A first WWYD from me....childcare related, and yeah, its a long one.

I am really torn about this situation, so I thought I would come here and ask your opinions on this.

So as of yesterday, I am 39 weeks pregnant, and I am fairly confident that I won't be having this baby for another two weeks, heads not engaged, nothing seems to be happening. As you all know, I went in for a Section on the 17th Feb, which didn't go ahead due to baby changing position, so I now have been finished with work since the 5th February. After speaking with HR I have been paid up until the 18th Feb, and will start my Statuatory Maternity Pay from the 18th Feb on. At the end of my maternity leave, I will receive a lump sum for the rest of my holidays, so thats like another 4 weeks salary.

I am soooooo bored, but sooooo exhausted and I am trying not to spend any money, and the exhaustion is keeping me kind of housebound at the moment. Noah is with a childminder 4 days a week at the moment, and its suiting me fine because I am not really able to do as much with him as I would normally do. He is at school from 8.45 until 11.45, the childminder picks him up, she looks after him until about 5.30. It costs us £110 for 5 days, or if I go on a daily rate, its £30 a day (the $$ equiv isn't important really, its just the amount we pay) I was going to take him down to 3 days a week, but I am so knackered, that I couldn't face having him on my own all day today.

But I feel sooooooo guilty.

My husband and I think that we can afford to keep him in child care 3 days a week (thats £90) a week until the summertime, this would give me time to spend with the new baby, and give Noah the stability of someone who he enjoys being with, she goes to playgroups, there are other kids etc. OR....we can spend the extra £20 a week and keep the option of her having him 4/5 days a week. Would you spend the extra money for that option? She is very flexible and adores him. Oh, and come September he will be in school full time (so thats like 8.45 until 3.30)

Ugh, I dunno, its a vent really, I am worried about money, but I will get my maternity pay until November.....I am worried that I won't get enough time with the new baby if I have him with me all the time, he is a really easy 4 year old, but its not fair to him to be housebound. All his friends are in full day schools.

So what would you do? Spend the extra money every week and keep him there 4 days a week? , or see how it goes and cut down to 3 in a month or twos time?

If you got this far, well done for listening to me ramble!!!

Re: A first WWYD from me....childcare related, and yeah, its a long one.

When DS was born, we kept DD in daycare part time. She went 3 days a week.

The days that she was home were tough-but I liked that she would get extra time to spend with her brother.

The days that she went to daycare were awesome because we got some 1:1 time with DS, got to cuddle him up (DD was/is pretty clingy since the birth, on days that DD was home it was very difficult to get some cuddle time with Owen).

I felt a little guilty at first, but honestly, I was so tired that DD would have spent a lot of time in front of the TV whereas in daycare she was so much more stimulated. I got over it. And, since I could rest every other day, on the days she was home I was much more energetic, up for playing and trips to the park, etc. FOR US, I really felt it made me a better mom to both of them.

P.S. this was with BOTH DH and I home-talk about guilt

Re: A first WWYD from me....childcare related, and yeah, its a long one.