Child Care Centre / Private Baby Sitter?!

I have been searching high & low for a centre / nanny to take care JE. I actually prefer centre compare to private nanny, reason due to more breastfeeding friendly, I can ensure they are always be at one place, more kids to play / fight with & more systematic (as they will not go on sick leave / holiday leave / unexpected leave).

Nevertheless, choosing a centre can be a headache as well if you can find one. Here in Malaysia, infant child care centre are limited and if talking about professional centre can consider nil.

Recently, I found a centre; owned & operated by a chemist who just back from UK. She is a perfectionist and a mother of 2 boys – breastfed her boys till 16 months.

All her care-takers are nurses and her centre can cater for 27 babies with 9 care-takers with a ratio of 1:3. They use cloth napkin for babies under 6 months and disposable diaper for babies above 6 months. The monthly fee you are paying include babies organic toiletries except body foam & body shampoo, lavender essential oil for aromatherapy used to help babies to settle, olive oil for baby massage, organic meals, twice bathing per day, flash card programme.

Since all care-takers are nurses, they know how to handle breast milk. I even asked a stupid question just to double check on their breast milk management, such as “you defrost the milk using microwave?”. Immediately, the nurse told me NO, never ever put breast milk in microwave. Then, I asked again “WHY?”. She answered because all nutrients will be gone then she added, the microwave for the usage of the staffs in this centre. Well, I am just checking.

This centre consider perfect but I find that all the care-takers are emotionless. None of them got any expression on their face. They are neither happy nor sad, just expressionless. This is my biggest concern. “Do they have passion in taking care children/babies?” “Do they just treat it just another job?” As an infant care-taker, you must have extreme patient and passion as it is an exhaust job & heavy responsibility.

Anyway, this centre located pretty far from my house but quite near to my working place. The travelling time with jam will be 1 to 1.5 hours. If I am sick, I do not think I can travel that far to put JE and come back to rest. Another dilemma.

Today, I interviewed 2 private baby sitters. Both are mothers and they are knowledgeable in breast milk handling.

During an hour of chit-chatting, I preferred Nanny A compare to Nanny B. Then I received a call from my ex-nanny saying that she have a place for JE. Now I am consider ex-nanny or Nanny A.