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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Nursery waiting lists

23 replies

Sonics · 01/10/2014 12:13

I'm currently 24 weeks pregnant with my first child. This weekend I was on my sisters hen do and lots of her friends were telling me I need to start looking at nurseries now and get on the waiting list. I'm planning to take at least 9 months off workbut hopefully longer so wouldn't actually need the place until October/November 2015 at the earliest. Do I really need to start looking now?

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OrchidFlakes · 01/10/2014 12:29

Depending where you live, yes. It's not uncommon where we live for children to still not have a place at 12 months old despite being on the list for almost 18 months at some of the preferable nurseries!

mineymo · 01/10/2014 12:37

It depends on the individual nursery. The nursery my DH goes to was fine with a few months notice, and it is tiny (9 babies at a time). The one attached to my work however... I put my name down when I was 6 months pregnant, I'm still on the waiting list, DS is nearly 2 . I've left him on it out of interest!

Original poster

Sonics · 01/10/2014 13:05

Oh wow! Ok. Need to start researching then as I have no idea. How do I even find out which ones are good?

OP posts:

mineymo · 01/10/2014 13:16

Good old google for Ofsted reports, and word of mouth. I spoke to neighbours with kids a bit older than mine, and they could tell me where their kids and their friends kids had enjoyed.

sallysimpson · 01/10/2014 13:21

Ring around the local nurseries and ask so you have an idea, i got my ds a plsce at an outstanding rated nursery with a month to go before i went back to work after a family member couldnt help anymore ,thankfully!

sallysimpson · 01/10/2014 13:29

I looked at the offsted, but also how the children looked, how the place looked, what the staff were like with the children, food and sleep arrangements..the one i picked ticked all tge boxes and had a good feel about it .

KateTheHuman · 01/10/2014 13:38

Quick question from clueless ftm. What age to kids normally start nursery?

KateTheHuman · 01/10/2014 13:40

*do

GailLondon · 01/10/2014 13:51

Kate - it could be whenever you and your partner are back at work! so could be as young as 5-6months.
If you were planning to not return to work then many people wait until the child starts getting their 15 free hours a week, which is the term after they turn 3 years old. So its totally up to you, and your work/finance situation

GailLondon · 01/10/2014 13:52

My son started full time nursery at 12 months, which was after mine+husbands parental leave had finished.

JuanFernandezTitTyrant · 01/10/2014 13:57

My sister (West Mids) is without a place for DS2 at her DS1's nursery. Round here (SW) it's not such an issue. I picked an ofsted "good" nursery over 3 outstanding ones because it just felt nicer. 2 days in and DS loves it already and has settled easily. Go and see plenty and go with your gut feeling.

nicename · 01/10/2014 14:01

Get a list together and start visiting. Speak to other mums at groups, parks, shops... to see which are popular.

Some nurseries are getting silly (ie registering at birth for a 2 year old place) but that's more where you are (ie in 'trendy' parts of London it is the norm, and where there are lots of expats who are told 'its impossible to find a place, your child will be left with out one and will never get to a decent school!')

scissy · 01/10/2014 14:20

Depends where you are, where I live (not in London btw) there happens to be a shortage of nursery spaces, so spaces at the most popular places get booked up 18 months in advance put it this way, were I to conceive DC2, I'd have to put them on the waiting list just after the 12wk scan to start age 1, and that's with priority for siblings

nicename · 01/10/2014 14:29

Bloody hell!

I've heard of dads calling schools from the maternity ward and being told that they have missed out on a school place because the baby had the audacity of being born at the end of the month.

Where we are, I've noticed that as we attract more Americans, the kids registering where I work are getting younger and younger, and its more competitive from what I hear of other places. We take them from 2 and I get calls from parents of week old babies asking 'am I too late to register?'. This just didn't happen 2 years ago.

RevoltingPeasant · 01/10/2014 14:36

OP I think it just depends. I'd ask around at antenatal groups etc and see what the 'going rate' for a waiting list is in your area - or just ring up different nurseries and see.

I booked my baby (currently 22 weeks pg) in at 5 weeks to my local nursery. He will start going when he is about 5 1/2 months - so, I basically booked in 15 months before I will need the space.

But...... our local nursery is literally one block away from us - we really liked it - they have a limited number of baby spaces - and I need to go back to work to pay the mortgage after about a max of 6 mos on mat leave. So my thinking was, why not? It's only putting your name on a list and paying £30 deposit.

The alternative (for me) is having, having to go back to work for financial reasons - and having no childcare in place - and I can't imagine anything more stressful!

Original poster

Sonics · 01/10/2014 14:50

Thanks for that, that's all really helpful

OP posts:

KateTheHuman · 01/10/2014 15:14

Thanks Gail! I'm hoping not to go back to work but we'd have to see what our money situation is. I may just ring a couple of nurseries to see what their waiting list is like hee

happypotamus · 02/10/2014 06:45

I had no idea about this 3.5yrs ago when DD was born. We only needed 2 days a week and we could be flexible about which 2 days. We aren't in London. We started looking into it when she was about 6-8 weeks old, and were very surprised when some nurseries told us they would not have a place in 9 months time. I don't know how people are supposed to know that they have to start looking at nurseries before they even have a baby. This time round we knew we would want the baby to go to DD's current nursery and let them know after the 12 week scan. It is hard to know what to look for in a nursery when you have no or little experience of babies.
Revolting Peasant is lucky with her £30 deposit though. We had to pay £300 deposit for DC2's place, which caused a big financial issue because of when the nursery decided to cash the cheques.

Camsie30 · 02/10/2014 07:23

Hi Sonics, I'm 25 weeks pg and going to see my second nursery this morning. Baby will probably start around May 2015 2/3 days per week. I'm my area I need to get my name down pretty soon. I am finding it very weird to already be deciding which strangers to leave my child with before it's even been born, but afraid I don't have a choice so am just getting on with it!!

FishWithABicycle · 02/10/2014 07:33

I registered on an excellent Nursery's waiting list when I was 20 months pg and got to the top of the waiting list when the baby was 10 months old. NCT friends who started looking after their babies were born ended up having to choose between hiring a nanny they couldn't really afford or using a nursery they didn't really like.

FishWithABicycle · 02/10/2014 07:37

(it's actually better to be looking while pg too because you can think about an abstract "1 year old" and look for an environment suitable for 1 year olds - friends looking after their babies were born found it really difficult to think through what their baby would need in 11 months time because their baby was right there being only a few weeks old and they were focused on weeks-old-baby needs which are an entirely different set of criteria)

TwoLittleTerrors · 02/10/2014 07:43

Yes depends on where you live. I plan on having a year off and am going back to work in mud September 2015. DD2 is on the waiting list when I had my 20 week scan. DD2 is now 2 weeks old so I guess 20 week scan was back in spring?

TwoLittleTerrors · 02/10/2014 07:50

Also think about it. It's easier to talk and observe a nursery when you aren't carjng for a baby. Definitely look for a place where you think is good for a 1 year old (or 6mo if that's when you go back). And recommendation from neighbours are good too. I asked my colleagues last time where they sent their children as I worked local. If you work, try asking other working mums as they will use full day nurseries. If you are SAH you can use part day preschool too and it won't start until your child is 3.

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