did anyone go back to childminding full time or 4 days very soon after giving birth yourself??

LOL at the breastfeeding dolls, that's EXACTLY what happened with my 1 year old mindees, they went from bottle feeding to breastfeeding almost overnight! . I did have one point when ds2 was 15 weeks old where for 4 solid months he fed EVERY 2 HOURS DAY AND NIGHT and I honestly was starting to loose the will to live! I was gutted but had to move to formula in the end. I don't think I looked after myself well enough (working 7.30am - 6pm Mon - Fri with so many so young!) so that's my one big guilt thing. IF you want to BF, make sure you do make time to drink enough water, eat etc!! :)

Well done all of those who really did have the tiniest amount of time off, I really don't think I could have gone straight back that quick, well, not with the ages I had at the time! (older ones were fine and actually a help from what I remember)

I took 3 weeks off, finished on the Friday 10th Sept was induced Monday 13th Sept and started back Monday 4th October. It was short enough for parents to find an alternative and although I would have liked longer it was very much do-able and I didn't loose any children.

I have a 3 year old of my own and 4 part-time in EY (9 minded children in total) so I had to get a variation as 4 days a week I have have 4 under 4 (including my own) from 9-2.30. I work 7.30am until 6pm 5 days a week and it has all worked out well. Ds2 is now sleeping through and things are much easier!

As far as I know none of my parents felt guilty and although I'm not sure I'd have been happy with my child going to a house with a newborn baby none seemed to be concerned about my sanity ability to cope! And for those talking about feeding it was one of my major concerns but I have had no problems with bf and some of the little girls have been bf their dolls at home. Some of the older children did ask what I was doing to ds2

I had been at work on the monday, went into hospital 10pm that night and had the baby at 2.26am. She was 3 weeks early but all the parents of mindees were fab and all were very supportive and well organised. I returned to childminding, full time 13 days later! Although i must add that i work alongside another childminder in my home so i wasnt alone with the 6 mindees and my newborn baby!
I has all worked out brilliantly!

Worked until 7pm had baby (3rd child) at 9.30 that night and returned to work the following day at 4pm with an 8 year old for two hours, returned to full time after one week.

My milk didn't come in with DS2 but I had planned to FF anyway.

WOW, well done you, that would have been when my milk came in and I could never have managed until that had settled down a little!!!

I gave birth to DS2 on a Sunday, came home from hospital on Monday, went back to work as CM on Tuesday. This was, however, over 20 years ago, and as I had one nursery-aged mindee in the same class as DS1 and my others were aged 8+ after-schoolies it actually made life easier for me, as the two nursery children played together very well.

(DS2 was planned to arrive in the middle of the summer holidays, when I was off work anyway. Unforunately he was nearly three weeks late, hence the early return to work.)

I've just found a family and we suit each other perfectly so it all worked out!

Oh no, poor you :( Hope you get something soon!

Yes, I WAS very lucky, one of the parents quit her job and looked for another one to be lined up for when I came back (she wasn't happy where she was anyway and it gave her a chance to have her dd on a one to one basis for a while as I'd had her since 8 weeks old).

I think the best thing is to have some ideas in your head then see how the parents react and take it from there :)

My mindees all left me...sob. I've just started again now DD is 10 months, but have been trying to get work since she was 5 months! I didn't want full time and tbh quite a lot of parents were put off by me having a younger baby myself thinking I would give DD all my attention (2 I met with told me this).

I hope it works out for you vicki. It can be difficult for parents to find care while you take time off, but looneytune made it work so I'm sure you can too :).

Law says you must take 2 weeks and if you work in a factory you must take at least 4 weeks. x

I am not a childminder but, not long time ago I had a baby . You are forced to take 2 weeks maternity leave, if not you are breaking the law.
After 2 weeks you can come back to work full time.

I am not a childminder but, not long time ago I had a baby . You are forced to take 2 weeks maternity leave, if not you are breaking the law.
After 2 weeks you can come back to work full time.

My parents were all fab, ALL stayed with me and worked round the 12 weeks off without even using another childminder (I offered details, none were interested). One of these mindees has paid a deposit to start months later and I had to inform her I was pregnant and would end up off for 12 weeks 3/4 months after they started. They were also fab and said not to worry and that it would all work out - and it did! :)

I'm not even pg yet Vicki lol but i have it roughly set out in my mind! lol

Ideally will take two weeks off before my c section date (not my due date lol) and 6-8 weeks afterwards. If i was having a vaginal birth i would probs obly take around 4 weeks off afterwards. But last time it really took me a good few weeks to get back on my feet after the surgery, so wouldn't want to push myself and end up hurting myself.

yes totally agree with the last two posts.. often you hear trotted out that women used to give birth in the fields in the last century and then strapped said infant on their back and continued to work.... forget to mention though that often those said women died!!!!

obviously you arnt in that space but honestly.. if possible be good to yourself.. having a baby is wonderful but bloody bloody hard work.

i believe there is some law that says you cant be working for the first 2 weeks after giving birth. imo it seems very optimistic. would this be your first pg? if you've had easy deliveries and recoveries in the past then maybe. but even then every baby is differant my dc3 was a nightmare baby when compared with dc1 and dc2

I planned on taking 4 weeks but in the end chickened out and am just about to return from the full 9 months. Could afford it though and that might be the deciding factor.

hats off to you all..last child 11 and went back to work 3 years ago so only had the 8 years off....!!!!!!!mind that was before the recession...

seriously though as a parent I ould feel bloody awful dropping my dcs off to a woman who had effectivly just given birth but on the other hand all have living to make and if she says shes fine then whos to judge but her..

good luck though

I think this question very much depends on people's set ups i.e. how many hours they work, how many children etc. If I'd have only had 1 or 2 mindees who were a bit older then I probably would have been fine, what I said about being pleased I had longer was because I had so many and so young.

i had 5 weeks off with my dd. i worked right up till the day before i went into labour. this time round i plan to take 8 weeks. not because i struggled the first as went really well dd was a great baby but so my dd has more time to get use to having me split my time between her and the baby without worry about other children to account for and also so i have a bit longer with my baby.

I had 3 weeks off in total with my yougest child (now 8) , 1 week before birth and 2 weeks after .
A friend of mine (also reg childminder) happened to have a gap so she took on my mindee for these 3 weeks .

I was fine having my mindee back when my daughter was 2 weeks old . Admittedly she was an easy baby and I had a straight forward birth .