Testimonial
Find out what our clients are saying about our services.
Our client remarks.
Bucktown
Bringing home newborn twins comes with a mixture of joy, panic, exhaustion, and bewilderment. During this time of vulnerability and high anxiety, you lean on those who know you best like family and close friends. Understandably, the thought of having an unfamiliar overnight house guest adds some stress to your heightened emotional state, even though intellectually you know it’s going to mean SLEEP. Although Margaret was an unfamiliar face at first, she quickly became a part of the family. Having only conducted a phone interview and talked with friends who worked with her previously, my husband and I were a bit anxious and nervous prior to Margaret’s arrival. Don’t get me wrong, I was convinced she would be great after we talked on the phone –she was calm, reassuring, a great listener and sensitive to my needs. She answered all of my questions on the phone, wished me luck with the delivery and said to text her once the babies arrived so we could coordinate a start date! True to her word, she responded quickly to my text and appeared at our door promptly at 9pm; and this was during “Snowmageddon 2011”, one of the worst Chicago winters on record! The second she walked in and shook off the snow, I hugged her so tight in my sleep deprived state I thought I may have choked her. But she reciprocated without hesitation, and I knew everything was going to be fine. I am the kind of person that tends to retreat and shut down during chaotic situations – and Margaret’s calm, compassionate, confident, and reassuring voice of reason was exactly what I needed during those crazy first few months. Margaret is reliable, flexible, and great with texting – something I valued since it’s hard talk on the phone with babies crying in the background. Her years of experience as a night nurse, nanny and mother (!) reassured me on paper that she was highly qualified, but once I saw the ease and compassion with which she picked up my tiny twin boy and girl, she once again set my mind at ease. Margaret was great at offering feeding tips/strategies for longer sleep etc., but only if I asked her. In terms of waking up with the babies, the first few weeks she set her phone alarm every 2 hours to ensure the babies remained on the feeding schedule recommended by our doctor. She wrote down all the details each night and created an easy-to-read feeding chart that we continued to use long after Margaret’s departure. She washed/sanitized all the bottles, so they were ready to go when we woke up. She respected our privacy and was never intrusive. In summary, Margaret is the calm during the storm. We feel very blessed and fortunate to have met and worked with her.
Deerfield
When my husband and I found out we were expecting twins we began researching and networking with other parents of twins. The one consistent piece of advice we heard from everyone was to get a night nurse. We had several referrals who we met with and we immediately felt a connection with Margaret. She was easy to talk to, very knowledgeable and it was obvious she had a ton of experience. Being a first-time parent with two on the way I wanted to work with someone who not only would give great care to my kids but would also be willing to give me guidance. Margaret was fantastic in all respects. Our baby boy and girl came 5 weeks early and spent 1-2 weeks in the NICU between them. I wasn't sure when they were coming home and kept texting Margaret to come and then having to reschedule. She was very understanding that our schedule kept changing and continued to let us know she would be there for us whenever the first night came and they both were home with us. The first night she arrived and immediately took over but not in an overbearing way. It just felt completely normal that she was there with us and our babies and not like it was our first night all together. She and her partner Shirley came five nights a week for the first two months of the twins’ lives and we looked forward to seeing them each night. It wasn't just for the sleep we knew we had ahead of us but also to share the day's events and ask any questions we had-and there were many, many questions. Margaret and Shirley K. were always patient with our questions and gave us great advice. They also genuinely were happy to see the progress the babies were making and made suggestions on how to get them to eat and sleep longer. It was a bittersweet day when we realized we didn't need them anymore. We were so happy the twins were sleeping well through the night but were sad to lose Margaret and Shirley because they had become part of our family. The first three months of our lives with our new children would have been vastly different had we not had Margaret's expertise and calming presence. We can't rave about her enough and highly recommend anyone who has the opportunity to work with her and her staff to do so. You will receive the best possible care and learn so much in the process.
