Breastfeeding Mothers Guide to Finding Childcare

�Thanks for the great childcare advice!�
Jeena C., South Carolina, USA

One of the things that scared me most about going back to work was childcare. You see it every day on the evening news: Another child abused by his babysitter or a child abused at his daycare. It is becoming so common that it has left many parents terrified about choosing the right resources.

I was determined that if I had to go back to work that my baby was going to be in the best situation possible.

Since then and over a decade since I was first faced with this challenge, mothers still have issues finding good care for their kids.

Five Top Tips for Finding Good Childcare

Here are some tips for finding the right childcare for you.

1. Ask people that you know and trust. Teachers, pastors, friends, etc� They often know good caregivers in the area.

2. Ask your friends. Don�t expect them to hand over the number of the babysitter they love, but if it is a daycare center�they will probably go on for hours on why theirs is the best.

3. Ask your hairdresser. (No� that wasn�t a joke.) They often know more about what is going on in your town than anyone else. I found one college-aged babysitter this way. She was not only great with my kids, but also was willing house sit and watch our dog when we were on vacation! What a bonus!!!

4. Try an online matchmaking service like Sittercity. They have thousands of awesome babysitters all over the country. You can search their database before you pay for their service and probably find 10 great babysitters right in your area that would be perfect to watch your little ones. They have everything from full-time nannies to part-time college students. They are all over 17 years old you can even get a background check if you wish. (Click here for more information on Sittercity...they will give our visitors a free week trial!)

5. Kid swap. This works best for occasional babysitting or if you work part time. One lady I know only goes into the office two days a week and works from home on other days. Her friend has the opposite schedule so they just switch kids!

Top 5 Childcare Recommendations for Breastfeeding Mothers

I have tried various childcare arrangements. While breastfeeding young babies, I found it best for me to do the following:

1. Find a sitter who also breastfed. They are the most supportive and understanding of your situation and will probably try to best accommodate your requests.

2. Have a sitter or nanny come to your home. This way your child is exposed to less illness and is allowed to stay on the schedule you prefer, not the daycare schedule. You also don�t have to call in sick because daycare is closed or your baby is sick and can�t go.

3. Try to work some from home. I did this with baby #3 and I loved it! I didn�t have to pump--I just came out of my home office and took her to breastfeed! I got my work done and got to feed her myself! (Want to work at home? Here is what I used to start this at-home business myself! )

4. Do a background check. Not every person is as nice as they seem. For example: while running a company that focused on providing in-home care for the elderly, I received many good resumes from people who seemed extremely pleasant and were good candidates. However, after running the mandatory background check, I found an abuse charge and one woman who even had assaulted her own mother! Do you think I now wanted to hire them to care for my elderly clients? No way! You don�t want people like that watching your precious children either! So when networks like Sittercity offer the background check, take them up on the offer. If you are looking into a daycare, do a lot of research!

5. Don�t forget your friends. One time I entered a very busy time and needed someone to watch my kids one �extra� day a week for about 3 months. I asked a friend who was a stay-at-home mom with similar aged kids. She was happy to do it, it gave her some extra spending money and gave me peace of mind that my kids were in good hands.

Find additional helpful childcare resources from the Amercian Academy of Pediatrics on their official website.

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