Maternity leave - childcare

[Namechanger355]

Hi

i need to go to a few appointments over the next few months - physio and the like. Limited help from my mum and my DH works full time and can rarely work from home.

DD2 is almost 4 months old and won’t start nursery until after summer.

does anyone know what I can do in this instance - ie are there childcare options to look after my baby for a few hours at a time? She is EbF but can take a bottle for a feed now and then.

thanks

Dh takes annual leave or pay for a childminder/babysitter

Limited annual leave left for DH this year and he travels

I think that’s my point - is it easy to find babysitters and childminders who can do occasional days like this rather than set periods. Where can I find details.

@Namechanger355 if you contact a childminder if they cannot do it then they usually know someone who can. Where I am they are all nice to one another and some of them do ad-hoc minding as well as scheduled minding. Google childcare near me and there should be a childminder one pop up.

Adhoc nannies / babysitters can be hard to find. I do that sort of thing on occasion (fitting it around my permanent work) and parents typically find me via ChildcareCoUk or via a local community Facebook group.

My nursery recommended someone but i
mainly used friends if dh or family couldn’t help. One even pushed DS around the hospital for one of my appointments.

When DS was a baby, I just used to take him to appointments if I didn't have an alternative. It was a bit harder once he started to roll - I distinctly remember one therapy session where he basically rolled the length of the room and back again for almost the full hour and then fell asleep in the middle of the room - but I didn't really have another option.

Yes, this. Breastfed babies can be taken with you to most appointments. I took mine to physio appointments.

Agencies will have temp /ad hoc nannies

Or ask on your local town Fb page and sure many will reply

I used to work for a company called sitters who provided ad hoc childcare and everyone was DBS checked and had a relevant qualification. Not sure if they’re still around or if similar companies exist?

Sitters.co.uk are great we use them ad hoc and generally get the same sitter so they know now dc

Have you asked physio if you can bring your baby? I had post birth physio and took DD. It didn't seem to be a problem.

I took DD with me. She sat in a pushchair quite happily at most things and I’d try to time to a feed and nap. I did put off some things until she was 6 months as that was easier.

I wouldn’t leave a 4 month old with a stranger and the problem with agencies is you rarely get the same person twice.

I would have taken mine with me at 4 months.

And yes physio I have taken my dd. Tho she was 5 but sat in the chair with colouring

If you were planning to use a childminder rather than a nursery it would be easy as your planned childminder would cover your appointments the same as they often cover emergency time often in weekends and evenings and hospitalisation. Few rarely take a one off

I do this type of work with a few families through the Bubble app. One family in particular I work with at the moment, and have done since baby was 8 weeks, mum has had a few post birth appointments and so she books me in for a few hours. I only work after school hours so it works well for both of us.

I'm perplexed at your dhs limited annual leave?
Either he's taken the majority since January which doesn't seem like good planning or the new holiday year started 5 days ago 🤔

Anyway, there are websites you can use to find a childminder. Some nursery staff may do as hoc baby sitting. Or take baby with you

Perhaps he took it all when his child was born?
Not all sectors have the same holiday year- mine is September-August and our financial year is July-August.