LaGrange
We recently used Our Joy Infant Care for our newborn son. He was our second child, and I was dreading the sleep deprivation that came with having a newborn. I wanted to find a company that was reliable and trust-worthy and would help us through those first few weeks. I found Our Joy Infant Care in Chicago Parent. Margaret was incredibly professional right from the get-go. She came to our house to meet us in person before our son was born. She sent references for herself and her nannies. And she continued to follow up with us until delivery and then was very flexible after our son was born - we decided to use a night nanny one night a week for six weeks, and Margaret worked with our schedules easily. Shirley M. was the night nanny assigned to us and she was a wonderful caretaker. She always arrived early, which was so nice because every second counts when you are sleep deprived. And she was always so happy to see our son and took amazing care of him so that we could get some much-needed sleep. Not only did she care for our son, but she also did his laundry, which was a huge help during those sleep deprived and stressful first weeks. Every morning we would come downstairs, and our son would be fast asleep, his laundry folded perfectly, and all his bottles washed and dried. We will definitely use Our Joy Infant care again if we have another child or need a nanny overnight. And we would highly recommend Shirley - she has a very kind heart and is a natural with babies. She is a very sweet and loving person. She too is a mother to four kids, so she truly understands how to parent. Our Joy Infant Care is wonderful and made our first 6 weeks with our son much more manageable and enjoyable. I cannot recommend the company enough!
Wiggle field
I met Margaret in a Bubbles Academy music class/session that I was attending with my 6-month-old son. I did not actually introduce myself to her until one of the last classes was being held, which was unfortunate because we could have spent more time together then. Margaret attended the class with the same little girl each week and was such a natural (this was my observation from weeks spent across the room from her). I developed quite an interest in finding out more. Upon meeting Margaret, we have since been lucky enough to have her baby-sit for our son. The first time I came home to relieve her, I heard she and my son (from the stairwell) playing in the living room. She was singing to him and helping him (I later saw) to do hand motions along with the song. There was no television on. Margaret was (and continues to be) down on the floor interacting and engaging our son with age-appropriate skill sets. Margaret is timely, efficient, and a possesses a wealth of knowledge from her prior experiences, with children and in life. This has been very beneficial to me, since this is our first child and I have a lot to learn. She is kind, fun, and genuinely happy to spend time with children. Anyone that could work with Margaret should deem themselves quite lucky. I hope that our son continues to learn and benefit from all that she has to offer. Lastly, (and most importantly) she is trustworthy. She follows through, leads a loyal path, and has not tarnished the reputation she had already come to build, before us.
Roscoe Village
I started working with Margaret when my daughter was 6 weeks old. She was a fairly difficult infant and my husband, and I had a hard time getting her to nap at all during the day, and when she did she would only sleep for 30-45 minutes at a time and only in the swing, stroller or bouncer chair. This obviously made it very challenging for us and she was usually fussy because she was overtired. We knew she required more sleep and that she would be a much happier baby if she got it so I reached out to Margaret to help us. I had heard that she was the person to call because she has worked with numerous infants and children and that she had successfully helped other families with similar situations. She came over right away when I called her and assessed the situation. She knew all the right questions to ask and quickly got to work to figure out how to solve her napping issue. We have been working together now 1-2 days a week for the past 6 weeks and I am delighted to say that I have seen a dramatic change with my daughter! Within the first week of working with Margaret, my daughter was taking all her naps in her crib and was sleeping an hour and half to two hours at a time. She instantly became a happier and calmer baby because of this new and improved sleep pattern! I credit this change in my daughter to Margaret’s knowledge, experience, patience, and her ability to teach me how to work with my daughter when she is not there. I call and text Margaret often with questions and she is happy to help and answers me promptly. I’m so grateful that I was told about Margaret and that I made that call to her 6 weeks ago! My husband and I also worked with Evelyn, one of the Night Nurses, one evening and had a wonderful experience with her as well. I 100% recommend Margaret and any of her Nannies and Infant Specialists, you won’t be disappointed!
Our family cannot say enough wonderful things about Dorcas. She came into our lives to help us as a night nanny for our premier twin boys and immediately put us at ease. She is so professional yet warm. We could completely trust her with the care of these little bundles, and she was able to help get them (and my husband and me) on a day and night schedule to help establish healthy sleep patterns. With her guidance we had them sleeping through the night at around 3 months old! Without her encouragement and support my postpartum journey would've been completely different. I was able to heal and get to know these little guys from a state of better rest. She was truly our night angel!
