Hopefully reassuring to those thinking about nursery for young babies

[glovesoflove]

My DD started nursery three days a week at the beginning of Jan at 7.5mo after doing some settling in sessions in December. I was so, so worried about it.

She has settled in so much better than I dared to hope. She greets the staff with a big grin and happily goes off for her breakfast. When I collect her in the evenings she is ecstatic to see me but I think she would prefer it if the room leader could come home with us too!

Just wanted to post to let others know that if you are lucky your baby will enjoy nursery and you will feel confident that they are taking care of them as well as your mum or MIL would.

Ds is the same! :)
He started at 5mo so just a titch. He has always been happy and now at 22mo he walks in carrying his bag and runs off to play as soon as the door is opened.

A good nursery is just as good as a good childminder/ PIL/ au pair etc.

Oh ladies, you have no idea how much I needed to hear this, my ds starts settling on Monday, for full time care at 6 months, I have been guilt ridden, a wreck over it, wondering am I doing the right thing...

us there anything I need to know that might help me through this

Talk the the nursery staff about your worries. Give them as much info as you can about your ds' routine, likes, dislikes, odd little things you do to get him to settle.
Try to be jolly an relaxed when you drop off as even little ones pick up on stress and anxiety.
The first few weeks are hard but will soon pass.
Oh and be prepared for the endless colds and bugs that nursery provides for the first 6 months! :)

I agree, be totally prepared to take lots of last minute time off work to deal with the endless colds, stomach bugs that most children pick up when they start nursery and hopefully you will have a sympathetic employer who has kids and realises that these things just cannot be helped.

I am now a stay at home mum - although my DS (aged 2.5) goes to nursery 3 mornings a week just for 2 and a half hours to let him mix with other children and get some company etc-

I had a very bad experience with his first childcare after i went back to work after my maternity leave when he was only 9 months old. However i am happy to say that not all nurseries are bad and the one he is in now is a total breath of fresh air so if you have found a good nursery thats half the battle.