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Home › Articles › Your Growing Baby › A Team Approach

A Team Approach

Breastfeeding-friendly Childcare Really Does Exist

By Sharon Waldrop

Pages:  1  2  3  

The Team
Once you have found that special person who will become the next best thing to Mom, the three of you (you, your baby and the caregiver) become a team. The key to successful teamwork is constant, up-to-date communication. Doing things like making a list of soothing techniques that comfort your baby at home will help guide your sitter, and your baby will continue the communication by showing the caregiver which ones work in this new environment.

It can be stressful for both you and your baby when a new person enters the daily routine. Nap time can be an especially delicate time for a person caring for a breastfed baby – especially when that baby is accustomed to falling asleep at Mother's breast. Ask your partner, a friend or family member to give your baby a bottle of breast milk, and if Baby falls asleep, note his position. Did he fall asleep in a position similar to nursing? In Mom's absence, does a position unfamiliar to nursing work best? Does Baby need to be rocked or walked around the room in a swaying motion?

Many babies find the gift of baby-wearing comforting. Your baby can be worn in a sling or front carrier. The constant closeness and swaying motions associated with baby-wearing can ease the transition into an unfamiliar surrounding. If you do not wear your baby at home or when out and about, perhaps your caregiver would be willing to introduce baby-wearing to your baby, thus providing a special ritual for just the two of them. There are many different styles of front carriers and slings on the market, and special caution must be used at all times with all styles. There is an art to using a baby sling. They are not as easy as they look, but definitely worth the adjustment period once the wearer gets the hang of it.

Is your baby into country music, bell chimes or the piano? Provid your caregiver with favorite music from home. If a live performance is preferred, supply your caregiver with the words to your baby's favorite tunes and lyrics. Although there is no voice sweeter than Mom's, a baby may appreciate a soloist eager for an audience.


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