Ask the Editor

I am 7 months pregnant and we are vegan. I am very concerned about what do to with the baby when it is time to go back to work. How can I find a vegan daycare or babysitter? Is there an organisation that could help me in the Atlanta, Georgia area? - Virginie

Dear Virginie,

It's going to be extremely difficult if not impossible for you to find an all-vegan daycare center. The way these centers are run and they way they receive reimbursement from the government make it very difficult for them to be vegan. A vegan nanny or babysitter would be easier to find and would probably work out best for you and the baby.

First of all, keeping your baby at home is beneficial to the baby. Daycare centers are germ factories and usually there are more children than caregivers, which means that at some times during the day your baby might be neglected. Secondly, at home, your caregiver will be devoted to just your baby and have access to all of your baby's things. If you can swing it, I would highly encourage you to find a nanny to take care of your baby when you go back to work. It would be great if you could stay home with your baby or work from home and just have the nanny around to help you out during your work period.

Finding a vegan nanny or babysitter could be difficult. I would seek out the Vegetarian Society in your area, put an ad in the newspaper, or check our playgroup listings to see if any of the moms in your area have a sitter they can recommend.

If you can't find a vegan nanny, don't worry about it. Any qualified nanny that comes to your home and respects your lifestyle will work. It's far better to find the perfect nanny and educate her in the ways of veganism than it is to train a vegan person to be a good nanny if they don't have experience with children. Just set some ground rules such as: no non-vegan food brought into the home, and she can have a non-vegan lunch outside your home only, or she can eat a vegan lunch while caring for your child.

I hope you can find an arrangement that works best for you and your baby. Good luck!

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