Newborn Baby Sleeping in night nanny's hands during daytime care in St. Petersburg

Professional Newborn Care in St. Petersburg & Tampa Bay

EXPERT OVERNIGHT NEWBORN CARE [NIGHT NANNY/NIGHT NURSE}, DAYTIME NEWBORN SUPPORT, AND NANNY SERVICES FROM A TRUSTED NEWBORN CARE SPECIALIST, POSTPARTUM DOULA, AND CAREER NANNY. PROUDLY SUPPORTING GROWING FAMILIES IN ST. PETERSBURG, SOUTH TAMPA, AND THROUGHOUT THE GREATER TAMPA BAY AREA.

WELCOME TO SUNSHINE CITY DOULA

Hi and welcome! I’m so glad you’re here. I’m Emily — the hands and heart behind Sunshine City Doula. I’m a certified Newborn Care Specialist, Postpartum Doula, and Career Nanny based in St. Petersburg, proudly serving families across the Tampa Bay Area. With over a decade of hands-on experience and more than 75 families served, I’m passionate about helping new parents thrive during the early stages of parenthood.

Whether it’s helping your baby establish healthy sleep habits, offering expert feeding and lactation guidance, providing overnight care so you can get much needed rest, or simply being a supportive presence during those early postpartum days, I’m dedicated to making your journey into parenthood as smooth and joyful as possible.

What I do best

I specialize in comprehensive newborn care from birth through your baby’s first year, offering personalized support tailored to your family’s needs and your parenting preferences.

OVERNIGHT NEWBORN CARE
[aka "‘night nanny”/”night nurse”]

Get the rest you need while your baby is in experienced hands. Overnight care includes full newborn care throughout the night—feeding, settling, and diapering, along with support for baby-related tasks. I can also help introduce healthy sleep habits and gently establish overnight routines, if desired. Overnight support is provided in 9-12 hour shifts, 3-7 nights per week, for as long as you need coverage—whether it is 8 weeks or 20 weeks.

DAYTIME NEWBORN CARE

Daytime support from birth through baby’s first year of life.

Given the high demand of my newborn care services, I strongly recommend booking at least three months prior to your baby’s estimated arrival to ensure availability. However, if you are reaching out later or if your little one has already arrived and you need help ASAP - I make every effort to accommodate last-minute requests or refer you to other available NCS’/postpartum doulas within my network.

postpartum doula caring for baby in crib in St. Petersburg nursery


THE EXPERT YOU WANT COUPLED WITH THE SUPPORT YOU NEED

When you're looking to hire newborn care and postpartum support, it's about much more than just having someone to keep your baby content overnight. The right support will help you flourish in this new chapter of life. I go beyond being just a baby expert.

You need a nurturing and personable caregiver who can lovingly care for your newborn, support you in achieving your feeding goals, intuitively and proactively anticipate your needs all while blending into your family dynamic.

My

What is a Newborn Care Specialist anyway?

As a Newborn Care Specialist with a decade of hands-on experience, I bring advanced training and insight to help families navigate the newborn stage with confidence. My areas of expertise include:

Feeding support for newborns in Tampa Bay, including formula, breastfeeding, and bottle guidance

  • Whether you're breastfeeding, bottle feeding, exclusively pumping, combo feeding, or navigating formula options, I meet you where you are. I offer practical support with latch, positioning, pump routines, bottle introductions, milk storage, and formula transitions. I also help troubleshoot common issues such as reflux, gas, bottle refusal, feeding aversion, weight gain issues, and more — always supporting your feeding goals and offering gentle, judgment-free guidance.

Newborn sleep education and gentle sleep foundations for families in St. Petersburg and Tampa

  • Some families are eager to lay a sleep foundation from day one — others prefer to follow their baby’s lead. I help you understand your baby's natural sleep patterns, offer tools to support longer stretches when you’re ready, and guide you through responsive, developmentally appropriate strategies (no cry-it-out). Whether you want structure or flexibility, I tailor my support to your values and your baby’s needs.

