Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think I could work from home with a brand new baby?

337 replies

SanitysSake · 10/02/2017 13:14

Just mulling over a few ideas to keep the funds coming in whilst at home.

Is it possible, or am I living in cloud cuckoo land?

Would be grateful to hear from any stay-at-home mums who also manage to work from home.

Any hints, tips, experiences, advice would be most appreciated.

OP posts:
paddypants13 · 10/02/2017 16:44

I've tried it with two under 4 and it was a nightmare. I think you will struggle with a newborn tbh.

smilingsarahb · 10/02/2017 16:46

My first birth left me v sore for 6 weeks and the breastfeeding was about 2.5 hourly day and night so the newborn stage would not have been a good stage for me to work. There were points in babyhood generally when there were longer naps and a bit more sleep at night was happening when I could have done a some work at home if I'd had too maybe 2 hours. (I rested and cleaned) after my eldest dropped naps at the same time my youngest was born I couldn't have worked at home and was glad to be in the office.

Heirhelp · 10/02/2017 16:49

There is no way I could have. My day up to 6 weeks went like this 8 am way up and feed until 10, baby slept until 10.15 while I started to shower 10.15 to 12.15 baby feed. I would then chuck on some clothes and go down stairs and then baby would feed again for 3 hours. This would repeat all day.

maddiemookins16mum · 10/02/2017 16:55

I did it one day a week (to save money), DD was an easy baby too but it was hard. I suddenly realised one day that DD had been in her play pen for 3 hours (not all in one go, and she'd fallen asleep in there with her sucky blanket and I left her there (asleep). In the end, I got an Au Pair full time and worked from home 3 days a week.

GoesDownLikeACupOfColdSick · 10/02/2017 17:01

I thought I could write a few articles etc whilst I was on mat leave.

There are cats in hell roasting away with more chance than I had! You will be tired, so tired, and the baby will want to be fed all the time, all the time. I couldn't put DD down for more than 20 mins at a time when she was tiny; she just screeched for boob dairy the whole time.

Sorry OP, but better to be realistic!

LolDeLol · 10/02/2017 17:02

It would be contract work, writing reports basically on an ad-hoc basis. So not every day 9-5. Entirely flexible and no conference calls either

Sounds like it might be worth a try. Could you afford a cleaner, one that did the laundry too? Lots of babies are really difficult but there are plenty who are easy (or at least easy'ish) too.

ElderDruid · 10/02/2017 17:10

In theory depending on what you'll be doing it could be possible if your NB is a good sleeper. You need to factor in that with night feeds and general restlessness you could be like a living zombie yourself. Best thing to do would be to play it by ear.
Finances for new parents are pretty rubbish in comparison with other countries. France, Ireland & Sweden have pretty good maternity leave. Don't forget as your income is going to change for a time, calculate your actual income to let TC know, as you could get better CTC & WTC.

KERALA1 · 10/02/2017 17:12

I read a ridiculous novel in which the heroine took her baby with her to work for it's first year. Ha ha ha. I had 4 month old at the time who screamed from 4-8pm.

Sophia1984 · 10/02/2017 17:23

Possible before they're mobile; definitely not once they're crawling!

Elendon · 10/02/2017 17:24

Under 6 months, and that's being generous and supposing all goes well with the birth; then you are on constant go till they get to nursery. Despite going to school expect no peace until they are over 8 to be brutally honest and that's being generous too. Children take up a lot of time. Try and farm them out, they will enjoy the socialisation and you will get some peace. Factor in time to get to the nursery and time back, parking, getting them ready etc;

It's lovely having babies. Unfortunately they tend to grow.

scoobydoo1971 · 10/02/2017 17:35

I started my business when my eldest child was 8 months old. His father worked long hours and there was no family near-by. He was quite seriously ill until the age of 5 so I was worried about using a child-minder. I worked from home when he was asleep or when his Dad was home. It started very small, but started to get bigger in terms of workload by the time his sister arrived 4 years later. Both are in school now, I have my own company working with multi-national clients and I could get an office, but I choose to have the office at home. I work afternoons, weekends and mostly late evening. Having medical conditions myself, caring responsibilities for elderly relatives, a family business to run on top of my own work and being a single parent...this is hard work, it consumes your life and can say good-bye to having 'me' time. However, I am pragmatic that my business gives me an income to use on quality of life, a mortgage-free lifestyle and my children's future is financially secure. I don't have a horrific commute or odious people to deal with in an office and my children understand that my work pays for the holidays and good times. Tired, stressed but feelng lucky to do a job I love for lots of reasons.

tiredofhavingtothinkofnewnames · 10/02/2017 17:36

If you are self employed and it is no set working hours requirements then of course you can. You can work evenings and weekends while DP does the childcare.

