Childminder recommendations

[philosophie]

Hi all, am in final days of pregnancy and looking around at local nurseries. I've found one I really like but my general feeling - with all of them - is that they might better suit older children from 2years plus. At the moment, the thought of leaving a little 11 or 12 month old there is a bit overwhelming!

I'm now wondering if a childminder might be better as it will be more of a home-from-home environment. However, it's so hard to know where to start looking!

Do any mums or dads out there have (or have had) a local childminder that they loved and trusted to bits and want to recommend?

Thank you!