Georgina cared for our infant daughter for several weeks after we came home from the hospital. Georgina was a JOY to have in our home, she cared for our daughter with the know-how and advice of a seasoned professional and the care of a mom. We felt so comfortable entrusting our baby to her and we’re able to truly relax and get some sleep, the best gift to newborn parents. We would recommend her to anyone!
After reaching out to numerous companies and individuals, Our Joy Infant Care (recommended by a friend) felt like the right fit! Specifically working with Leticia has been such a pleasure! She started with us right after leaving the hospital. As a first-time mom, her experience and guidance has been so valuable! She is so proactive and has even given us tips and a routine for the future (after she’s no longer working with us). I’ve felt completely confident leaving our son in her care overnight - which was key for us to get some sleep 🙂 Leticia has been so wonderful, and we will miss her!!
“Jocelyn started working with us when our baby was 1 week old, and she was fantastic! She is clearly extremely experienced with newborns, and we were immediately comfortable leaving our tiny new baby in her care for the evenings. She has a very calming and confident presence and served as an expert resource for all things baby in those early days. We would highly recommend Jocelyn to anyone!”
“My husband and I referred to Georgina as “our angel” and we always looked forward to her visits! During a very vulnerable time, we felt comfortable with her instantly. Her experience with infants was obvious, and we loved how she provided proactive suggestions to us throughout our newborn journey. Georgina helped us to get our rest at night so we could truly enjoy those special moments with our newborn during the day. We will always be grateful for her and consider her the fairy godmother for our little guy!”
As first-time parents, we didn't know what taking care of a newborn entailed so we thought it would be helpful to have a night nurse to provide relief from the many sleepless nights in the first few months. When we met Margaret, she was so knowledgeable about not just the nighttime necessities for a newborn but also what we should be doing during the day to ensure a good night for our son. We had Margaret come to our house the first night we came home from the hospital, and she put us at ease from night one. She made the entire experience of being a new parent so much easier and enjoyable. Hiring the team of night nurses from Our Joy of Infant Care was the best parenting decision we ever made!
Evanston
We have two girl twins born at 33 and a half weeks - they were in the ISCU at Evanston for two and a half weeks and we had Margaret and Shirley from Our Joy Infant Care come when they came home. Our Joy Infant Care is amazing – Margaret is wonderful, she has lots of twin and triplet experience. It has been amazing to be able to focus on my twins during the day and know I can rest at night with someone so capable, nurturing, and helpful at night. She does our laundry and cleans bottles; she has helped guide us in terms of treating gas issues and how to gradually increase our daughters' intake. It has been so reassuring to see how she does things and so nice to have someone so experienced to ask questions and get advice.
Lincoln Square
Margaret Sefah and her team of night nurses cared for our twin girls from the day they came home from the hospital until they were peacefully sleeping through the night. Today the twins are 1.5 years old and they are both still excellent sleepers. Margaret kept feeding and diaper logs throughout the night, as well as reviewed our daytime logs and made thoughtful recommendations on how and when to start removing each nighttime feeding. She kept the babies on a schedule, and also easily kept up with my ever-changing nighttime needs (one night I’d want to breastfeed both babies, another night I’d want to pump and sleep, another night they would have formula, etc.) While the babies were sleeping, she also helped us out with the children’s laundry, bottle cleaning/care, and tidying up the dishes. Margaret and her team were all punctual, pleasant, professional, and knowledgeable about newborn care. Every time they stayed with our babies, I slept soundly knowing the babies were safe and in good care. Whether you’re looking for temporary help to get some much-needed sleep after you bring your newborn home, or a longer-term sleep training regimen for multiples, I would recommend Margaret and her team, without hesitation. If you would like any additional information about our experience, please do not hesitate to call me. Sincerely,
Chicago Downtown
We had such a remarkable experience with Abigail from Our Joy Infant care. As first time parents, we were utterly overwhelmed. We were filled with love and excitement, but also anxiousness in caring for our delicate little girl. We didn’t know how to care for someone who was unable to communicate what’s wrong. Then, an angel came to us. Helping us not only to understand that what we were experiencing was normal, but also in the utmost care for our daughter’s needs. She consoled us (when we needed it) and guided us through the early weeks (and months) of caring for our newborn. Abigail was our angel – she immediately gained our trust and will always be a special part of our family.