You will both be either working, child caring or sleeping at any time but if that is what you want then it is possible

PurpleTraitor · 10/02/2017 17:42

I've done it and so have many people I know.

But of course it depends what type of work you do and how many hours you are putting in, also depends who you work for. I've worked at home and studied at home pretty much all the time I've been parenting in various combinations, including as a single parent. When I had my second newborn I had a month off and then was studying and working from home.

I would just feed and work, and work when the baby was asleep, often on me. It's easier than ever with smartphones and tablets etc.

When I worked around a toddler it was much much harder, so much so that I chose to take on much more with a newborn rather than defer things until the mobile baby/toddler stages. When I worked with a toddler I would often work in the early hours on purpose. But I was able to do that.

I don't see why not, as long as it's flexible enough.

maddiemookins16mum · 10/02/2017 17:43

Oh and if you're bf, no chance.

Elendon · 10/02/2017 17:48

Bottle fed babies can be just as fussy and then there are the bottles to wash and make up. If you can breast feed them, it will be a huge help.

NarkyMcDinkyChops · 10/02/2017 17:52

Oh and if you're bf, no chance

Yes, people have done it while BF.
I'd really like if people would stop claiming that something people actually do is entirely impossible.

Difficult, yes, improbable even. But it's not impossible because some of us have done it!

ollieplimsoles · 10/02/2017 17:54

I did it from dd being four months, and she was breastfed. I work to deadlines too.

I worked when she was asleep, when my dh was in from work and if my mum could sit and play with her for an hour but not regularly. The bulk of my work was done once she was in bed.

glueandstick · 10/02/2017 17:55

Under 5 months it's quite easy. After that it's impossible.

They stay little so such a short time, just enjoy it.

(Currently settling down to work for a few hours...)

FartnissEverbeans · 10/02/2017 17:55

I've got a 4mo DS and I manage to get dressed and out of the house some days! It's great, I feel so productive.

To answer your question, yes, I fear you are being unreasonable. But during my pregnancy I was convinced I would need to have some sort of project to stop me being bored. I was going to start a blog!

Hahahahahaha!

hels18 · 10/02/2017 17:57

My baby is four weeks old and there is no way I could do anything else in my day other than look after her right now! Hats off to anyone that can.

AssassinatedBeauty · 10/02/2017 18:03

The thing is you won't necessarily know until you get there. I'd just see how you feel, see how the birth goes, how feeding/sleeping is going and then decide from there. I'd give yourself at least 2 weeks post partum to begin with.

smileygrapefruit · 10/02/2017 18:11

I was back out at work with 12 day old dd2 in sling (outside, full time, self employed). She's just started childcare at 1 year old because I'm 20 weeks pregnant with dc3 and was struggling to carry her any longer. But yes, I'm fucking knackered and have been since pregnant with dd1 4 years ago!! If you have the option of maternity leave with pay grab it with both hands.

Elendon · 10/02/2017 18:17

I started my GCSE Maths when my last baby was 4 months old. It took a year. I had two older children 9 and 7 as well. I got a B in it. If you focus and are organised, with help, you cannot do this without support, then you will get some work done.

Original poster
SanitysSake · 10/02/2017 18:22

You women sound like super-heroes!

This thread has certainly given me food for thought, I thank you.

I don't want to veer it entirely off topic, but has anyone had any experience of having a nanny in the house whilst you work, or have done work in one of those dual creche/office environments? And if you did, how young was your little one when you considered this?

Did it work for your little one? Did it work for you? Good, bad and ugly appreciated.

OP posts:
Silvertap · 10/02/2017 18:25

I did it.
Totally depends on the job. I'd say it doesn't always depend on the baby though. I'm self employed as a farmer and no one else can do our paperwork so I just had to do it. I learnt to feed in the sling though and had very supportive parents and in laws.

Swipe left for the next trending thread