[With a 0-year-old] My experience using childcare in Ishigaki Island to go diving | Is it okay at 4 months old?

Hello! This is Coco Mama.
For this trip to Ishigaki Island, we decided to go diving, which is a hobby my husband and I share. I wondered if it was possible to go diving with a 4-month-old baby, so I looked into it and found that the diving shop we use could introduce us to a childcare center, so we decided to use it for the day!

To be honest, I felt quite guilty about leaving her. However, I remembered that when a midwife took care of her for a long time during postpartum care, she seemed to have a good time experiencing various games, so I decided to think positively, thinking,
“It might be a good experience for the child,”
and “It might be good practice for her not to be shy around strangers.”

In conclusion,I am really glad I left her there.
I am summarizing my real experience in the hope that it will be helpful to others who are struggling with the same thing.

Which childcare center did you use?

The one we used this time was Ishigaki Island Babysitter Service Warabi.
It might depend on the number of children being cared for that day, but in Coco-chan's case, she played thoroughly one-on-one with the sitter!

The fee is 1,500 yen per hour. This time, because of the diving, it was 10,500 yen in total for 7 hours from 8:00 to 15:00. Payment is in cash.
When you pick them up, you receive a record written with things like “what time they drank milk” and “what kind of games they played.” Having this kind of detailed feedback made me feel so much more at ease!

Here is how Coco-chan looked when I went to pick her up.

Coco-chan, who usually only sleeps when held, was actually sleeping soundly on the Yuralism swing...!? I was surprised, she's a pro!
I asked how she got her to sleep and rented a Yuralism that same day. Lol. Furthermore, she told me the YouTube music she was playing when putting her to sleep, and I felt that getting these parenting tips is also a benefit of using childcare.

Reservation and flow of the day

I made the reservation by phone.
I called the landline and there was no answer, but I got a call back from a mobile phone immediately, so it was smooth.

Here are the items to bring on the day ↓
・Towel
・Diapers
・Milk
・Baby bottle
・Change of clothes
・Gauze
・Copy of Maternal and Child Health Handbook and My Number Card

On the day, the diving shop provided transportation between the hotel ↔ Warabi (childcare center) ↔ the diving boat.
After arriving at Warabi, we had a simple interview and filled out a questionnaire about emergency contacts and what time she last had milk, and then the childcare began.

They also provided transportation between Warabi and the hotel on the way back, which was very helpful since we hadn't rented a car. I think it's a good idea to consult with the diving shop regarding transportation to the childcare center!

Notes

When making the reservation, I was carefully asked, “Can she use a baby bottle?” Those who are exclusively breastfeeding need to be especially careful.
In our case, on the advice of a midwife, we had been giving her milk with a baby bottle once every 2-3 days since she was about 3 months old so she wouldn't refuse it, so we were able to leave her without any problems. Note that if they refuse the baby bottle, they will not accept them.

It seems they accept children from 3 months old.

Summary

Thanks to Coco-chan being such a good girl, we parents were able to enjoy diving for the first time in a while and felt very refreshed!
Honestly, even while I was leaving her, I was wondering, “What is Coco-chan doing now?” but I also thought, “I want to show her these fish,” and it was impressive to be able to enjoy diving with a different feeling than before I was pregnant.

By the way, I was nervous about my breasts becoming engorged, so I expressed milk in the shower room between dives. They did get engorged, but I avoided mastitis by breastfeeding afterward! Thank goodness.

If you want to enjoy marine activities in Ishigaki, I also recommend using a childcare service!

▼ Click here for articles about traveling to Ishigaki Island