Gwyneth Paltrow's live in nanny is writing
a book on child care. Alas, it appears the the nanny, Rachel Waddilove, actually has scruples and will not be spilling any secrets about her famous clients.
Mum's the word when it comes to discussing her most famous charges: Apple and Moses Martin. But Rachel Waddilove - nanny extraordinaire not just to Gwyneth Paltrow's tots but to assorted other celebs' babies over the years - happily shares her tips on the hows (as in, how to get infants to sleep more than two hours at a clip), whats (to do about a reluctant feeder) and whens (to start solids) that plague exhausted new parents.
"The Baby Book: How to Enjoy Year One" (just out from Lion UK and distributed here by Trafalgar Square) takes a different tack on some aspects of childcare.
For example, Waddilove recommends starting solid foods when a baby weighs 12 to 14 pounds and is taking a full bottle at each feeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics' official position is to start solids between 4 and 6 months. The author also says that moms who find it difficult to breast-feed their babies should not be made to feel bad about it.
"I've had girls in a flood of tears if they find they can't breast-feed, and it's terrible," Waddilove says. "The trouble is that a mom feels so terribly guilty, and they shouldn't."
One of the main issues addressed by Waddilove is sleep. "Babies thrive on flexible routine," she says, adding that it's never too soon to start a routine. She doesn't say how she got Apple to sleep through the night for a seven-hour stretch by the age of 6 weeks, but Paltrow praises Waddilove in the book, describing the "loving structure" and "invaluable advice on everything from breast-feeding to parenting" that characterized the live-in tenure of Waddilove with the Chris Martin-Paltrow family.
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The eldest of six children, Waddilove got a degree in nursing and has worked as a nanny for years. She lives in England but travels around the world depending upon where her clients are.
Waddilove is herself the mother of three and grandmother of four (daughter Sarah is expecting a third child in January.)
"Although I am often called Mary Poppins when I arrive at people's houses and they don't know what to do next, I love to help families, particularly those who are struggling in the early weeks with a little one," she says. "I believe that children are a gift, and that as parents we should be able to enjoy them."
