Choosing
a Daycare or Caregiver for a Breastfeeding Baby
If
you know that you will have to go back to work
after your baby is born and that you will have
to find a caregiver or a daycare that you can
drop him off at there are some things that you
should keep in mind. Ideally of course you will
want to leave your baby with someone that your
baby knows and who is able to give them the one
on one attention that they need. Daddy is the
first choice but not always an option, grandma
is another great choice. There are ways that you
can choose a great person or people to care for
your baby while you are at work. |
Breastfeeding
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Working
and Breastfeeding - Choosing a Caregiver or Daycare
Who will
be caring for your baby? Assuming that it is not an option
to have daddy watch the baby while mommy is at work, a common
thing when both parents work is that they have to be at
work at the same time. Leaving the baby with a relative
is another good choice however you may not live near any
family. Unless you know a close friend or neighbor who has
the day free to watch your baby while you work you will
likely have to choose to find a professional baby-sitter
or enroll your infant in a daycare.
From this
point your first choice should be to find a caregiver so
your baby will be able to receive one on one attention or
at least nearly one on one attention, something that they
would not have likely gotten from a large daycare facility.
You will want to interview many potential caregivers and
find someone who can meet the needs of your baby. Upon choosing
someone you will give them a detail description of your
mothering lifestyle to ensure that they are on the same
page when it comes to caring for the baby. Go over with
them the proper way to store the breast milk that you leave.
If you can try and find someone who lives closer to your
place of work verses your home you'll have less time away
from your baby when you leave work, this also is helpful
in being able to visit your baby at lunch time.
Be sure
to have the caregiver visit many times before you have to
go back to work to ensure that you can answer any questions
that they may have as well as see how your baby and them
relate to one another. You'll be able to feel better about
leaving your baby with a caregiver who you have observed
how they handle your baby if they are fussy and even how
that interact with them when it comes time for playtime,
diaper changing, etc.
Choosing
someone who is not planning on moving or changing lifestyle
is also a good thing to try and do because your baby will
eventually grow attached to this person that is caring for
them nearly as much as their mom and it would be upsetting
to suddenly not have that, this applies even more strongly
as your baby get older.
Now if
you have no way of having a single caregiver for your baby
and have to enroll them in a daycare there are some things
to keep in mind. First, generally children under the age
of three do not work well in a group situation and a daycare
is a large group. Your baby will not have time to bond with
any one person because the different employees of the daycare
will come and go. The chances are much greater for infections
and illnesses as your baby will be around many other babies,
older children and adults.
Some times
the way to go is to find a mother who runs an inhome daycare,
because of laws she will be restricted to the number of
children that she can watch and will be the only person
that cares for your baby, allowing them to build a trusting
relationship with them. Inhome daycares are more likely
to meet special needs as well. All in all you will want
to lots and lots of interviews before choosing a caregiver
for your baby and you will want to be sure that you have
no other option but to place your baby in daycare before
you start to look for one. Good luck.
