Help after 4th Child is born

[rso628]

Hi,

I have never posted here before, more of a watcher but thought here would be a good place to ask. So here goes

I am due (hopefully) to give birth to my 4th child around Christmas this year. My other children will be 7, 3 and 14/15 months. The youngest has DS.

After giving birth to my youngest (DS and heart conditions undiagnosed until birth) I suffered from moderate to severe PND mainly manifested in anxiety over my health and lack of bonding with youngest. I could not cope with tea time, bath time or homework time at all. Could just about do bedtime story etc. OH was very supportive but had to work.

I am now back at work (full time) and send youngest to Nursery and the two eldest have an Au Pair (who I find pretty useless and it is similar to having another teenager to worry about in the house).

That aside I was wondering what childcare help I should go for just before and just after giving birth - thinking of a 3 month window i.e. 2/3 weeks before due date until the baby is a couple of months old and hopefully getting easier. By Childcare I mean Maternity Nurse, Nanny, Mother's Help etc and how soon I should start looking?

The whole aim is to avoid getting PND. I traditionally give birth easily and then start to do things literally teh moment I have given birth i.e. the school run the next morning after giving birth at 11pm at night. I realise now that that was a little silly....

Is this in addition to the au pair?

Personally, I'd go for a clone of you nanny, assuming it's the children you will be needing the extra help with, rather than the house. So someone to keep do school/nursery runs, after school activities etc; while you mainly look after the baby and recoup some energy. If you don't have a cleaner, get one

Are you planning on going back to work? In which case, longer term a nanny to look after DC3 and DC4 during the day and after school plus holidays might be cheaper than 2x nursery fees plus holiday clubs.

And IME: I have also traditionally carried on life as usual after birth, however got laid up with mastitis 3/4 days after DC4 was born and poof had to write the next week off, I was shattered. I've had babies before and I've had mastitis before but this just felt like v bad flu, I was wiped.

A friend of mine contacted the local college and got a student who was studying childcare to help her out. I don't know whether you can still do this.

I forgot to say that this was all official and above board as it counted as a work placement.

Thanks MrsTellis. No the Au Pair goes home on the 10th December at the late thank goodess.

Not sure about work yet thought I might try and take off until the youngest is at Nursery.

Hi rso628 whereabouts do you live?