Hi, please post anonymously as no one knows I’m pregnant yet.
Looking for some advice.
I’m a nurse and I’m pregnant with my first. My partner and I both work full time, he’s a self employed carpenter, works Mon-Friday. I work shift work (3 12.5 hour shifts a week, sometimes 4).
Neither of us have any family or parents who live nearby to help out with childcare, and moving isn’t an option.
My job provides maternity pay so that isn’t an issue. The issue is when I go back to work, probably around when baby is 1. I need to go back to work and being a stay at home mum isn’t an option (though I would love it to be), my partner just doesn’t make enough to support us both. I’ve priced private childcare for the hours we would need and we’re looking at about £1000 a month, £800 using the government tax relief system.
I am panicking because this is an expense which we absolutely cannot afford, along with everything else.
I know people will say I shouldn’t have gotten pregnant if I couldn’t afford to but please save your comments because this is the situation and I cannot change it.
I’m really stressing and I’m hoping there are some other parents who have been in the same boat who might have some good advice.
We do have one friend who is currently a SAHM who we have considered asking to provide childcare, but calculating even minimum wage x the hours we need still brings us over 1000 a month.
Also to add we are Scotland based
Source
Where in scotland r u based?
My friend hired an au pair/nanny which worked out quite a bit cheaper. Good luck x
I worked evenings when my baby turned 1. reduced my hours to part time. Depends what department you work in. I was able to work 6pm – 2am three nights a week. when husband was home to have baby. we had no family support either
I did late nights in a bar 7-11/12/1 depending on the day or event thay was on. Then i moved to nights and did 11pm-6am two nights a week so I didn’t have to pay for childcare as we had no family support either x
Firstly, congratulations!!
Secondly, try not to panic, things ALWAYS have a way of working themselves out…
Would dropping your hours slightly be an option?
Or, working nights? Do 3 nights a week and sleep when baby is at nursery and dad can take care of baby at night (just an idea/option)
NHS has a flexible working policy, so you could use that to pick shifts that suit you so say split nights and then only need childcare for half a day and then maybe do one on a weekend so only two mornings a week you would need childcare for xx
Is it not 30 hours free now from 9 month old ?
You should get 30 hours term time a week and spread that over the year for two days 20 hours a week all year round )as only can use 10 a day). With a childminder you won’t pay much else on top of that.