Calvina Simons might just be a baby whisperer.

The 31-year-old has a special way with even the smallest of tots.

She helps parents get restless newborns to bed and will look after them throughout the night, so their moms and dads can sleep.

She also helps to get fussy eaters on a feeding schedule and offers temporary care for babies who are too young for traditional day care or whose parents haven’t found the right carer for them.

“I love to know that my assistance can give parents more confidence in their new role,” Ms Simons said.

“Being able to assure them and encourage them continually also gives me great pleasure.

“Every little one I’m blessed to interact with I consider it an honour and privilege. I truly love my job.”

The newborn care specialist has enjoyed working with children as long as she can remember.

It’s something that was passed on from her nana Joan E Simons, who used to own a day-care facility.

“That’s where my passion was allowed to blossom and grow,” Ms Simons said. “After school and during the summer holidays, you would find me at the nursery with her doing what I loved.

“I was my nana’s girl and truly believe she would be proud of me and what I’ve accomplished so far.”

Ms Simons has an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Alabama.

She worked at an occupational therapy clinic for children, but it soon became apparent that wasn’t her calling.

“After that I took on a part-time nanny position working with a three-month-old,” she said. “That’s when it clicked that working with newborns/infants is what I could see myself doing.

“I remember searching the internet to see what was out there, as far as schooling, where I could be a baby specialist and work specifically with newborns.

“Little did I know that there was such a career called a newborn care specialist, which worked specifically with ages birth to three months. Plus the school was only a few minutes away from my godmother’s home in Solon, Ohio.”

She enrolled in the intensive newborn care programme at Alexandria School.

It taught her everything from how to develop a feeding schedule and sleep routine for infants, to how to identify signs and symptoms of illness, to how to bathe them and perform CPR.

Over the past four years, Ms Simons has had great luck with even some of the fussiest infants.

One of her toddlers wouldn’t stay with any sitter but her.

“He would fuss or complain with everyone else his parents left him with and over time that can be hard on parents, who need some time for themselves too.

“Every time I visited their house I would reassure him that his parents were coming back and everything would be okay.

“We worked to build up trust. I would bring activities and toys that we could do together. He got used to me bringing those and he knew when I came it would be fun.

“Once he started progressing, he started asking for me by name.”

Her biggest advice? Decide what kind of parents you want to be before the baby arrives.

“The way you parent is totally up to you,” she said. “There are a plethora of cans and can’ts out there. So I tell parents to imagine their choices as a buffet. They have to put on their ‘plate’ what works best for them, their family, and most importantly their little one.

“And just like at a buffet, they might want to go and try something else or get a little more of something that they really liked. Or they might throw away something they thought they would like, but didn’t. Only stick with what’s left on your plate.”

She added that it’s important that parents are patient — with themselves and their babies.

“Listen to them as they will tell you what they want. Don’t focus so much on doing stuff a parent would do, but live in the moment. Be there — whether they are happy or sad — and make the decision to enjoy it.”

Find Calvina J Simons, Newborn Care Specialist on Facebook.