Who Can You Trust to Care for Your Newborn?

Learning to leave your baby in someone else’s care is a must for most parents ⁠— whether it’s with a friend, a relative, or a childcare provider. Understandably, a lot of parents of newborn infants are reluctant in trusting their child to someone they don’t really know. After all, they know their children best. However, certain situations arise where this becomes a necessity.

The good news is that there are a lot of safe and trusted childcare professionals that can take perfect care of your newborn. With all that said, let’s take a look at how you can ensure that a childcare professional knows how to care for your baby and can help nurture their healthy development.

Understand You and Your Baby’s Needs First

In order to effectively narrow down which childcare professional or provider is best suited for your newborn, be sure to list down your needs first. Start by considering when you’ll need the extra help. Then, shop around for the current hourly rates of the nannies and childcare programs in your vicinity to ensure that you stay within budget.

You also have to establish set conditions of employment, from infant care certifications to professional nanny credentials. Doing so guarantees that your baby is in the hands of a competent childcare professional. But if your infant requires extra care, consider hiring a neonatal nurse. Aside from helping nurse your newborn back to health, a neonatal nurse is also tasked with diagnosing complications and helping parents better care for their child. Nursing careers have truly gone beyond providing care within the four walls of the hospital, as nurses now specialize in a wide range of medical fields. Assessing what you and your baby need first is a crucial step that you should take before starting to interview childcare professionals or looking for infant daycare.

Check if You Share the Same Parenting Philosophies

When interviewing childcare professionals, be sure to find out if you share the same parenting philosophies on a wide range of topics. For instance, if you’re looking to practice eco-friendly parenting, ask if they are also concerned with the environment and are willing to use sustainable options for your baby such as reusable cotton diapers or eco-friendly toys. Asking these questions during the early part of your interview allows you to figure out if you’re on the same parenting wavelength as your potential nanny or childcare professional and reduces your chances of being disappointed later on.

Observe How They Interact With Kids

You will easily see if a childcare professional is the perfect fit for your newborn once you witness him or her interact with children. If you’re looking for a newborn nanny, be sure to invite them to your home for a final interview after vetting each candidate. During this process, you can include your baby.

Watch how they interact with your newborn. Are they swaying their bodies in a rhythmic manner to comfort your baby? Do they know to calmly engage your baby by smiling and cooing? Being able to witness firsthand how a childcare professional acts with your newborn can provide you with a ton of information that you just can’t get from asking questions. By doing this, you can decide whether you will or will not trust your newborn with a childcare professional.

Exclusively written for coliccalm.com By Nico Palmer