Working from home with a newborn baby?

[hermitzero]

I worked from home before pandemic so after my baby is born, I will still work from home. He is my first baby. Since my due date is the beginning of August, I need to let my company know that I'm pregnant and the date I want to start my maternity leave. My question is that I have been thinking about how I'm going to work from home with a new born baby. I have no idea if it's even feasible and if so, how. There is no one around me who can help me with baby care. Is there anybody who is in the same shoes as me? What are your plans? Thank you for your advice in advance.

But if you are on maternity you won't be working with a newborn wil you?

Once maternity leave finishes baby goes to a childminder or nursery.

You wont be working on maternity leave. After your maternity leave ends, your baby goes to nursery, childminder, relative or you reduce hours.

There's no way you can hold down a job while caring for a newborn, sorry! I know plenty of friends who were forced to WFH and look after kids at the same time and it's just not doable in normal circumstances. Do you mean you're considering having no child care when your mat leave finishes and trying to juggle both? You'll burn yourself out.

How much maternity leave have you budgeted for? Once that finishes you may feel more settled into a routine and know what the days (and more importantly nights) look like.

Are you a lone parent in England? If so, you should be able to claim back a fair proportion of any childcare costs, and I would recommend putting the little one into some sort of childcare.

Do you work full time? Is it a role where you can pick up/put down work at the drop of a hat or are you in out of meetings and calls throughout the day?

You have to do what ever you'd do if it wasn't work from home. Nursery?

They won't allow you to wfh and do childcare at the same time.

Baby needs to be in nursery/childminder whether you're wfh or in the office.

You can't wfh and care for a child. They're two separate jobs.
People have been forced to do it during the last year due the very unusual circumstances but it's not a long term solution. Believe me - I'm still recovering from trying to juggle the two.

In normal times I've had to provide proof of childcare when wfh.

I work from home and have done for over 5 years. My first is due end of July/beginning of August and I'll be taking 9 months maternity. Once that is over they will have to go to nursery as I live over 300 miles away from family and have no-one to help out.
I'm hoping to return part time rather than full time. There really isn't a way to work from hole and care for a young child, I'd love to so I can save on nursery fees but realistically it is t feasible as your work or your child won't be getting 100% of your time

Lol, there's no way I'd have been able to WFH and look after my DS when he was a baby. He was a high maintenance baby and required entertaining, t ve held 24/7 and needed walked in a sling for every nap. Add in the 4-5 hours sleep a night I got and theres no way I was fine for work.

When your maternity leave is finished you'd need to change your shifts, use a childminder or a nursery.

Nursery, childminder, Nanny, compressed/reduced hours or a combination of this. No was can you WFH and look after a baby. Under normal circumstances (with the exception of covid) most employers are quite explicit that you can't WFH and be responsiblefor young children.

Why would you be working with a newborn? Is there limited maternity leave where you live?

As others have said after your maternity leave has finished you need childcare.

Wfh with children has been juggled and accepted whilst all childcare is closed as a short term measure but it doesn't work and once childcare is open employers will expect staff to have childcare in place.

You should speak to 3 nurseries and 3 childminders. That will give you a good feel for what you like and don't like.

I’d be surprised if there were any covid restrictions on childcare for a baby that’s not even due until August. You can’t wfh and look after a baby and do a good job of both. I’m still recovering from wfh while looking after DC for 4 months last year when nursery was shut, it was genuinely the worst experience of my life.

Looking after a baby is a full time job in itself. There is no way you can care for a baby and do your job to the standard your employer will expect. Once your maternity leaves finishes, you will need to find a nursery/childminder/ nanny to care for the baby while you work.

Haven't you accounted for some maternity leave?

I'm not quite sure if you are expecting to look after your baby and work at the same time?

People who Wfh still have to send their child to childcare while they are working. If you get. Maternity leave you won't be working at home with a newborn though?

@JeanClaudeVanDammit

I’d be surprised if there were any covid restrictions on childcare for a baby that’s not even due until August. You can’t wfh and look after a baby and do a good job of both. I’m still recovering from wfh while looking after DC for 4 months last year when nursery was shut, it was genuinely the worst experience of my life.

There are no covid restrictions for babies/eyfs and childcare now, let alone come August.

There are no covid restrictions for babies/eyfs and childcare now, let alone come August.

I know (thank god!!), I meant that even in the event of a third wave or whatever doom is being predicted, it’s unlikely there would be restrictions on childcare again.

Ah ok!

How much maternity (parental) leave are you going to take? You don’t work when you have a newborn. That’s the point of maternity leave. Do you mean after it is finished?

Nope you need childcare! It’s not possible

It's not possible. I returned to work (albeit WFH) when my baby was 4 months, start of the pandemic all childcare shut and no bubbles alone. I was failing at all areas of my life. Childcare is essential when maternity is over.

I tried wfh with my son in first lockdown as nursery wasn't taking on anymore kids at the time. Impossible as looking after son full time and seeing to work responsibilities was just too much

Are you not taking maternity leave?

You need to get childcare for the baby even if you're at home. You won't have time to look after the baby and work.