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The role of the Registered Nurse or Newborn Care Provider is to feed, soothe, bathe, change & provide all other gentle care to baby through the night.

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The Flu Shot Facts vs Fake News

Updated August 1, 2023 – Did you know the flu shot has been around since 1960? Building on the success of targeted flu vaccines, annual flu shots were first recommended and used in children age 6 – 23 months old starting in 2002. Our resident experts, Public Health Nurse and Infection Prevention Specialist, Laura Hegarty-Moore and Rachel Wolf, RN dispel common myths in The Flu Shot Facts vs Fake News, below.

Why is it important to get your flu vaccine?

  • Protecting Newborns and Infants – Every year there are about 36,000 deaths attributed to the flu. This statistic can be difficult to estimate due to having the flu at the same time as other issues such as underlying health conditions or age. And while we typically think of the elderly when we consider age as a factor in illness, newborns and infants also a vulnerable population due to their still-developing immune systems. The flu shot can help protect our oldest and youngest loved ones.
  • Reduced Severity of Illness – You might still catch the flu, but if you’ve been vaccinated, the vaccine gives at least partial protection, meaning fewer days of feeling unwell and a reduced likelihood of serious complications. Less severe illness also keeps our healthcare systems from becoming overburdened, which helps all of us.
  • The “Tripledemic” – Yes, COVID is still around. And yes, RSV is on the rise in babies and toddlers. Flu, COVID-19, and RSV are all respiratory viruses and will be spreading at the same time and it is possible to have illnesses at the same time. While the best prevention is to stay away from those who may be sick, the flu vaccine reduces your chances of getting the flu, which reduces your chances of coming down with a potentially serious double illness.
The Flu Shot Facts vs Fake News
Toddlers can take the flu mist if they don’t like shots!

What about babies?

It’s recommended that everyone age 6 months and older get the flu shot. Before 6 months, babies’ immune systems are not mature enough for this vaccine. The flu mist, which is the nasal spray version of the vaccine is approved for people 2 years through 49 years of age.

You can keep yourself and your newborn protected even more by following these tips from our night nurses on remaining healthy during cold and flu season as well. Hand washing, staying hydrated and creating a barrier from germs can all help you help your baby.

The Flu Shot Facts vs Fake News – Can the flu shot give me the flu?

No. This is a myth. The flu vaccine is not capable of giving you the flu.

Flu vaccines are made with either inactivated (killed) virus, attenuated (weakened) virus, or recombinant (only a single protein from the virus is used) virus. These viruses and particles are no longer infectious.

Some people do get mild symptoms after the flu vaccine such as low grade, fever, headache, and muscle aches. This can happen for several reasons:

  • Your immune system is building a response (a good thing!).
  • Influenza viruses are circulating at this time, so you may have been exposed to flu shortly before or after becoming vaccinated. It takes your body two weeks after vaccination to build up protection against the flu.
  • You may have also been exposed to one of the many other seasonal respiratory viruses out there, such as rhinovirus, commonly known as the cold virus.

While these symptoms are annoying, they’re considerably less severe than the actual flu illness and are not contagious.

RN Rachel explains flu shot safety and infant care
The Flu Shot Facts vs Fake News

The Flu Shot Facts vs Fake News – When is the best time to get the flu shot?

If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, the best time to get it is now! The ideal time to get the flu shot is about two weeks before flu season begins which is mid to late Fall. So, early-mid September is a good time to get vaccinated, but you can get one anytime.

Remember that some babies and children need two doses of the flu vaccine to keep them safe from flu. These doses occur 4 weeks apart. And while newborns cannot receive the vaccine, it’s recommended for babies 6 months and older.

What about pregnant women? Is it safe for them to get the flu shot?

Absolutely! The flu vaccine has been proven safe to take during pregnancy. In fact, studies show that in addition to protecting the pregnant mom, receiving the flu vaccine during pregnancy can protect the newborn from flu for several months after birth, when baby is too young to get a flu shot.

Laura Hegarty-Moore, Public Health RN says: Pregnant women, children, and babies are at increased risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and even death from flu. You could be saving your baby’s life by getting the flu vaccine while pregnant! I am currently pregnant and I was one of the first in line for my flu shot at the clinic this year!

