Going back to work.

[Daniel B]

My wife and I are exepcting twin boys in July, we are new to the area and are wanting some advice on care options for her return to work. Any recommendations or ideas will greatly received!??

[Saffron]

How soon after the birth is she hoping to return to work? And also, what would be the maximum gap of time she could take off, if she were not able to return to work as planned?

If you think you'll need extra help in the first few weeks after the birth, a postnatal doula might be a good option, as a postnatal doula will help look after your wife as well as the babies.

Later on, are you looking for in-home care (nanny? au pair?), or to place the babies at a nursery for a few hours each week? Will you be able to get any help from family? Many nurseries will not take babies under a certain age (eg 3 months), and quite a few of the local nurseries have waiting lists up to a year or more. (Particularly if you're looking for a specialist nursery.)

For children under 2 yo, it's often recommended that they have only one main carer besides the parent, otherwise it can become very confusing/upsetting for them to be bounced from one person to another on different days.

We have our daughter at a Montessori nursery, and the care is brilliant. But be advised that if you're looking for a Montessori nursery, the name is not trademarked. Anyone can call their nursery Montessori, but it doesn't mean they necessarily adhere to the true Montessori priciples. Look for a Montessori that is registered with one of the national Montessori bodies, if that's what you're wanting. xx

[Strawbs]

Saffron has asked all the questions above so the only thing I would say is if you are going to go down the nursery route I would be getting them on a waiting list now before they are born as they are very long.

My son is at 'my favourite nursery' and is extremely happy there.

congrats on the impending babies btw and welcome.

x

[Daniel B]

Thank you for all the information and recommendations.

Can anyone make somne good recommendations on excellent nurseries or where to find a good nanny.

Thank you in advance.

[Daniel B]

Thanks everyone for your advice. Having looked into nursery/nanny options, we have decided to go down the nanny route it appears more cost effective for 2 babies and it will cover our early commute into the City. So far I have spoken with a few agencies to gather more information, I have found an agency for 3 weeks nanny salary. They were extremley helpful and told me everything I think I needed to know. Is this a good agency fee?? Does anyone know of any other agencies offering the same or less. Planning ahead incase our twins come early. Dan

[Vickster]

Dan

If you are willing to do some of the background work yourself (trawling through CVs, checking references etc), then I would suggest you don't bother with an agency, and save yourself some cash. I have not used one for the last three nannies I hired. There are regularly nannies advertising on this forum, and you can also use www.simplychildcare.co.uk which is an excellent resource.

Victoria

[Daniel B]

Hi Victoria,

Thanks for the information. We are very wary about doing the serch ourselves. One of our friends had a bad experience after finding her nanny privately. We have waited years for the boys and want the reassurance that we are getting the best for them. My wife is anxious and I feel that using an agency would give us peace of mind.

[Vickster]

Fair enough, just a suggestion.

[sb]

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