Childcare with a commute

I have driven with DS to work (30-40 mins) daily since he was 6 months old. He is now 5, and I have loved (mostly!) the chatting and the singing and the "WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT!" and the rest. He's got a great vocabulary through being talked with, we play spelling games these days ("Can you see that c-a-t?) or I-spy. Because he's with me, I don't get antsy about getting back in time to collect if traffic's dreadful, if he's ill then the nursery is 5 mins from my office and I can collect very quickly, and it's all worked out very well. Also I think it meant fewer guilt trips as we spend a good hour every day chatting and the like, so it's like quality time on the move.

If you have a sling then getting to your office would be relatively easy (though make sure you've spare clothes there in case of chuck-ups!) and you'd have that time spent in closeness with your baby, which is wonderful for them and you especially in the first year or so. And because they are away from you for the least time possible (just your core hours) and are then cuddled by you on the train, I think it would be better than giving to a CM for 12 hours a day. I guess once they're bigger, an umbrella stroller would be manageable on the train.

If you commuted with baby in a sling you would still get a seat and would still be able to do the walk.

Might get sick on your work clothes, but keep a clean shirt at work...

I would sign up with the work one if you can because you might be BFing and get on well with it - if baby on the premises you might be able to slope off to feed - or at least feed immediately before and after work and poss once at lunchtime.

Any way to keep your options open? Can you book in with both CM and work nursery, for e.g.? That way you will know what kind of baby you have, what kind of mum you are etc... What are the implications of cancelling either arrangement if, for example, you don't go back to work? Or you decide on the other option?

I'd go for a CM. DP and I both commute into London. He does shifts so DD won't be in for long hours every day, but once every fortnight there will be a 10, 11 hour day. Personally I prefer the idea of her being in a family environment for such a long time when she is young, I'll look at nurseries again when she is a bit older.

One thing to consider with a CM is that they will be more flexible if you get stuck on your commute, if the train route closes or something. We're paying our CM a small contigency fee in case of that. It makes me feel so much better than if there is a worst case scenario (me and DP both stuck in London for hours) then the CM will happily feed and bathe DD and put her in the travel cot until someone can make it to collect her.

Maybe if the hours are that long could you employ a nanny?
Then at least your baby will be in his or hers own home

I have had a mindee who started at 7.30 and finished at 6.30 (and sometimes 8pm), so it's not unusual - why would you want a childminder who then dropped at nursery? Wouldn't it be easier to just have a childminder?

The work nursery sounds interesting but (especially if you go back when LO is 4m) you should bear in mind that the evening is often the toughest time of day. Your baby will be fractious, overstimulated, exhausted and starving and the commute home is unlikely to be fun for either of you.