was wishing bedtime to come as quickly as possible. To think now that I wished time away with him seems implausible, but that was the reality until Miriam came along.

She transformed our lives and within a very short time we had a baby that slept through the night (every night) and napped three times a day. He was happy. We were happy. It meant the rest of the day was fun, exciting and productive.

As I near the end of my maternity leave I am so grateful for the last 4 months since Miriam’s stay. Harry has been so happy and so rested and that has made a massive difference to his development and our enjoyment of time with him.

People genuinely don’t believe it when I say he sleeps through the night every night but it’s true and it’s all down to Miriam. The only downside is that you won’t want her to leave!

• Overall
• Setting
• Cleanliness
• Food
• Communication