Establishing responsive newborn routines and age-appropriate schedules in the Tampa Bay area

  • I help guide age-appropriate routines that support your baby’s feeding, sleep, and wake cycles. These routines are flexible, realistic, and designed to work for your family’s lifestyle. My approach respects your baby’s individual rhythms while helping bring consistency and predictability to your days and nights.

Evidence-based newborn care education for parents in St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay

  • This is your baby and your journey. I’m not here to take over — I’m here to walk alongside you, answering questions, offering insight, and helping you feel confident in the decisions you make for your baby and your family. This includes diapering, bathing, cord care, soothing techniques, interpreting cues, and supporting natural infant development. I work side-by-side with you to help you learn your baby and feel confident in your decisions.

Tracking newborn milestones and supporting healthy development for Tampa families

  • I track and observe your baby’s intake, weight trends, sleep patterns, and early milestones, while offering guidance on what’s developmentally expected and when. I help identify red flags early and refer families to trusted providers when additional evaluation or support is needed.

Responsive, baby-led newborn care in Tampa Bay tailored to each family’s preferences

  • No two babies—or families—are alike. I adjust my care to meet your baby’s unique temperament and your parenting preferences. Whether that means contact naps or independent sleep, baby-led schedules or more of a structured approach, I always meet families where they are and help guide them gently forward.

Support for common newborn challenges including reflux, gas, and colic in Tampa

  • The newborn stage can come with a lot of unknowns—reflux, gassiness, colic, allergy-related feeding issues, tongue/lip ties,slow weight gain, and more. I’m here to help you navigate these challenges with informed care. Whether you need help troubleshooting or just reassurance that things are normal, I offer thoughtful guidance tailored to your baby and your feeding, sleep, or developmental concerns.

Referrals to trusted postpartum support groups and baby care resources in St. Petersburg and Tampa

  • After working closely with so many families, I’ve seen what really works (and what doesn’t). I’m always happy to share feedback on baby products—from bottles and swaddles to bassinets and carriers—and can point you toward trusted brands or personal favorites based on your family’s needs. I also offer referrals to local support groups, parenting communities, lactation consultants, and pediatric specialists throughout the Tampa Bay area.

Sweet words from amazing clients

  • “Having Emily with us during those first few months was truly life-changing. From the very first night, we felt completely at ease knowing our daughter was in such capable, loving hands. Emily brought a warm and confident presence into our home and helped us navigate those long nights with reassurance and practical guidance. She supported us through feeding challenges, answered all of our questions without judgment, and offered helpful insights we never would’ve thought of on our own. We woke up every morning feeling rested, which is something I never thought was possible with a newborn. Her presence made such a difference in our experience as new parents, and we can't imagine having done it without her.”

    - Michelle and Erick P.

    St. Petersburg, FL

  • "We hired Emily for overnight support for the first 4 months after birth, and I truly wish we could've extended care through the first year! Not only is Emily extremely knowledgeable about newborns and postpartum - but she is well-versed in all aspects of infants-toddler care, milestones, development, feeding.. everything! Honestly, I would’ve kept her forever if I was able to! Emily made me feel empowered as a first-time mom and gave me the compassionate support I needed in such a vulnerable time. She is worth her weight in gold."

    -Kathleen S

    St. Petersburg, FL

  • “We initially hired a night nanny and had a bad experience, so I was really hesitant to trust someone new, but I was desperate for sleep and support. Emily’s qualifications immediately stood out, and her warm, confident presence sealed the deal. We needed help fast, and Emily showed up for overnight care that very night.

    You can tell this work is her calling. Every question we had, she answered with confidence and clarity. We especially appreciated her up-to-date, evidence-based approach. It was such a relief knowing the person caring for our newborn was not just trained, but deeply experienced and genuinely knowledgeable. Emily was everything we could have hoped for and more.”

    - Lisa and Christian M.