Lincoln Park
'When my husband and I found out we were having twins, the first thing that came to mind was how we were going to care for two infants and a toddler. Having met Margaret during my hospital stay on bed rest, we immediately felt comfortable knowing when our twins arrived; they would be in good hands. Margaret, and Shirley, really made our evenings/nights more tolerable. Given we were not 'new' parents, we still needed the extra guidance in caring for multiples. Margaret and Shirley provided us much needed rest in the early months and were with us for nearly 3.5 months. They truly have a gift caring for infants and we would recommend them to anyone needing that extra bit of assistance.'
Evanston
Margaret was with us from the first day our twins came home from the hospital and I can't say enough about how invaluable she was to our family. Not only is she an amazing night nurse who took loving and amazing care of our babies from day one and helped us get much needed sleep, but she continually went above and beyond the call of duty. She helped me prep for the baby’s arrival before they came, giving me expert advice about what to worry about -- and more importantly what NOT to worry about. She also helped lay the foundation for sleep training of our babies, who thanks to her, started sleep through the night at 4 months old! Priceless. She also helped us with the night to day transition and helped me find a full-time nanny who is still with us today. I simply could not recommend her more highly. She's professional, on time and dedicated to her work. Don't wait until your babies are 6 weeks and you're delirious from lack of sleep. Hire her early and reap the benefits of peace of mind now!
Lincoln Park
"Margaret and her team helped us so much! She was very professional. We were so happy to see Margaret and knew our baby was safe and we could get some sleep. Margaret also shared some wonderful newborn tips with us. I would recommend Margaret and her team to anyone looking for new born help. It made our first few weeks at home so much better. Thank you, Margaret!"
Bucktown
Margaret and her team did a fantastic job caring for our twin girls. Once we handed the girls off to Margaret at 10 pm, we were free to sleep until 6 am as we were very confident that Margaret had everything 100% under control - always calm and soothing and never flustered! Importantly, she was also able to get both girls into predictable sleeping patterns that carried on after our weeks with Margaret. We recommend Margaret very highly.
Bucktown
When our second child arrived, we knew that a night nurse was key. What we didn’t know was how important it was to find right night nurse. Our child was a super easy baby. Our second, not so much. Margaret and one of her referrer Pearl saved us. We would wait for her arrival like kids on Christmas. She would lovingly take our son and gently tell us to go to sleep. The next morning we’d awake to a happy child and a basket full of folded laundry. She was knowledgeable, confident and most of all unconditionally supportive. She will always have a special place in our hearts.
Bucktown
“Margaret was with us several nights a week for the first few weeks with our daughter. She was invaluable as a resource for information, and also as a resource to help us sleep! She was wonderful with our daughter, and the fact that she is trained as a nurse made us all the more confident in her.”
Libertville
We had the joy of working with Margaret and her colleague, Cynthia, for almost 12 weeks when our twins were born. From the time she started, Margaret handled our twins with such care and grace that we were all at ease. As a breastfeeding mom, I was a little unsure of how it would all go since I still needed to get up to feed the twins or pump, but we quickly found our rhythm and I never looked back. Margaret would also help me brainstorm about ways to make the days easier and was super supportive when I needed a little extra help (a few more nights here and there) when things came up. Cynthia even droves to our home in one of the worst spring storms ever and helped get my big boy back to sleep. Both Margaret and Cynthia are professional, knowledgeable and, most of all, warm and loving. I always looked forward to seeing them then and we keep in touch.
Lincoln Square
Our family worked with Margaret after our first son was born. As many new and expecting parents know, finding someone to care for your child is a very nerve-racking process. We couldn't have been more pleased with Margaret and her care of our son. She was very attentive, loving, and respectful and made the transition so much smoother! We have since moved out of state and have discovered finding someone to care for our children the way Margaret did is very rare. Any family would be lucky to have her involved in their child's care.
Chicago Downtown
I also used Margaret for my twins from the time they were brought home from the hospital until they were 4.5 months. She was fabulous! My husband and I went to bed each night knowing that Margaret would take the best care of those boys. If they were having a bad night, she would sit in their room all night to care for them. She still loves those 2 little boys like they are her own. If you hire Margaret or any of her refers you will not be disappointed. She is worth her weight in gold.
Dr. Joy
Lincoln Park