How old does a baby need to be for childcare?

[Shellywelly1973]

Trying to get organised as baby is due in 6 weeks.

What is the youngest age a nursery or childminder will care for a baby?

Tia...

Usually 3 months, but it depends. You'd have to ring around and ask.

Nannies sometimes take from birth.

Nannies from birth

Childminders may take from birth

Nursery around 3 months on average

12 weeks at my nursery

It must be unbelievably knackering to go back at that age though, you'd be living a half life on no sleep and potentiall expressing milk in your tea break

I rang 2 childminders today & they both said 12 weeks. Im not overly keen on a nursery. Main issue with a nanny is im self employed & work from home.

Massive change in circumstances. Now a single parent. Mortgage to pay etc etc. 4 dc. Bf probably a luxury I won't be able to extend to!

I would recommend a temp nanny for 0-3/4 months then, and then a childminder or nursery after. Would that work?

Nurseries will sometimes take before 3 months, if really needed. My lad was about 7 weeks when he first went... although it was arranged through SS, as I was poorly at the time.

I'm a childminder and the youngest I have taken is 2 months. We did a few settling in sessions when lo was 6 weeks old, so Mum could get ready to go back to work. These sessions were worked around feeds.

You are more likely to find a childminder that will take a young baby than a nursery.

I love having the young ones and seeing them grow.

My stepmum had a nanny although she worked from home - she BF as well as the nanny brought the baby in for feeds. She worked in one room and the nanny kept the child(ren - she had two and went back to work v soon with both as self employed) in other rooms.

Only 1 room downstairs with P.C etc.
So not really an option.

Thanks for all suggestions. Will keep looking & extend the overdraft...!

Maybe try a nanny share? Hosted at the other families house?

Childminder is probably the better option - if you speak to a few more you might find one willing to take earlier than 12 weeks. If you call your local council they can give you a list of everyone with vacancies in your area.

Can you get a mortgage break to make things a little easier and give you a bit more time?

Can you work from home with baby? We have done this half the week and they are now toddlers and works well still

As babies I used to sling them most the day and they just fed/ slept as they wanted.

Now on days I or dh work at home we get up before the children wake and try and get 2 hrs done say 6am and they wake 8am. Then whilst the nap 2 hrs and 2-3 hrs after they are in bed. We prob fit in 4 ish hours through the day whilst they are awake and mainly entertaining themselves

I will be working from home. I work whilst older dc are at school as 2 of them have SNs & one of them is in a special school.

My plan was to use a minder 2/3 school days per week.So as I can attend meetings etc. I hopefully have a new job as of April. That will make it much easier as its term time & better paid.

Its so hard. My brain is tired trying to think of solutions to everything!

My DM.is A CM and she has cared FT for a three week old. He stayed with her til he was twelve.

Where are you?

I'd take from 2 weeks because unless you are a director you have to take two weeks.

My ds's nursery take babies from 6 weeks.

I have recently taken a baby at 5 weeks. It's unusual these days, but not unheard of.

Some cms will take from 6 weeks although I think that is very tiny to be away from mum though.

Your situation sounds really tough, I would think bf though would be worth doing as saves lots of money and faffing about with bottles in the middle of the night!!

Make sure you are getting all your tax credits etc if you are a new single parent.

No tax credits even as a single parent!

I earn decent money but its taken me years to build up my reputation. Its not something vi can leave for 3 months & come bach to, unfortunately...

I intend on doing as little as possible for the 6 weeks after the birth. I won't have any help at night etc so I was thinking that if I employed a cm I would get a bit of rest whilst the other dc were at school.

Im hideously stressed now. Im absolutely dreading adding a baby to the situation.

Thanks for all the replies.

Shellywelly, what a difficult time you are going through. I wish I could help you. Do you have any friends how could help out in the interim? I know it's a long shot but a friend of mine had a baby around the same time as me and we have been helping out each other since our babies were tiny by looking after each other's lo's.

If you happen to live in/near Glasgow I could help you out somehow I'm sure.

As you work from home could you consider a mothers help rather than a childminder or nanny?
You could perhaps employ someone from the local college who is studying childcare. It would be cheaper and you could work out a flexible arrangement that works well for both of you.
A mothers help would occupy the children whilst you work in another room, but obviously as she is less experienced you will be on hand to help / advise if needed.

Sometimes it is worth earning less and getting the tax credits just for your own sanity. I'm a single parent and work 3 days a week, I could at a push do 4 but would then lose the tax credits so wouldn't be better off by much.