Nursery application - when?

[B65]

I’ve had people telling me I need to start thinking about nursery and securing a place. This hadn’t even crossed my mind. For context, I’m 15 weeks pregnant. Baby due Feb 2025. I won’t be needing nursery until Jan 2026.

Are they being a bit over the top or is this really the case?

Thanks so much for all your messages, really helpful! I’ll get looking asap and start enquiring. It just seemed so far away to me!

I'm due very early March 2025 and am booked in for visits in the next couple of weeks, with a view to a Jan/Feb 2026 start. So far anywhere I've enquired hasn't been super forthcoming about their availability for then, but have said they're limited from summer 2025, and nor have they told me it's too soon, so I get the feeling it probably is quite urgent. Even if it's not, I'd rather get it dealt with now when I have the time/energy, than being stressed out when I'm either heavily pregnant or baby is here and I'm just trying to enjoy my mat leave.
It feels ridiculously early, but I think probably worth it in the long run!

I'm currently 36 weeks pregnant and registered and paid our deposit at a nursery late July, he won't start until September/October 2025. I would definitely encourage you to look sooner rather than later, good nurseries are already getting booked up! X

I’m in the southwest and I put baby’s name down at 3 months. This was fairly normal. There’s a huge shortage of childcare in my area.

I'm in the south east and I started looking after my 20w scan. Like you I was told to go earlier, but honestly I just couldn't face the idea of going to nurseries too soon in case something went wrong. In any case I started looking October 2023 for a place to start in January 2025 and all 3 of the nurseries I looked at had space so I got my pick. My friend who lives in my town had her baby arrive January 2024, she immediately tried to register to start January 2025 and she's only managed to get a place for 2 days a week as they are full the other three, there saying she probably won't get a full time place until September 2025.

I put my name down at 15 weeks pregnant. Wanted a specific nursery for many reasons. Waiting list for babies was over 70 babies long. Got a place literally as needed it and was panic checking other nurseries. Lots put their babies in other nurseries until they got a space.

As early as possible. My little girl has just started at her brother’s nursery and we booked her place as soon as I knew I was pregnant. At the time I reserved they had no spaces for the next 10 months and it’s only got busier with the 9 month plus funding - they’ve expanded and have 20 babies starting this month!