7 week old babysitting - is this something that people do?

[shortfatsally]

DD is in a vague schedule of feeds. Nothing else is predictable but she roughly needs a feed every 3.5 to 4 hours now. Sleeping/nappies/crying etc are all still pretty haphazard and not predictable.

I need a few hours off a week just to exercise, brush my hair, shower, meet a friend for coffee etc. DH is working all the time so no chance of him helping, and am mostly NC with my parents and immediate family. Friends are also working during the day (which is when I'd need someone.)

What should I be advertising for? A nanny who can do 8 hours a week in the daytime? No feeding just changing, cuddling, watching dd form3 hour periods? Or a babysitter? Are there people who would commit to 8 hours a week?

You can advertise for a nanny yes. It's unlikely you will find someone for just x2 hours each day though as its a lot of effort to travel to you house and back for just x2 hours

You would be better off just asking for 8 hrs one day tbh. Then you can either arrange to meet nanny every 2/3 hours for feeds, or can leave nanny with bottles for a few feeds. Then nanny could take for walk for example whilst your at appointment, then meet in coffee shop whilst you feed, and then meet you back at house.

I think that's a babysitter job myself. And yes, why not for 8 hours a week? It would suit someone who just wants a few hours here and there. Anyone with either childcare experience or who has had a child of their own could do it.

Maternity nurse?
Make sure whoever you get has newborn experience. Or you can use a nursery from 12 weeks

I think you'll find someone easily. Your best bet is probably a nanny who has older children who are at school/nursery and has free time during the day. Newborn experience is hard to get for lots of nannies, so could be a beneficial arrangement for them. Whereabouts are you?

I agree with outraged, I think your best bet is someone locally who either has an after school position or has their own children, or a nanny with a free day/half day.

You'd want someone local if its only two hours here and there.
I'd just put a card in the local library usually good nanny territory and/or a newsagents window. You'll obv want someone with newborn experience and a DBS check.

When mine were 7 weeks, I tended to get our mother's help to come with me to things as I don't think they had a bottle until about 10 weeks, in case they did need feeding.

"Flexible babysitter" I'd say - there's be LOADS of SAHMs whose dc are now in school, who'd love to pick up a few hours of that kind of work, and you'd probably be reassured that they had their own dc.
Or, as outraged says, a nanny whose charges are now at school but have been retained by the family.

Thank you you're all so helpful.

Worked out what I'd need and it's roughly 4 hours a day (that's how long I could go between feeds if I literally fed her before I left and immediately upon return. If i did that 3 days a week it makes 12 hours. Do you think a babysitter would be willing to do 4 hours Monday, Wednesday, friday if it was regular? And in the middle of the day?

You make a good point about other kids they look after being in school.

What websites do I go to, to advertise this sort of stuff?

Just be aware that with growth spurts etc you're unlikely to be able to have that 4 hours between feeds with any certainty so you'll need a back up plan.

I had a childminder for 1 morning slot a week when my twins were a little older...I felt so guilty about their 2 year old brother I needed time just for him!
She just happened to have a slot available between schoolrunduties and lived very near. I got her name from council child services information service.

I think you might have more choice if you made the hours flexible. Normally nannies do want fixed hours, but because this wouldn't be enough to be anyone's main job,you might need to fit around their existing commitments. You can still have Mon, Weds, Fri as set days, but just say 'can be flexible' or similar. Some flexibility is probably good for you too, you'll have more choice of when you can meet up with friends/go places etc.

Best way to find someone is word of mouth. Do you know people with nannies? Otherwise advertise locally or look on childcare.co.uk or gumtree.

A post natal doula would be good. Doula uk have a search facility

You could put your location in here and see if anyone contacts you

If you can wait until 3 months you can use council gym creche for 2/3 hours, you don't have to stay on the premises in mine.

Have you thought of contacting your local college/ training center for help at home, when you want time off indoors? When I was training as a nursery nurse we had these lovely home placements where we would spend a couple of days a week in a family with a new baby to get our baby experience. We were not left alone but more a mothers help.

If you're in Glasgow I'll do it for you! I'm a nanny of school age kids and would love to spend a few hours a week caring for a baby again.

Also, fixed four hours, the same three days a week feels like employment to me. This is something to be aware of; if it's flexible and ad hoc I think it would be fine for the person to be self-employed. I wonder whether going down the full employment route, with contracts, registering as an employer, etc and all that malarky is something you'd want to do?

CM.

It often suits them to have a 'school hours' mindee - so they have space for after-school kids.

Under 5's and after-school kids are counted differently 5, so there is no need to have a 'school hours' baby in order to free a place for a school-age child. All it will do is eat up the valuable 'under one' slot, for four hours a day, when they could have a baby 8am-6pm.

The rule is iirc
Max 1 under age 1
Max 3 under age 3
Max 5 under age 5
Max 8 under age 8

And most CM will prioritise continuity of care for their mindees/ balance of kids that suits their family and working style over maxing out earning potential. So they might have 2 kids reception age, two 3 year olds doing mornings in preschool and 4 older school kids - so absolute mayhem 3 pm onwards - but very quiet in the day.

Some CM I know only do school age kids - because babies and school age kids don't always combine so well - and the £35 per day demanding baby place doesn't stack up so favourably compared to having 8 after-schoolies at £10 each - and most of your time your own.

A drop-in baby would pay a higher hourly rate - and is relatively low responsibility compared to full time working parent scenario - I think many CM would bite OPs hand off.

It must be different where I am. Here the focus is definitely on the under 5's. Too much competition with afterschool clubs and au pairs for there to be big profit in the after school market. A baby place will set you back significantly more than £35 a day as well!! London

It obviously depends. I find older CMs seem to have more schoolies - whether because they've grown up with them - or because they want time off in the day. I know some who still have 13year olds dropping in to have a cup of tea and wait for a lift home from parents - which obviously gives them a bit of a different vibe to CMs that run a nursery like provision. The local balance of nurseries/after-school clubs must also have an effect. For the purpose of the OP - I think a CM is more likely to have ad hoc daytime hours than a nanny. Only nanny-like scenario where such hours would be economically feasible would be if they were SAHM of schoolies who wanted a bit of extra cash - but I imagine such a person would be harder to find & vet.

FWIW - I'm also London - a fairly poor borough - that's what I paid 5 years ago, so maybe more now. But no-one had au-pairs because they barely had sufficient living space for their own families! And ASC was pricey and a minibus ride away. CM had enquiries every month for schoolie places.

Some gyms have creche's

My gym has a crèche that takes babies from 6 weeks. Showering, exercise, meeting a friend for coffee can all be done there (as can sitting in the hot tub) and when the feeding schedule changes and in a few weeks she wants feeding every half hour for an hour you might prefer to be on the premises.

Or I have a childminder for £3.70/hour. Very local and flexible. Would mumsnet local work for you?

There are loads of nannies with free hours in the daytime. I'm one of them. And I could recommend at least 4 more. And we're all Ofsted registered (so insured, first aid trained, DBS checked etc.), easy enough to vet.

Like you say it will depend on area, and I can only speak to my area (West London), but there are definitely more nannies with child-free hours, than childminders. Plus you've got the benefit of the nanny coming to you rather than having to go to a childminder, which with a 7 week old must be a big plus!

Ah - plush West London . The presumption is that you nanny school aged kids? Only nannies round my way are young foreign nanny-shares wrangling teams of toddlers!