Enrolling a breastfed baby in child care is not impossible. You can continue to breastfeeding while your child is in part or full time child care, but in order to be successful, you need more than a great pump and a hopeful attitude. You also need the right child care; here's what to look for when choosing child care for your bub.

1. A breastfeeding friendly child care provider

When looking for a child care provider for your baby or breastfed toddler, you need to find a caregiver who supports breastfeeding. Ideally, they should respect the practice and understand its health benefits. You want a caregiver who is willing to work with you to support you and your baby as you continue to nurse.

2. A convenient location

In many cases, the easiest way to continue to breastfeed your baby while you work is by having an on-site daycare. In this situation, the child care provider can call you every time the baby is hungry so you can nurse him or her. Alternatively, you could visit the on-site child care centre at regular intervals during the day to nurse your baby.

3. Willingness to thaw and serve frozen breastmilk

So your baby can have breast milk while you are at work, you can pump milk at work during the day and freeze it in ice cube trays. This method results in small servings of milk that can be conveniently thawed and served to your baby.

Thawing and heating frozen breast milk is arguably no more time-consuming than mixing and heating a bottle of formula. In addition to being willing to do this for your baby, the child care provider you select should also understand that thawed breast milk needs to be thrown out after 24 hours, as it is raw milk, and the child care provider should commit to following safety precautions about breastmilk.

4. Low child-to-caregiver ratio

One of the most beneficial aspects of nursing a baby is holding him or her. In addition to all of the nutrients and antibodies in breastmilk, simply holding the baby provides a calming, nurturing and healthy effect.

Ideally, you want your child held during feedings regardless of whether he or she takes breastmilk or formula, and to ensure this is possible, you want a child care with a low child-to-caregiver ratio.

Start comparing your options by contacting local childcare facilities such as Ally's Kindy At One Mile.