Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Work

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Original poster

Working from home with baby - Advice

498 replies

Gem2x87 · 28/04/2023 15:19

Hi,

I'm currently pregnant with my first child due on 20th September. My plan is to take 3 months off then go back to work full time. I hear that I might need to start looking at childcare very soon. I was wondering if anyone had any advice. My company allows 2 days working from home. I have the 3 days in the office covered with my husband and mum. I would like to work from home with the baby the other 2 days so I can spend more time with him/her. My company would probably be quite relaxed about it as long as I get the work done but I don't want too much of my weekends/evenings being eaten up. How long do you think it would be manageable to work from home with the baby and what age would you think it would be better to use childcare?

Thank you

OP posts:
PastMyBestBeforeDate · 28/04/2023 15:21

I don't think it's feasible at all. Childcare from as soon as you go back

AHugeTinyMistake · 28/04/2023 15:22

Lol.

I suggest you buy in childcare for the two days at home.

PotatoCatkin · 28/04/2023 15:22

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

I'd be very surprised if your company did actually allow that though.

It would be nearly impossible to do a decent job and give your baby the attention they need. It's why the majority of people don't do it.

Sorry to put a downer on your plans.

Teddypops · 28/04/2023 15:23

If you worked for me I wouldn't allow it. I know how much time a small child will take out of your day.

HesDeadBenYouCanStopNow · 28/04/2023 15:24

Most companies will expect you to have some childcare in place when ever a child is home with you.

That could be your partner, parent, aupair etc but you can't realistically expect to work and parent at the same time. You'll neglect both roles

For a young baby you might manage a couple of naps a day but I wouldn't recommend even considering working and patenting a baby at the same time I'm afraid

Teddypops · 28/04/2023 15:24

When you have your baby and try this you will realise why we advise against it.

QuintanaRoo · 28/04/2023 15:26

If you were paying for childcare and the childminder was juggling looking after your baby and also working online? You’d not be happy because you’d worry your baby wasn’t getting the attention they should be. I guess newborns may sleep more in the day so you might get 3-4 hrs done while they’re sleeping?

thatsmyumbrellaellla · 28/04/2023 15:26

During Covid I had no choice to wfh with my kids who were 2 and 5 at the time it was honestly one of the most challenging times of my life as I work in a very stressful and high demanding role. Now 3 years on I can wfh for a few hours with them there but I think it would be very difficult with a baby. When I was pregnant with my youngest I started a postgrad course supported by by employer so was also working full time. I had to finish the course during mat leave and even that was challenging

LadyDanburysHat · 28/04/2023 15:27

I hate posts like this. It is why many employers don't like working form home, because people take the piss. If you are working from home, you are still working, you arrange childcare as if you were in the office.

Bathintheshed · 28/04/2023 15:27

I work home with my DD one day a week but it's difficult and no way could I have managed it in the first year, some days I struggled to find the time to do a quick 20 minute workout or have a shower! I have a very flexible job so work a few hours while she naps and two longer days. I would say in most jobs it is not feasible at all and there are days when I need to have a meeting that my DH has to take time off work to look after her. DD is almost 2 and naps are much less reliable now so she will be going into nursery an extra day soon.

bettymoo212 · 28/04/2023 15:28

Honestly, I think I’d struggle to do 15 minutes work with my baby around. At 3 months (and well beyond that) they need pretty constant attention.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 28/04/2023 15:29

What sort of work will you do? How do you plan to actively supervise, engage with and nurture such a young baby during the 8 hours you need to work that day?

WhatNoRaisins · 28/04/2023 15:29

It's not feasible at all OP.

pebbles3004 · 28/04/2023 15:29

There's absolutely no way on earth my child would have allowed me a second to work from home, even from a really young age. I barely had a chance to make and drink a hot drink never mind work.

Not trying to be a Debbie downer, just realistic - I honestly have no idea how parents did it during lockdown when kids were at home. Sounds like absolute hell!

TheNachtzehrer · 28/04/2023 15:30

Here we fucking go again.

You can't do it. You'll do a shit job as a parent and a shit job as an employee and it'll quite possibly get you fired.

Hbh17 · 28/04/2023 15:31

If I were your employer I would be horrified that you are even considering this. You need to get proper childcare for ALL work days.

casingchars · 28/04/2023 15:33

This just won't be possible. You can't spend time with a baby and also work, even if you tried to plug the gaps in your hours by working nights and weekends. You'll be exhausted and no use to anyone! It's a good way to risk your job, basically.

Lockdownmummy · 28/04/2023 15:35

Seriously think about other ways you can spend time with your baby. Compressed hours if you need the full time wage?

Changingplace · 28/04/2023 15:35

Nope, absolutely not at all, arrange childcare you can’t work at home with your baby around as a permanent arrangement, you can’t even consider this to be an option.

Greeneyegirl · 28/04/2023 15:36

Lol I have a 12 week old and today my phone got cut off because I havent been able to get around to renewing my contract. Good luck.

Bobbybobbins · 28/04/2023 15:36

I think you either need to go part time or get paid child care for those days.

Bathintheshed · 28/04/2023 15:36

Just to add, do you genuinely need to return to work after 3 months? If you do that is fair enough and you can make it work I'm sure but if at all possible I would look at taking atleast 9 months off.

FlounderingFruitcake · 28/04/2023 15:37

It MIGHT be just about doable with a 3 month old that sleeps a lot and if they’re happy to do so in a cot. But please read some of the I can’t even take a shower or go to the toilet, it took me an hour to get out of the house today, I have a velcro baby posts before you just blindly assume this is possible. Then beyond that they get much more awake. By 6 months they could be crawling and only having 2 naps a day. Then you’ll either be ignoring your job and being a sub par employee, or you’ll be ignoring your baby and potentially putting them in danger if they’re roaming unsupervised, or if you want to do neither of those things then you’ll find that you’re working evenings/weekends and are on the verge of a breakdown. Lots of us have been there and not by choice during the covid lockdowns. It’s so unbelievably shit. You need to get childcare.

jackstini · 28/04/2023 15:37

Honestly, it will be pretty much impossible - especially full time

What is your work? Any calls? Zoom meetings? Do you need to concentrate for periods of time? Can you easily drop it with seconds' notice?

I think you would find yourself doing a lot of evenings and weekends

My work were very chilled about my hours - as long as I did them, it didn't matter what time of day/night I worked

I went back 4 days but full time hours when mine were 2-3 months old (but dh was on a 3 day week so only 3 days nursery)

You have no idea how your baby will be so I would prep for childcare

DoesItHaveKosovo · 28/04/2023 15:38

Anyone who had to do this in lockdown is rolling their eyes so hard.