Nursery waiting list whilst pregnant?!

[Baby2018]

I was speaking to someone today who recently found out Im pregnant, she said to me " better get on that nursery waiting list" was she kidding? Or do I seriously need to think about joining the waiting lists for the good nurserys? Im due end of Sept.
Thanks !

I’m sure it depends where you live. But I put my oldest on the waiting list for the nursery I wanted (v few in my area) in July/August for the following September. Second baby I had to give even more notice... if I hadn’t, I would have found a lovely nanny share though.
Childminders in this area are actually booked up even further in advance than the nurseries..

Well you can’t join normal school
Nursery list until it’s the time to apply. But private nursery’s yes baby room can be booked up in advance. Especially if it’s a second child and it’s vital you get the same nursery. You may be in a baby room for 12-18m so once it’s full there’s isn’t much you can do.

I looked at 4 nurseries 6 weeks before I went to back and all had space. Even the ofsted outstanding one.

Ask around (and ring up nurseries) in your area. I put DD down for a nursery when she was born and they only had a space for her 18 months later! Our city has long waiting lists, but nearby biggish town has plenty of nursery capacity, so it can vary hugely by area. I have a number of friends who have been caught out by not getting childcare sorted well in advance.

It’s depends on your area and the reputation of the nursery. My ds has been on the list for one nursery for 3.5years, we’re never getting a space there! But there are a few others nearby where lists are more like 6-9months.

As soon as my two were born I put their names down for the local catholic school that I also attended.

I put add (2nd child) on nursery waiting list as soon as I’d had the 12 week scan!

Very much depends where you live and the particular nursery you have in mind. Our nursery has a huge waiting list for the baby room so it's common practice to reserve a place when pregnant.

I was looking at nurseries in Birmingham when dd1 was 5-6 months, looking to get her in part time when she was 9 months and a lot did not have spaces. Dd2 had to wait an extra month after she started for one of the days we needed. Applying while pregnant might be a bit excessive but it would be worth enquiring about waiting lists and availabilty at local nurseries to get an idea. And don't feel you need to focus on those rated outstanding, you really won't know what is right for you and ypur dc until you visit.

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Ah ok thanks everyone, so actually not a ridiculous comment then! I probably should start looking. I live near Milton Keynes in Bucks so there are quite a few but not all are well rated so maybe I should start putting my name down! this is my first baby so I didnt really know when I should be doing it !

Wow those waiting lists are crazy! My DS just started at an ofsted outstanding nursery, it lovvvveely! We got a full time stop within two weeks of ringing up to book him in!

Definitely depends where you live, possibly even down to which side of town you're on.

I remember popping in to our local preschool when DD1 was around 6mo to get her name down (they start from 2yo) after reading some scary things online about needing to put their name down whilst they were still in utero, compounded by a few Mums at my children's centre saying the waiting list in our area was horrific. The preschool staff struggled to hold back a laugh and told me to come back in 12m. I ended up putting her name down around Easter to start in the September, and there was plenty of space left when my appliction went in. I've just done the same for DD2, who will start this September.
Both DCs also attend a Nursery and it was a 2 month wait to get them in there (baby/younger toddler room, and over 3s room at the time of starting). Their previous childminder was, again, a fairly short wait of 3-ish months.

I can't believe those pp waiting lists! I've just signed my dd up for nursery and im not back at work til June, when she'll be 14 months. I did want a childminder as I work shifts, but found all but two had no availability. Then one didnt work fridays and the other just didnt feel right. I don't know how you can think about it that far in advance, as you don't know what your child will be like. I think my dd would thrive with a childminder in a smaller setting and think she'll find nursery a bigger adjustment- but it just wasn't an option .

Completely agree it depends where you live and what demand is like locally. I know someone who put their child's name down for a particularly desirable nursery in East Dulwich after her 12-week scan but still didn't get a place for him. That's an extreme case, however, and in most places it is all much more sensible.

OP, I'm in MK, there are lots of nurseries around, a few have waiting lists but it's not totally crazy. There's no harm in you looking now, but equally it's fine for you to wait until your baby is here. One of the things that sold DS's nursery to us was actually seeing how the staff interacted with him even just on open days, so obviously you wouldn't be able to make that kind of assessment at this stage!

Completely depends on how many nurseries are in your area, what their reputations are like and how many babies/toddlers they accept.

I viewed a few nurseries when I was heavily pregnant and then put DD on the waiting list when she was around a month old (a couple of my antenatal friends put their names down before their babies were born). I am due back to work in August this year and have already been told I can't have all the days I want! It is one of the better ones in my area though.

In our city you need to be on the waiting list for good nurseries from around the time they are born, it used to be even sooner. The specific Nursery we wanted we went on the list for when I was 9 weeks pregnant, they were the first people to know after our immediate families! We got a place offered a few weeks before we needed it starting at 4 days rather than 5 - it is an unusual case though - work linked Nursery absolutely amazing and totally oversubscribed.

There's a nursery near me that people pay a deposit on before they have even conceived! Ridiculous!

I booked DS in at nursery 9 months before I went back to work. It meant I got the days I needed as I was going back part time.

In greater London waiting lists are quite long. I registered with my favourite one a couple of weeks before dc1 was born (when I was bored on mat leave) which was lucky as I then forgot about childcare until he was six months and planned a return to work at 9 months. It wasn't a priority once he was born as I was too busy learning everything else about him.
I'd say do a couple of tours of places, don't over think it, pick one or two to go on a list. You aren't committed but it gives you options when the time to go back comes around.

Two years for ours!

Nurseries in our area have waiting lists from April next year, so we've put our names down even though not due until end of November.

You do need to book before birth in some areas

...duh, due end of July. Dunno where November came from

At the 12 week scan is normal for our area (cambs). The nurseries without waiting lists aren't very good around here but there's probably not enough (good) provision to be honest.

I can't get my head around booking a nursery place for a 12 week old foetus!! I didn't have that problem and luckily found childcare that suited. As soon as this baby is born, though, he/she'll be on the list for starting preschool at 2y 9m; we have found an amazing one that my dd goes to, and that has waiting lists!