offering breastfeeding-friendly childcare

[Beppie]

There is a huge demand for infant care in our rural community. I am home with 2 small girls, one who is 11 months & breastfeeding. I am thinking about offering childcare for one family in my home (I am not a licensed daycare, but one family is allowed without a license.) The thing is, breastfeeding is obviously very important to me. I would like to offer child care for a mom who would like to continue to breastfeed her baby, even though she is going back to work.

My worry is about whether another family, who is formula feeding, responds to my childcare ad. In a way, I worry that I am "discriminating" in wanted to help a breastfeeding mom-baby duo manage separation from each other.
I also want to clarify: I just feel that breastfeeding and going back to work is more DIFFICULT for moms, so I want to help them by being willing to work with them. Do I make sense?

Have any other moms dealt with this? Any suggestions about what you would do in this case? I suppose I'd just have to take whatever family calls, is that true? Please give me your thoughts!

btw mods ... I had no idea what forum to put this question in, mods please move if this is not the place!

[annettemarie]

Since it's a work-at-home type question, I am going to bump it over to the WAHM Well. Sounds like a great idea!

[lyterae]

You don't have to take whatever family calls, I think that it's important to find a family that is a good fit for you and vice versa. With that said I'm not entirely sure the best way to "advertise" specifically to breastfeeding moms.

[Beppie]

Any ideas for how I should advertise? We cosleep, breastfeed, gentle discipline, etc. And I can imagine, if I have another baby in my care, I would be very sensitive to the baby's care (for example, not leaving it crying in the corner or that sort of thing, and offering milk on 'demand' etc, v. a schedule). Please give your suggestions!

[MamitaM]

Are you also offering to bf this child you'd care for? Otherwise I don't really see the difference in caring for a ff child or bf'd baby.

[lyterae]

Originally Posted by Beppie

Any ideas for how I should advertise? We cosleep, breastfeed, gentle discipline, etc. And I can imagine, if I have another baby in my care, I would be very sensitive to the baby's care (for example, not leaving it crying in the corner or that sort of thing, and offering milk on 'demand' etc, v. a schedule). Please give your suggestions!

I think the best way to advertise would be to include information about yourself. That you are a cloth diapering, breastfeeding, mama, etc..

Originally Posted by MamitaM

Otherwise I don't really see the difference in caring for a ff child or bf'd baby.

I don't think that's entirely true, a breastfeeding mama is going to need someone supportive of nursing and willing to work with her while baby adjusts to getting bottles, not to mention having someone who knows how to heat breastmilk,etc..

I think that making mention of your own parenting practices would be the way to go. When I was looking for daycare for my daughter I was calling around trying to find someone who was into AP, would clothdiaper, wouldn't CIO, etc...

[Nicole730]

I agree with just saying in the ad how you parent. Then you will probably attract parents with similar philosophies.

[Beppie]

That is such a great idea to mention how I parent, why hadn't I thought of that before! Thanks so much mamas!