How early can I go back to work?

I started work again at four months, three days a week. It saved my sanity.

Most people don't go back until 6 months, its quite unusual to see really little ones at nursery now (although most do take from 6 months).
My brain doesn't work properly until they're at least 6 months old again. Combination of hormones, lack of sleep and breastfeeding.
Why anyone would want to leave a 6 day old as beyond me.

You can get child care from super young as the above posts outline. However if someone had made me put my son into nursery or even with a nanny at 3 months I would have been distraught. It's so early, you and baby are still getting to know each other. You will likely also be exhausted from night feeding. I love my job but 10 months would have been earliest I could have happily gone back, and I actually took a whole year.

I have had a 5 week and a six week old with the 16month old sibling!

6 days IMHO is far too young, feeding hasn't been established, cord may still be attached, possibility of jaundice, all 'problems' I have seen with new booked in clients, not that I would say no, I would be honoured!

The wonderful thing of having a 3 month old is they need NO settling in, only the mum does! Any baby up to 5-6 months needs minimal settling as they have not reached the separation anxiety stage. 7 - 8 months is hard, and after that much harder still.

I have been minding 26 years, I know from experience!

I was working when DD1 was 5weeks, but I'm freelance, so did a project then took a break before the next.
DD2 was a more traumatic birth and I was off till she as 6m, though I could have gone back a bit sooner.
Make plans, but be prepared for them to have to change.

DD's nursery takes them from 3 months - though I think it is quite rare to get them that young and they need to do their settling in period before starting. I think the staff would love to have a really little one.

Just to put some perspective on it, I had a very bad birth with complications which would have made going back at 3 months impossible - 5 or 6 might have been realistic, this is unusual, but possible. Also DD was 2 weeks late - not sure if that would eat into your planned 3 months. It is worth being prepared for needing to take a bit longer.

paying for it you and partner if employed are entitled to childcare vouchers so google to explore these. These can also start from when child is born so can build up a stash useful if childcare is going to always be more than voucher value. (wish I had know this as only found out mth before went back to work)

to cover maternity leave finacially before i got pregnant and when pregnant we put some aside into a seperate account to cover short fall in my salary.

Maybe stagger going back to work I did 3 days a week but on a four day a week contract using annual leave one day a week for 12wks eased finances. I went back at 9mths.

I think legally if you are employed you can't start back at work until your child is 2 weeks. Although not sure if you are self employed if there is any similar legislation.

3 months is good from both baby and childminder's point of view (much easier for settling) and it would be a good idea to look into nurseries as early as possibly during pregnancy as some of them have stupidly long waiting lists. However, with childminders, you don't need to worry as much, we work on a shorter term basis generally and you are best to look around the time baby arrives. (If i remember rightly - we can not take a retainer for an unborn baby anyway)

You may find you feel differently about going back once your baby arrives but it's best to cover all bases and keep your options open.

I'm a nanny. All my jobs have started from newborn with mum back at work approx 12 weeks later

You may need to check out your childcare options sooner rather than later - the good nurseries get booked up. Our nursery wouldn't take a baby younger than 3 months.

When you go back is upto you, I looked after a 4 month old. Some childminders have a minimum, my friend will have a 2 week old start soon and I know of a 6 day old starting at another local one.

Just ring round a few childminders/nurseries a couple of months before.