Childcare costs - working mums did you go back to work after first baby?

SingleSue

I changed my job after my first child. Went from full time (very very full time, I averaged 80 hours a week before he arrived), to a an early morning cleaner and an evening care assistant to fit in with my then husband's hours when eldest was 6 weeks old...the rules were different back then with maternity pay and my old office were def not parent friendly (again, the rules were a lot different back then)

I did about 6 months of that and then went back into an office doing 5 afternoons a week, eldest spent 3 afternoons at nursery, an afternoon with my mum and an afternoon with a friend so the figures worked out.

I had a break when middle and youngest were born as they have differing needs but went back to evening shift work in an office to fit in with when my husband would be home when youngest was around 2, whilst also fitting in some extra hours during the day when care duties/appointments/playgroup etc allowed...child care was not available due to their needs.

Before the boys were born, I was in a high paying job, was the main bread winner by a clear margin, so it was rather a shock to the system...unfortunately, husband was not willing to be a house husband.

ciderwithrosie_2

I went back to work full-time when my first baby was 12 weeks old. Back then nursery cost me £40 a week (and I thought that was expensive!!). I don't know how I did it because I had PND and had been in hospital having an op only 2 weeks before I started back, but I was young and stupid in those days!!

I was pregnant again by the time DS1 was 8 months old and carried on working full-time until 3 weeks before DS2 was born. We decided that paying out 2 lots of nursery would mean working for very little, so I gave it up and was a SAHM for 7 years, and we had DS3.

I'm lucky that my profession meant I could do commissions of work from home and bring in a bit of extra cash, but I did a cleaning job, delivered catalogues and was a bank helper at playgroup in that time too.

stsarina

I switched career so I could work from home on a freelance basis - it means sacrificing my evenings, but DD is now 4 and I haven't had to go 'out' to work since she was born. It's definitely hard work juggling everything that needs to be done, but for me (and DH) it's more than worth it, not only financially but with everything we gain as a family by me being at home with her 24/7.

Make-it-3

There's lots of different options, but you need to explore which ones could work for you. So firstly looking at your work, are there other working mum's there? What is the company's attitude to them, are they amenable to flexible working, part time?

Forget working from home even for just part of the week and looking after a child - it doesn't work and many employers don't allow it.

If you are the higher earner, would it be better for your OH to be a SAHD or can he do flexy/part time hours?

Once you have explored this you can then look at what childcare you need and where to get it. Maybe you can split it between yourself/your OH, mother-in-law and outside childcare.