Community› The Bump Message Boards› Success after IF
Success after IF
New Discussion

Anyone find babysitter online?

pinkcallalilypinkcallalily member
in Success after IF

We have never found a babysitter for our son, but now with #2 on the way we really need to find one.  I'm due July 7 and my mom is flying out July 1, but if the baby comes before July we have no one to watch our son (my mom gets the month of July off each year, but can't easily take off earlier).  One of our moms will hop on the first flight out (or drive), but it will still take several hours for them to get here (both are about 700-800 miles away), especially if it's the middle of the night. 

I have a couple neighbors I could ask, but if we go to the hospital during the work day we would need to get a carseat to one of them and authorize them to pick him up from daycare.  I've also considered asking another daycare mom, but I don't really know any of them well enough to burden them.  It would be a perfect solution since they already have children the same age and on a similar schedule.  Of course, a lot of people may be on vacations in the summer.

So now we are considering finding a couple of possible babysitters online that are available on short term notice.  We do need to find a babysitter anyway so this is probably a good solution, but it makes us both nervous.  I don't really want to pay a membership to multiple sites just so I can look at profiles, so I was wondering if anyone can recommend a site.  I've looked at sittercity and care, but I don't know which one is best.

It took 3 1/2 long years, but we finally got our little miracle!
IVF #1 - BFP (6dt)
Unassisted Pregnancy #2 - lost at 15w6d due to T21, severe heart defects, and fetal hydrops

Lilypie Third Birthday tickers Lilypie Angel and Memorial tickers

Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
Report Reply to Post

Re: Anyone find babysitter online?

  • howleyshellhowleyshell member

    We also have no family close.

    We found our very first "sitter" by interviewing people off Craigs list postings.

    Our "sitter" ended up turing into our nanny.

    My advice regardless of what site you use is to have your maiden voyage with the sitter in the house with you.  Have her come in while you "get some work done" in another room so you can see how the sitter does and how your child does.  It goes a long way in helping you feel more comfortable with leaving them alone.

    My other advice is to call references and ask specifically for both the good AND the bad about the family's experience with the sitter in question.  I found a lot of references are glowing unless you specifically ask them to tell you something negative.  

    Our IF journey: 1 m/c, 1 IVF with only 3 eggs retrieved yielding Dylan and a lost twin, 1 shocker unmedicated BFP resulting in Jace, 3 more unmedicated pregnancies ending in more losses.
    Total score: 6 pregnancies, 5 losses, 2 amazing blessings that I'm thankful for every single day.
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • MonkeysGirl05MonkeysGirl05
    When I was getting ready to go back to work after DS#1 was born, I interviewed for a nanny off of sitt.ercity. I ended up going the route of daycare, but I ended up using one of the girls that I found on that website as a sitter several times.
    Henry and Papa at the farm
    image
    Lilypie Fourth Birthday tickers
    Lilypie First Birthday tickers
    Report Reply
  • beebe929beebe929 member

    What about a daycare teacher you are close with?  We have a number of girls in their 20s who offer their services after hours.

     

    Health&Fitness Blog imageBaby Birthday Ticker Ticker Lilypie Fourth Birthday tickers Our IVF miracles!
    Report Reply
  • Germanwife2bGermanwife2b member
    Remind where you are in NOVA.  I might be able to be on the list in a pinch if needed.  I only work 2 days a week so there is a good chance I might be around to help.  Just a thought :-)
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • CardsfanSMCardsfanSM

    I found our sitter on Craigslist. I weeded through some entries, never even considering most. Then, I picked a few that seemed *normal*, and had e-mail exchanges with them. That was an easy way to select down even further. I had two I was contemplating, but we went with the first after meeting her at her home (where the daycare was). We've been taking DD there for 9 months and I have absolutely NO reservations about her care.

    It was also important to me to get S placed with someone before the babies came. I didn't want her to feel like she was getting kicked out of our house, since my DH is a SAHD. She needed the socialization anyway, so she started 3 months before my due date, although in reality it was just about 4 weeks before babies were born.

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • CardsfanSMCardsfanSM
    Also, if you are close to any universities their psych or social work programs may have a baby sitter list.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
  • pinkcallalilypinkcallalily member
    imagebeebe929:

    What about a daycare teacher you are close with?  We have a number of girls in their 20s who offer their services after hours.

     

    We have considered this, but we weren't sure what the rules would be about a teacher signing him out of daycare and driving him home if I were to go into labor during a weekday.  We have thought about using a teacher as a regular babysitter if we want to go out sometime, but we haven't done it yet because it felt kind of weird to have his teachers at our house.  However, there is one that we love right now and my son loves her as well so we are thinking about talking to her.

    It took 3 1/2 long years, but we finally got our little miracle!
    IVF #1 - BFP (6dt)
    Unassisted Pregnancy #2 - lost at 15w6d due to T21, severe heart defects, and fetal hydrops

    Lilypie Third Birthday tickers Lilypie Angel and Memorial tickers

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Report Reply
  • pinkcallalilypinkcallalily member

    imageGermanwife2b:
    Remind where you are in NOVA.  I might be able to be on the list in a pinch if needed.  I only work 2 days a week so there is a good chance I might be around to help.  Just a thought :-)

    I'm in Gainesville.  I don't remember where you are, but I know it isn't this far out :-)  I will keep you in mind if you would be willing to be on our list if needed.  I'm hoping to get a list together of people within 10-15 minutes of our house if possible, but since I don't have anyone on that list so far I may be open to widening our range. Thanks!

    It took 3 1/2 long years, but we finally got our little miracle!
    IVF #1 - BFP (6dt)
    Unassisted Pregnancy #2 - lost at 15w6d due to T21, severe heart defects, and fetal hydrops

    Lilypie Third Birthday tickers Lilypie Angel and Memorial tickers

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
    Report Reply
  • Germanwife2bGermanwife2b member
    imagewed23:

    imageGermanwife2b:
    Remind where you are in NOVA.  I might be able to be on the list in a pinch if needed.  I only work 2 days a week so there is a good chance I might be around to help.  Just a thought :-)

    I'm in Gainesville.  I don't remember where you are, but I know it isn't this far out :-)  I will keep you in mind if you would be willing to be on our list if needed.  I'm hoping to get a list together of people within 10-15 minutes of our house if possible, but since I don't have anyone on that list so far I may be open to widening our range. Thanks!

    Bummer- I am in Springfield.  I thought perhaps you were closer to Fairfax :-(

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"