im getting oddly stressed about this already - even though i have til april to figure it out....

basically my hubby is a student nurse (will be in 3rd year) and i work full time, i won't have any maternity pay after February which is VERY close but my job is held until april...

i dont have any childcare and i used to work shifts so with hubby on placements/uni and me doing shifts i have no idea how i could go back to work (read 'i absolutely do not want to go back to work') but i dont think we will really have an income except hubbys bursary if i dont...

so what did you do? i know everyones situations are different but i need some ideas because im really starting to worry. i REALLY dont want to put elijah into childcare under a year old, and my family are quite far away for regular help...

i could possibly work part time but then that would have to fit in with hubby's placements or uni depending on the month and im not sure my workplace would be that flexible...

argh im stuck and its stressing me out

(p.s the other option, is get pregnant again and go on stat.maternity leave, but that probably isnt the best reason to have another baby! anyway, i quite like the one i've got )

you can run a ginger baby babysitting service

hmmmm with just arwyn and elijah i dont think i could be arsed with any more than that

erm, i really dont know what to suggest, ill be goin to uni next sept (nursing) and my OH will be working full-time so kinda the same situation as you, and i was planning on usin my student loan to cover childcare costs, but have since found im pg with number 4, so i dont know what im gonna do either as baby will only b 4 months old, and dont wana put 4 month old into childcare.
im sorry i know that is no help whatsoever, i thought i had a point when i started typing - but turns out i dont lol sorry xXx

there was no choice for me... I had to go back to work simple as that. couldn't afford not to. Luckily my OH wasn't at work so he had Tyler.
He's now going to be starting nursery but to be honest I wish I had put him into nursery sooner because it's just harder to get him adjusted now than it would have been had he been a few months younger.

Next time bubs will be going to nursery about 6 months old

For us, it wasnt about figuring out what was best, it was we needed my income. But I am lucky as in my parents look after Ellie

Quote :

erm, i really dont know what to suggest, ill be goin to uni next sept (nursing) and my OH will be working full-time so kinda the same situation as you, and i was planning on usin my student loan to cover childcare costs, but have since found im pg with number 4, so i dont know what im gonna do either as baby will only b 4 months old, and dont wana put 4 month old into childcare.
im sorry i know that is no help whatsoever, i thought i had a point when i started typing - but turns out i dont lol sorry xXx

thanks for that! haha

we dont really mind living in relative poverty if that means elijah gets to stay with his parents, if i went back to work i still wouldnt be able to afford to put eli into childcare and pay for the upkeep of the house so...hm

I have to go back but am asking for 20hrs and hopefully me, oh and parents will be able to sort child care. I cant use a nursery as we work shifts. I dont know what to suggest hun. X

im kinda in the same situation as u except Gav works full time. Im due to go back in January but i really dont want to! We also dont have any childcare as all my and gavs family work full time so i will have to put him into a nursery which is £360 a month (for 3 days a week) - only entitled to £4 a week help off government!! I was plannign on going back part time but my wage will basically be covering childcare plus an extra £50 and to me it just doesnt seem worth going back. But Gavs wage covers bills n thats it. We wont be able to afford anything else and i dont really want to be living in poverty lol! Weve booked to go on hols next yr n need to pay for it still!

I just dunno what to do for the best really.

x

Originally I had agreed with my work that I would return 9am to 3.30 pm and Aimee would go into a nursery.

But when she was born with her heart condition, we had to basically scrap that because she has medication 3 times a day and I dont trust anybody other than myself and my OH to give it to her. I am also not sure that a nursery would be allowed to administer it either, tbh.

I went into my job to resign, but my boss was good and said I could do what hours I wanted, so I went back 8.30 am to 11.30am and my mum and MIL (they both work afternoons, luckily) have Aimee in the mornings between them.

Im already worrying what I will do next time around though, as there are things going on at my work that I dont really want to be involved in, so I probably wont be going back. I am fortunate that OH has had a promotion and payrise in the last year so although it will be tight, we should be able to manage.

x

uggghhh where is the magic wand then??! my in laws (not that i let them take the baby) and parents are too far away to watch little one...........im sure at some point i had a plan!

I think you should get pregnant

ive only just gotten over last time!

I think you should speak to your work about flexible hours you never know they might let you do the shifts you would need to allow OH to look after Elijah when your at work?

Is there any aspect of your job you can do at home?

I work 9 till 2 in the office and then the rest of my day is done at home (of course most of that time is actually spent on here but sshhh)

we were in a similar situation, we have no-one to look after ava and we didnt really want her to put her in a nursery plus the costs are terrible. i am going back now 16 hours but thankfully my hubbys work's flexible so they've let him work longer hours and be off the days i'm in work.

Quote :

I think you should speak to your work about flexible hours you never know they might let you do the shifts you would need to allow OH to look after Elijah when your at work?

my work are quite good at being flexible but the problem is really that hubby is at uni for maybe 2 months at a time (a few hours a day so easy to cover), but then he goes on placement which can be shift work, travel etc for example he is on 12 hour shifts at the moment so out 6am-8pm 4 days a week and i couldn't cover that...then he is back to uni for a month so its really unpredictable!

i usually work with people in their own homes and im not that eager to invite them round

i dont know, i try not to be a whiner but im at the end of my tether....i have an awful feeling hubby will have to take a year out and i will have to work full time which is heartbreaking but better than being totally stuck

Do you think you would be entitled to any working tax credits and also the childcare element? Would you consider a Child minder as apose to a nursery?
I had a child minder for tommy, Granted i didn't do it till he was two as i worked nights at asda until that point.
I always found child minders to be a little more flexible than nurserys. So long as they know the shifts a week in advance they tend to be ok!

hmm maybe we will have to do that, although i would still prefer one of us were here with him while he is so little - i can see i will have trouble even when he's old enough to go to school hubby is quite open to taking a year off but we will just have the same problem in a years time...i quite like procrastination. maybe we can camp in my mothers garden

mariheartselijah wrote:

hmm maybe we will have to do that, although i would still prefer one of us were here with him while he is so little - i can see i will have trouble even when he's old enough to go to school hubby is quite open to taking a year off but we will just have the same problem in a years time...i quite like procrastination. maybe we can camp in my mothers garden

mari you will sort something out, i was so worried about the work situation and we've ended up doing the opposite of the original plan, are there any jobs you can get working from home, data entry or something similar?

did you say you could afford not to work?
If so then just don't go back

what about getting a night job so OH is there and you can get a few extra pennies at night or in the evening?

i feel like such a party pooper but when hubby is on placement he works lates/nights/days/earlies and so on so couldnt even cover it with nightwork! we can't really afford for me not to work but can maybe manage a couple more months if we stop spending money (eli can just be bf til he's 5 haha)...

Quote :

are there any jobs you can get working from home, data entry or something similar?

pinky im hoping i can find something like that - i can touch type and have done lots of paperwork in my old job so i can do it...i just get so freaked out when i feel trapped

Im sure you will be able to find something you can do from home hun dont let it get you down and just send a CV around see what there is about