how young is too young for daycare?

carolyn02

Hi yall.. I'm new to this board and only 9 wks along.  But I'm already totally stressing about childcare.  Both hubby and I work full-time.  We moved (1 yr ago) to a totally new place, where we know no one (and are still finding it hard to meet "good" people).  My family is 8 hours away and his family is 4 hours away, so grandma watching little bean is not an option.  I will only have approx 6 wks off when I give birth before I have to take time off without pay.. which really is not an option for us becuase without my income, we cannot afford our mortgage.  The only option that we see at this point, is to put little bean in daycare right away... 6 wks.  Is this completely too soon? I feel it is and wish there were another option.. but sadly.. I don't trust ANYONE here (I work in probation and know that this area is full of heroin-pushing-money-frauding scumbags... did I mention I hate it here?!) Anyone been through similar circumstances.. or have any recommendations for what we can do? Thanks!!

alli2672

we started daycare at 8 weeks.  We didn't have any problems. 

mysticporter

I'm sorry you are feeling stressed.  I don't have any personal experience, so I'm sure the other ladies on here can be more direct help, but one piece of advice I would give, is to start looking ASAP at daycare options.  I live in a small town where you wouldn't necessarily think places would book up, but I have a coworker who starting looking in 2nd trimester and was shocked at how limited the options were in terms of good places that had openings for very young infants.  (She's wait listed until June and is having to telework in the meantime).  I think your baby will be absolutely fine, and you have to do what's best for your family overall.

mrs.pelletier

Most places take newborns at 6-8 weeks so it may be hard to leave LO, but it is an option. You have a lot of time to plan so don't freak out yet. Can you put away a little money every week so you can take a little more time off if you need to? Do you have any vacation time or does your husband? If so, you could take your 6 weeks then maybe your husband could use his vacation time. Lots of people go right back to work so don't worry.

NManger

I'm a PO too! So I understand how it is to become jaded about people. That's why I went with a daycare center where at least there are background checks and lots of people around all the time too. In our area most daycares take babies starting at six weeks. There are quite a few teeny little guys in there...and they seem tobe doing fine.

MegGary

6 weeks is pretty standard for daycares to take them. If you can & since you are so early in your pregnancy, maybe try saving up so you can stretch your leave to 8 or 12 weeks. Save up vacation & sick time as well. GL.

Maybride2

Most daycare centers accept infants at 6 weeks, because plenty of women go back to work at that time.

If you can't afford to be out of work longer than 6 weeks, then you do what you have to do.  6 weeks is not too young, especially if that's the reality that you are dealing with.

However, like pp said - you've got nearly 30 weeks to plan for this.  Start saving now, so that you can take an extra week or two if that's what you want to do.

justrachet

We started daycare at 6 weeks. He's doing great!

Pesky

6 wks is fine.  DD and DS started at 8 wks and both were fine.  Do you have or your DH have an Employee Assistance Program?  Mine searched for daycare according to my parameters and gave me the results for free.  I then set up interviews and went and visited a bunch of places before finding one I liked.  Also, do you belong to a church or other social organization?  That might provide you with some good suggestions as well.

jlw2505

My daycare starts at 6 weeks and they do keep the really young ones (under 12 weeks) in bassinets rather than in cribs.  They are out in the area where the staff is most of the day so they can keep a closer eye on them.  The other infants sleep in the crib room which is in the same general room but separated by a half wall.  My younger DD slept in one for a few weeks since she started at 10 weeks and my older DD was in one longer due to a health reason and weaning her from meds - we all felt better being able to keep a closer eye on her.  At my center, all the staff love to hold the little babies!

jenuine

MegGary:

6 weeks is pretty standard for daycares to take them. If you can & since you are so early in your pregnancy, maybe try saving up so you can stretch your leave to 8 or 12 weeks. Save up vacation & sick time as well. GL.

I was just about to say the same thing. If you have this much time to plan, try to save as much sick/vacation time as you can. Have DH take a week of vacation after you go back, then maybe ask a grandparent to come down for another week. If you are really worried about the age, that might buy you some weeks.

Honsetly though, 6 weekers show up at our center all the time. It's pretty standard.

And like the other girls said, start shopping for child care now. You are going to want to feel 100% confident in anyone you leave your child with and it sounds like that is a tall order in your area.

Also, I'd start to make a plan to move if you hate it there so much. Even if it's years down the line, if you have it in your head that living in a place you don't like is a short term solution, it really helps.

GL and congratulations!!

carolyn02

Thanks for all the great advice ladies!! I'm working on saving all my time.. but unfortunately I will have to use all my sick time just for the first 6 weeks (only been at my job 1.5 yrs), but for sure I'm saving my vacation time! And that's a good idea about grandparents just coming for a week.  I know they can't come to help for long periods of time, but they can definitely try and swing a few weeks here and there!

Thanks for all the reassurements from you ladies who've had your young ones in daycare right off the bat.  It's comforting to know they're doing well

makclair

I only had 7 weeks off, and so we had no other option. DH's mom came for a week to watch him, and then he started daycare at 8 weeks and has been fine since then!

Most daycares will take them at 6 weeks, you have to do what you have to do!

thenewmrsrussell

6-8 Weeks is standard but personally I couldn't have done it that early. Though, I suppose if I didn't have a choice that would have been that. I didn't personally feel comfortable with it until she was 4 months old.

OCNewlywed

I think 6 weeks is pretty standard. I just had baby #3 but the earliest I have gone back is 12 weeks.  Honestly, if there is any way at all to save so you can have some more time, I highly recommend it. It is hard to go back to work when you are still not getting much sleep. Also, it's nice to get past 2 month shots, etc. This time I had a winter baby so I tried to stay out a bit longer - so actually got the 4 month shots too. That said, plenty of people go back to work early. Congrats and good luck!

AutumnBride929

We started daycare at eight weeks, too.  It was completely fine.  I would have been fine to go back to work after six weeks.  I think that as long as you don't need a c/s (in which case, I think the doc recommends you take it easy for eight weeks), you should be in good shape.

sunnysmile9

We started daycare the day after LO turned 6 weeks. It was harder for me than it was for her at that point.  Find a daycare you can trust to love on your LO all day because really, at 6 weeks.. that's all they need.

GL