Can I be contagious with flu before symptoms develop? What about after symptoms are gone?

Yes, you can be contagious with flu 1 day before symptoms start. You’re still considered contagious for 7 days after symptoms start and up until symptoms resolve. For example, even if your symptoms went away after 5 days, you can still be contagious for at least 2 more days! Young children and people who have weak immune systems can be contagious for even longer.  This is why it’s also important that anyone caring for your little one is vaccinated as well.

4 Fantastic Baby Tips You Might Not Know

Being a new parent is a continual learning experience, and tips and tricks from those who have “been there done that” can make the journey a little bit easier.  Here are 4 Fantastic Baby Tips You Might Not Know; actionable solutions to common infant challenges from our team because we’re all in this together.

4 Fantastic Baby Tips You Might Not Know

1. Milk of Magnesia is a great cure for diaper rash

Our nurses swear by this trick!  Milk of Magnesia is non-toxic and safe to use in the diaper region (even if it gets into the folds on female babies.) First, clean diaper region and pour milk of magnesia over diaper rash.  Then, close up diaper and wait five minutes. Afterwards, open diaper back up and apply regular ointment.  Do not rinse or wipe off the milk of magnesia when you apply.  Apply it right on top. It’s okay if it looks white and cake, that means it’s working! At the next diaper change, use a warm wash cloth to rinse and wipe the diaper region, dry, and start the process again.

2. Keep reflux babies to their left side when changing their diapers

When trying to soothe a baby who has reflux, positioning is so important. The traditional diaper change position where baby is on their back and the caregiver lifts the legs is uncomfortable for a baby with reflux because it crunches their digestive organs and encourages fluid to go back up instead of down.  Instead, position baby on the left side to change diapers. As the National Institute of Health has noted, To date the only non-pharmacological intervention proven to reduce reflux is the positioning of infants on their left side after feeding.

keep reflux infants on their left side after feeds

You can also wear your baby in an upright carrier to soothe reflux…let gravity do its job and keep the liquid from coming back up. Speaking of baby carriers…

3. Babywearing helps your baby’s development!

There are many benefits of babywearing but one of them as La Lache League points out is that the face to face contact of wearing your baby “facilitates bonding...leading to frequent verbal and non-verbal interaction, enhancing speech and social development. Additionally allowing babies to face outward allows them to see and experience the world around them!

4. Reduce the risk of SIDS with a fan

Running a fan in the room where baby is sleeping reduces the risk of SIDS by over 70%. It can be a ceiling fan, a box fan or an oscillating fan. Anything that keeps air moving and the room ventilated has been proven to be an effective intervention for further decreasing SIDS risk.

For more tricks and tips from experts please visit our Baby Tip of the Day, where we post the advice from baby nurses (RN), night nannies and other newborn care experts. If you have one to add let us know on Facebook or Insta!

4 Fantastic Baby Tips You Might Not Know
Babywearing

Mission Sleep: Free Night Nanny Care for Parents in Need

Mission Sleep is the 501c3 non-profit arm of Let Mommy Sleep. We strive to provide free, overnight baby care to military and first responders whose newborns arrive when their partner is deployed, wounded or deceased.  When funds allow, we extend services to anyone in need. This post, Mission Sleep: Free Night Nanny Care for Parents in Need will describe exactly who we are, how we support families and how you can help too.

Mission Sleep: Free Night Nanny Care for Parents in Need

Mission Sleep – Who are we?

Let Mommy Sleep (LMS) began in 2010 as a very simple service: baby nurses and night nannies tend to newborns overnight while parents sleep and recover from childbirth. Though the creation of the business was a result the founder’s own traumatic birth experience, the concept is not a new one. What is new however, is that once regarded as a historical norm, postpartum support is now inaccessible to many. Families are geographically spread out, tied to work or fall through the cracks of health insurance to justify in-home healthcare.

After seeing the overwhelming need and incredible positive impact overnight newborn care has on families, Denise Iacona Stern the owner of LMS and now President of Mission Sleep, felt called to bring postpartum care to those who serve all of us everyday. Limiting overnight care to parents whose partners are deployed, wounded or deceased ensures that funds are used to help those most in need. The goal is to eventually serve all military and first responders with newborns.