    South Tampa, FL

  • "Our 10-week old was struggling with sleep due to us (mom and dad) not setting up a routine, and also due to some serious postpartum anxiety. I reached out to Emily for help and not only did she help us get our baby on a predictable day and night routine, but she helped ease my anxiety tremendously. Our baby went from waking every 45min - 1hour at night and needing a lot of assistance to go back to sleep (replacing paci 100 times, rocking to sleep, you know the drill), to falling asleep independently and only waking once for a feed. With Emily’s guidance, our baby eventually was sleeping 10-12 hour overnight stretches! I can’t thank Emily enough for her help and patience working with our family to help us ALL get proper rest and support. She was a blessing to our family. I cannot recommend her enough!"

    - Rachel G.

    St. Pete Beach, FL

  • “Emily has been a huge help in giving us the tools and resources needed to get on the right path to healthy sleep patterns for our 4-month old. I am grateful for her support and the wealth of knowledge that she has provided to us. She has given us the confidence as parents to move forward with a routine that is customized to our family, and we can finally see the light at the end of tunnel!”

    - Rachel P

    St. Petersburg, FL

Why Tampa Families Choose Sunshine City Doula

8+ years of professional experience

Working directly one-on-one

SUPPORTING FAMILIES FROM BIRTH THROUGH BABY’S FIRST YEAR OF LIFE.

My goal is to make your transition to parenthood as peaceful as possible. Whether you need 6 weeks or 6 months of support, daytime or overnight, I’ll be there to support you every step of the way.

Certified Postpartum Doula in Tampa St. Petersburg | Emily Christy
Newborn Care Specialist in St. Petersburg, Florida trained by Newborn Care Solutions
NCSA Member Newborn Care Specialist in Tampa Bay Area

  • It's best to contact me as early as possible to ensure availability, especially if you would like to guarantee services on/around your EDD. As a highly sought out newborn care specialist, I tend to book up 6+ months in advance, and up to 12 months in advance at times. However, I always do my best to accommodate last-minute requests whenever possible. I book on a first come first serve basis, in that I do not hold my availability until a contract is signed and the retainer for services is paid.

    1. Submit an inquiry form
      Start by filling out the inquiry form. Once I receive your submission, I’ll be in touch to schedule a phone call or in-person meeting to learn more.

    2. Confirm dates and hours
      Following our consultation, we’ll finalize the mutually agreed-upon dates and hours for care. A formal contract will then be sent.

    3. Sign contract & submit retainer
      To secure your dates, a retainer is required at the time of signing. Retainer amounts vary based on the length of the contract and are applied to the final weeks of service.

    4. Booking confirmed
      Once the retainer is received and the contract is signed, your booking will be confirmed and your dates officially added to the schedule.

  • A Newborn Care Specialist usually starts with a family on the day they bring baby home from the hospital or the day of home birth and stays typically for up to 3-4 months to guide and educate new parents and offer hands-on care to the newborn(s) to help establish feeding, routine, and healthy sleep habits. Most often, a Newborn Care Specialist will handle the overnight care so that a new parent can rest and recover from birth or adapt to new parenthood if the baby is adopted or via surrogate. If required, an NCS will offer around-the-clock or daytime support as well.


  • A Newborn Care Specialist is explicitly trained in all aspects of newborn care and will have many years of experience with families during the first few months with a newborn. They will be able to help parents feel confident in their care of their precious newborn and will be familiar with common issues such as reflux and have proven solutions and resources to help. A Night Nanny works typically under the direct guidance of the parents, they may or may not have any formal education in the care of newborns, and this is often an add on to their daytime work.

  • These terms are widely used interchangeably. Most parents are looking for exceptional care for their newborns, rest, and guidance in the earliest weeks of parenthood. Unless your baby has medical needs like a feeding tube, heart monitors, etc. Then you are likely looking for the support and care I provide.

  • Yes, with a “listening ear”. The rest your specialist gets while at your home is not restful, hard sleep. When your baby wakes, your specialist will be right there to comfort and care for them throughout the night.

Explore my services

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