When to start looking for nurseries

[Furrymummy]

Hello, pg with 1st due in December, will probably go on M/L beginning of December. Anticipate returning to work April/May time. When should I start looking at nurseries for when I return to work? There are two very close to where I work, so I could pop in during the day. Should I call them and ask about waiting lists, or leave it until just before I go on M/L?

I would call now to ask about waiting lists

Hi - I guess it depends on how popular the nursery is.

I went to look round in May (DS was due in July) and wanted to start him the following January. When we went in May, the waiting list for full-time was over 12 months so they wouldn't have been able to fit him in until the following July - but fortunately I only wanted 3 days a week and they could fit him in on the exact 3 days I wanted - but I guess that was luck.

So I would definitely do it sooner rather than later.

Great, thanks for your comments, I'll start ringing around

I'm due in dec too! I work in a nursery and i've had to book mine in for next sept already as there are five mums wanting places too. I have got to go back to work so I just had too! My nurserys baby places are now all booked up until summer 2009! I would definatly give them a ring!
Oh check out the due in dec thread in Ante natal clubs. There are lots of us!

Depends on the area. I had DS in March last year and found a nursery for him in June for return to work in September. Moving next week and have really struggled to find a nursery in new area.

I think it depends on where you are and what you want. Round our way the local authority nurseries were incredibly booked up and I couldn't get DS into one, even though I took a full year off. But the private nurseries had space quite late on, and I was even able to add an extra day to DS's schedule at the last minute. Needless to say, the private nurseries are more expensive. In fact prohibitive. But that's another story.

Childminders I think work about 2 months in advance.

It's not going to do any harm if you contact them now, is it? I was six months pregnant when we booked DD's nursery place (places, actually, hedging our bets) but her nursery now advertises 'places can be secure in early pregnancy'!

Yikes better get a move on! I thought that I might I get funny looks off them coz not long pg, but I guess you do need to move quite quickly!.
Bambino - I will join the antenatal clob, but hanging around in p/g after m/c at m, but assuming everything okay with scan next Tuesday, will see you there

my DD1 was down for nursery when i was 13 weeks pg.
i guess it depends how oversubscribed they are and how strong a preference you have for one?
if you know the one you want and it is the only one you want, then why wait?