Mission Sleep: Free Night Nanny Care for Parents in Need

Overnight care is provided by the highly vetted, compassionate and experienced baby nurses (RN/LPN) and night nannies already working with us at Let Mommy Sleep. Hours are typically from 10p-6a but we remain flexible to fit the families’ needs.

Operation: Sleep, now known as Mission Sleep was launched in 2012. The 501c3 non-profit quickly landed on a national stage with appearances on NBC4, FoxNews and at the White House Summit for Working Families. Like so many, the charity was forced to stop services due to COVID, but we’re back and ready to serve! We’re proud to have earned our Gold Level Transparency listing on GuideStar.org, the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations.

How Does Baby Nurse or Night Nanny Care Help?

We already know that overnight baby care has direct and positive results. Therefore, in a situation where one parent is unexpectedly unable to help, the mental and physical health benefits are even greater.

  1. Healthy recuperation from birth.
  2. Exhausted “single” parents receive relief, allowing them to stay healthy.
  3. Better mental health outcomes.
  4. Evidence -based education to make safe and healthy decisions.
  5. Members of our military receive a tangible thank-you from the civilian community.

Real families we have helped in the past include military spouses who became widows during pregnancy, moms whose spouses received orders to deploy during pregnancy and a non-military father whose wife died while giving birth to their twins. Maternal death is still a reality even in 2022 and in these cases we extend service even without a connection to police, fire or military.

mom of newborn baby boy
Our first Mission Sleep mom whose husband was a Capitol Police officer.
mom with infant girl while husband is on deployment
Mission Sleep mom and baby
military dad and wife before his deployment
Mission Sleep won a newborn care grant from Ft. Belvoir
Receiving the Ft. Belvoir Military spouses Grant
firefighter dad on shift while night nannies support mom and baby
Mission Sleep dad on night shift
Senator TIm Kaine and Denise Stern in support of Mission Sleep
Denise Stern and then Gov. Tim Kaine who gave formal support!
memorial day notice
Mission Sleep
newborn twin girls with postpartum doula support
mission sleep on abc7
Mission Sleep mom shares her story on ABC7
Mission Sleep in action!

Mission Sleep: Free Night Nanny Care – Want to help?

SPONSOR! Corporations and companies with giving programs can donate below or contact us to arrange an option that works for you. We love our corporate sponsors and will shout your support on our entire social platform. Along with dedicated sponsorship content, we’ll share guest posts and content of your choice. Contributions of $3000 or more receive social postings, links and blog posts FOR LIFE.

Any contribution is helpful of course but here are some popular giving options:

  • 25 Hours of Care – $750
  • 50 Hours of Care – $1500
  • 100 hours of Care – $3000

DONATE! – Visit our GoFundMe or PayPal!

SHARE! – Share this post to help create awareness!

If you’re expecting and want more tips, sign up to receive our free newborn and postpartum support.

Mission Sleep sponsors

Postpartum Mental Health Resources

Updated February June 18, 2025 – Perinatal or postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, also called PMAD’s, are the most common complication of pregnancy. But unlike physical emergencies which are often obvious to us, it can be hard to know when to reach out for help. If you’re not sure what kind of support is needed, the Postpartum Mental Health Resources chart below can help.

Postpartum Mental Health Resources – An Overview

Postpartum Mental Health Resources

Emergency Resources

Below are postpartum resources in order of emergency need. Share and bookmark this resource.

  • Emergency Level of Care: The 988 Lifeline – Talking about self-harm, suicide, killing or hurting others is an EMERGENCY. The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress. Call or text 988 from any phone or visit 988lifeline.org
  • Emergency Level of Care: 911 – 911 can always intervene when an emergency is present. The threat of hurting oneself or others is an emergency.

Non-Emergency Support

  • Non emergency – but still very necessary! – support before, during and after pregnancy: The National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: Free, confidential support 24/7 during all phases of maternal need. Call/text 833-TLC- MAMA (852-6262). The hotline offers access to professional counselors, referrals to local and tele-health providers and support group connection. Interpreter services in 60 languages are available.
  • Support Level during Postpartum Phase: Postpartum Support International – The organization provides direct peer support to families, trains of professionals, and provides a bridge to connect them. 800-944-4773.
  • Helping Others – Have you come out on the other side of mental health distress and now want to help others do the same? Contact any of the organizations listed here to volunteer or donate.

