using nanny while you're on maternity leave

[poppy34]

ok inspired by another thread I thought I'd ask if you're fortunate enough to be able to keep on your nanny while you are off on maternity leave , what were your experiences (good/bad etc)?

also is it reasonable/sensible to ask or sound out nannies views on this situation when you employ them?

Am looking for a nanny soon and would like a second dc in the not too distant future and would hope to keep nanny on so it is soemthing that any candidate if they stayed around would have to contend with. Hadn't hitherto thought of it being a problem

obv this is as a nannys point of view but my mb really appreicated me being around while she was on ml

there were 2 other children to look after ( 2 and 5)and mb was very tired after losing blood and having tranfuson and slept a lot and i had all 3 children a lot of the time ( and quite happy to )

she wrote me a lovely note - tis pinned on my fridge - just saying how much she really appricated me in the first few weeks of giving birth and thanking me for my help - which was so sweet of her

i have had 3 mb on ml and have always worked - slightly less hours but same pay

i relises that it costs a lot to keep me on, but on the toher hand, the children had continualty, mb didnt have to get 3 children out of house at 8.30, 11.30 and 3pm

I don't know about sounding out nanny candidates, but I'd suggest you try and work out whether the nanny is really really keen on sole charge - some people would find it very difficult to have their boss around. My current nanny would hate it, I think.

When I was PG with DC2, my nanny was also pregnant and due to leave during my maternity leave. At the time I got some great advice from people here on how to handle sharing care with your nanny. Equally I got feedback from the nanny (via a third person) that although it was great having me around to play with the children while she got meals ready/washed up etc, it meant she also had to "do things properly". I rather thought she would do things properly all the time. And she would say how difficult it was having to clean under the table after toddler tea time when she was sooo pregnant - but I could do it and I was 6 months more pg than she was.

I have to say I found it rather a strain, and in some ways it was a bit of relief when she went on maternity leave. TBH I think that was more to do with the nanny in question - I got a mother's help in part time, who was cheaper, and more what I needed - until I went back to work.

Sorry, I haven't really answered your question but HTH.

I wouldn't bother sounding out this, until such time as you actually pregnant. Once you have some idea of how much leave from work you will actually take, then approach your nanny about that.
I worked for a family once where the mum took 5 months off... I still nannied during that time, it worked out well - mum got some rest pre-birth and lots of bonding time post-birth. The other children kept to their usual routines, thus the new arrival caused very little disruption.
My housework duties increased. I got time to bond with the new baby so when it came time for mum to return to work, baby settled with me very quickly plus mum was not anxious about returning to work.

thanks everyone -its quite heartening to hear that it could work out (my rationale is that it would be a life line to me having struggled with dd and it would be nice to have them bond with new child). won't mention it but its something hadn't even contemplated being a problem... you can tell that I'm obsessing thinking over my new nanny requirements