Can you work nights with no childcare?

Give it another year off work and see what your options are. Your child’s health will improve as they get older hopefully. The last thing you want is for them to end up unwell in hospital, as that is worse than no any lack of sleep.

There are other childcare options also besides Nanny and creche.

But you said your husband won't manage if the kids are sick and you said your little one was sickly, so you might not get a decent sleep if the kids are ill,

I’m sorry but it is absolutely idiotic to deprive yourself of sleep if you can afford childcare but choose not to use it. There’s no way you can have been performing at your best, either at work or while parenting your toddlers and preschoolers. I have also pulled some insanely long hours in the past, in my industry’s culture it is expected/a rite of passage. Doesn’t mean I’m going to jack in childcare now for shits and giggles and become ships passing in the night with my DH.

One or two nights a week is possible. No more.

I think your best course of action is to take a deep breath and accept the situation you are currently in - which is that your husband is currently earning enough to pay all the bills, so it's pride that is driving your need to work, not necessity. That's not a bad thing, but right now it's not your best option without childcare.

This time next year you will have a nearly three year old, which is when I believe funded hours at nursery become a thing.

So plan your return to work in 2027, think about what hours are practical if you need to do drop off and pick-ups etc, but mainly just enjoy 2026 with your little one.

What you did pre-kids is kind of irrelevant if it's not do-able without some form of childcare.

I used to work night shifts filling the supermarket shelves 30 years ago, 4 nights 8pm to 6am with a 2 and 5 year old. It was hard and I was a newly single mum. I managed with a nap when the youngest went to play school.
If you don’t need to work I would certainly not do any night shifts.

When my children were very little I did 4am-8am shifts as a supermarket picker. Then I was able to do the childcare in the day without having to worry about sleeping. It was not fun and I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to though. I basically spent three years feeling like I had some sort of chronic illness.

You will contribute a small amount to then massively affect your health and your child's safety. It isn't worth it.

@Pixieknowle yes you need to sleep!!! Night shift takes it out of you, doubly worse with young children

She doesn't 'need to get past it'. You didn't have to take time out of your career, you chose to take time out of your career. That's two different things. Plenty of families have 2 full time working parents, it is perfectly feasible.

If she's a nurse, it's just not possible to be unreliable. If you turn up late for a shift, it means the person you are due to relieve has to stay late, even though they've probably already been on their feet for 12 hours. It can also taken hours to sort a replacement. My son has worked a few 16 hours shifts due to his relief not turning up. It's a safety issue. I can well believe the NHS would manage her out.

Don’t be silly. When do you think you’d fit in sleeping?!

also can your dh drop a day at work for 12 months so you can work? What would the tax implications for him be?

as you wouldn't be paying tax - although do you give him part of your tax free allowance?

It would be worth working out how much your dh income would be net if he dropped one day a week, in comparison to his net pay now

then work out what your pay would be tax free and whether it is beneficial for you to do the one night and him stay home one day per week with the dc

You want to work nights with no childcare when you don’t need the money? Don’t be silly, that’s batshit crazy. Totally get you want to work - time to think more creatively, maybe retrain?

Not everything in life is about money for everyone. If I came into millions, I would still work and I'd expect my partner to as well. (To me, people who don't understand why working is so unimportant are deeply unattractive - I would leave any man who didn't work whether I was a millionaireor not). Work isn't just about money, it's about making a contribution, challenging your brain, meeting new people, intelligent conversation and achieving growth. The money is a byproduct.

Can you wait until your dd is 3 and get your dc into a pre school facility?

Don't feel terrible if his work makes it impossible for you to work! You look after your child and he can't so you don't really need to contribute financially

You need to try to get past this.
Looking after a child at home is equally valid "work". I had to take 6 years out as I had 3 DC under 4 years and it was the only childcare solution that actually worked.
I did recover my career afterwards and I've never regretted spending that time with them.

The majority of night shift nurses I worked with, did it for these reasons. They split their shifts and didn't go to bed after a shift. They did it for years.
I was young and childless. I couldn't split my shifts (fulltime) but I didn't sleep after my last shift either. I considered it to be a "reset",and to be honest couldn't sleep in the day anyway. I had to take my turn at nights, or I wouldn't have.
So, it can be done. However, is it good for you? No.

Instead of night work why don't you look at evening work? Pubs, restaurants, cinemas etc where you'll be looking at working from 6pm until midnight or so. That way your day after isn't wrecked, you don't destroy your sleep schedule.

Honestly though, if your husband earns loads of money and is unable to do childcare due to work it seems like it makes a lot more sense to not work whilst your kids are young.

You can if you have to.

I stopped reading at the part you said your husband can't help with pick up and drop off. Bollocks. My husband and I are in very high paying, high stress jobs and we both manage school and nursery run between us just fine.

But you are currently contributing financially by being at home and not paying for a nanny or a nursery/after school care. It’s just that your labour is in the home, not in a workplace.

Think how much more terrible you will feel when you crash your car doing the school run and injury yourself, your kids or someone else. As someone who does night shifts occasionally (nurse), this is a terrible and frankly an unsafe plan. The tiredness after a night shift is like nothing else, I have a two year and 5 year old as well and no I absolutely would not trust myself to look after them after a night shift on no sleep. I would go as far as saying it would be as bad as looking after them while intoxicated.

Absolutely not, you will kill yourself from sleep deprivation and possibly end up harming one of your children, especially if you need to drive.

Children deserve our full attention when we’re with them. Nursery is wonderful, much better for them than being shuttled around by a nanny with no opportunities for building friendships and proper socialisation. Put your youngest in nursery. Then you can be fully present and engaged when you’re with her. Quality over quantity is always better.