Education Before Baby Arrives – Understand Mental Issues

Educate yourself and your loved ones about potential issues before baby arrives. A good rule of thumb is that if you or someone you love is having thoughts that scare you, it may be an emergency and help should be called. But what if you just feel “off”? Or your loved one doesn’t seem to be getting better? Become familiar with what’s normal versus what’s not to make the difference between a bump in the road and a crisis situation.

Here’s how you can get educated about postpartum mental health:

  • Learn and Talk About It Before Baby Arrives: First, understand postpartum depression PPD vs. Baby Blues: Know the Difference. This can help you to see when typical postpartum behaviors such as weepiness or fatigue cross the line to becoming a mental health concern. This is different for everyone depending their usual demeanor, so it’s helpful to understand you and your partner’s baseline moods and if they change in the weeks after baby arrives.

Questions you can ask yourself if you feel normal baby blues are blurring into a mood disorder are: Do I seem more sad than happy? or Does my partner have anxious thoughts that were never there before?

  • Assign an Advocate: Partners are usually each other’s advocates and first line of defense in addressing mental health. Learn the signs of postpartum depression vs. normal Baby Blues before baby arrives. If you don’t have a partner, ask a trusted loved one to specifically look out for your mental health. Visitors often ask about the baby, not the parent. The default answer is usually ‘Fine!’ — which is why having a trusted advocate to monitor your mental health is crucial. For this reason, parents should be on alert for changes in each other’s mood and behavior, or have a trusted love one taking on this role.
  • Dads & Partners – Dads and non-birthing partners are at risk of Paternal PostNatal Depression. In fact, an NIH study notes depression can affect up to 25% of new fathers.  Learn your own risks and bookmark resources like Postpartum Support Int’l that have specific tools for you.
  • Family, Nannies & Caregivers – Building on the tips above, share these resources with those who can look out for you and your partner. In fact, many times when we’re in distress, others notice that we’re acting differently before we do.
  • Understand Crisis Situations – It can be hard to know when to call a doctor or when to reach out for emergency help. If you’re unsure, Mara Watts, M.A., M., Ed. of Postpartum Support of Virginia has an excellent rule of thumb: “If you are having thoughts that scare you, this is an emergency.”

Postpartum Mental Health Resources – Keep going

Postpartum depression can present for up to a year after baby’s birth. For ongoing mental wellness, local support groups are often free or very low cost:

  • MOMSClub.org, which stands for Mothers Offering Mothers Support – These are community based organizations that have groups based on zip code, so the parents in the group are your neighbors too!
  • Parents of twins and higher order multiples might also find their local village at Multiples of America.org
  • You local hospital very likely has a New Parents Postpartum Meet up
  • La Leche League is also free and supports all parents.

Whatever level of support is needed, there is help for you. Please let us know if we can help connect you with these resources or provide overnight support to help you recuperate or get healthy. Mental and physical wellness depend on each other!

Are you expecting or want to be proactive about postpartum mental health resources? Bookmark Your First Week Home with Baby: Ultimate Q&A

Infant Sleep Schedule for a 7-9 Month Old

This 7–9 month sleep schedule is based on evidence-based practice and the guidance of pediatric sleep professionals.

Why Do We Have a Special Infant Sleep Schedule for a 7-9 Month Old?

A seven month old’s schedule is almost the same as the routine for a 6-7 month old. There’s one big difference though – in months 7 and 8, full term babies typically drop that third daytime nap that happens in the 4:00 hour. You can expect some inconsistency while that later nap disappears; sometimes it will happen, sometimes it won’t. But don’t let this inconsistency bother you, it’s an indication that their wake windows are lengthening and their nighttime sleep is consolidating.

Infant Sleep Schedule for a 7-9 Month Old

Infant Sleep Schedule for a 7-9 Month Old
Baby Sleep Schedule for 7-9 Month Old

Once your pediatrician confirms your baby is developmentally ready, you can explore gentle sleep training methods—our Ultimate Guide to Baby Sleep Training provides step-by-step support.

Infant Sleep Schedule for a 7-9 Month Old – Customize for your Baby

Here’s what a typical day might look like for 7–9 month old baby. You can cut and paste to edit and adjust based on your baby’s cues and your family’s routine.

6:00am: Wake up! Play & cuddle, diaper change

6:30: Get dressed, feed 6-8 ounces when showing signs of hunger.

8:00:  Breakfast of solids: oatmeal + fruit.

8:00 – 9:00: Play

9:00 – 9:30:  Quieter play and wind down activities such a cuddling and books. Look for sleepy signs such as eye rubbing or looking away.  If you have trouble identifying “sleep cues” a good rule of thumb is to place baby in the crib, after you see 1 yawn.

9:45/10–11:00: Nap

11:00:  Milk, 6-8 oz

12:00noon:  Solids: grain + veg, top off with milk.

12noon-1pm:  Activity (having a meal or snacks counts as an activity)

1:00pm – 1:30pm: Wind down for nap; quiet activities

1:30 – 3:00:  Nap

3:00:  Milk, 6-8 oz

3:00 – 5:00: Activity and a short nap of 15- 45 minutes. The nap will gradually disappear by 9 mos and it’s expected to be inconsistent from 7-9 months.

5:00:  Dinner of solids

6:15–7:00: Bath, milk 6-8 oz , quiet activities, low lights, in bed at 7ish or before.

10:00: Dreamfeed 2-3 oz’s to ensure baby has consumed 28-32 ounces. A dreamfeed is one last feed for baby to get a long stretch of sleep before waking from hunger.  To do a dreamfeed, simply place milk to baby’s lips & they will instinctually take in what’s needed. Learn why this works in What is a Dreamfeed?

More Sample Schedules:

7-9 Month Old Infant FAQ’s

How many naps should a 7–9 month old take?
Most babies transition from 3 naps per day down to 2 between months 7-9. The late afternoon nap which usually starts around 4:00 p.m. gradually drops off as babies stay awake longer between naps and consolidate their nighttime sleep.

How long should naps be for a 7–9 month old?
Each nap typically lasts 1 to 1.5 hours. The morning and early afternoon naps are fairly consistent while the brief catnap in the 4pm hour may still happen occasionally during the transition to 2 naps.

What time should a 7–9 month old go to bed?
Most full term babies have a natural bedtime between 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Expect this to vary however, depending on the length of the last nap and total daytime sleep. On days that infants don’t take the third nap, you can expect bedtime to be a little earlier than usual.

How much total sleep does a 7–9 month old need in 24 hours?
On average, 14 hours of total sleep in a 24-hour period; 11–12 hours overnight and then 2–3 hours total during the day. Every baby is different and the activities that happened during the day can also influence sleep, so a little more or less can still be normal.

When should I start sleep training my 7–9 month old?
If your pediatrician agrees your baby is ready, gentle sleep training can begin at 7 months old. At this age, babies can often self-soothe and link sleep cycles more easily. For guidance, see our Ultimate Guide to Baby Sleep Training.

Should I keep doing a dreamfeed at this age?
If your baby is only taking 1-2 ounces during the dreamfeed, or refusing altogether, that’s an indicator that you don’t need to do offer a dreamfeed anymore. Some 7 month old babies still benefit from a small dreamfeed between 9:30–10:30 p.m. to help them sleep longer stretches, but will drop it as their calorie intake during the day increases.

What if my baby still wakes up at night?
Night wakings are still common! Growth spurts, teething or developmental leaps can disrupt sleep temporarily. Stay consistent with your routine and comfort your baby as needed. You can research sleep training or discuss it with your pediatrician.

Our sleep schedules have been written under the direction of Registered Nurses and using the excellent advice from one of the original sleep coaches, The Baby Whisperer, Tracey Hogg, RNMH. If you’d like to learn more about infant sleep, we also recommend The Good Sleeper, by Dr. Janet Krone Kennedy. This research-based book teaches the basics of sleep science and provides tools to solve sleep problems. (not sponsored, just love this book).

And as always, the above is just an example and there are a lot of right answers when it comes to parenting and sleep. Always follow your pediatrician’s guidance; this information is for general educational purposes and not a substitute for medical advice. We don’t push for any specific sleep training methods, but do practice evidence-based care using the 10 Steps to Safe Sleep for Baby

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