Moms: a question

michelle142

We have our daycare spot secured now, but I now need to get back to them by next week with how many days a week baby will be there.

I have a few options, but I'm not really sure what to do.

Option #1: My Mom watches baby on Mondays, I work 4-10's so I can be home on Tuesdays, baby goes to daycare W-Th-F.

Option #2: Same as #1, only Mom would watch baby every Friday and MIL would watch baby for a couple hours every other Friday. Baby would go to daycare only Wed-Thurs.

Option #3: I switch back to 5-8 hour shifts (7 to 3:30pm or 6 to 4:30 when you factor in my commute), Mom/MIL watch baby Mon & Fri, daycare Tu-Wed-Th.

I'm currently a fan of option #2 since we'd only have to pay for 2 days a week daycare and I'd get an extra day at home. It's more budget friendly.

However, H made a good point that if I work 4-10's (I'd be gone 5am to 5pm) that I might be away from home and baby too much. He thinks that option #3 is the way to go. Do you think 12 hours a day is too long to be at work? I see where he's coming from. WDYT?

Nunu&Eddie

That's a really tough question! Personally, I'd rather have full days at home with the baby. I work 5-8's and by the time I get Adrian and get home, I am so tired. All I get to do with him is feed him, play/cuddle for an hour or so and then start the bedtime routine.

Even though your days are longer working 4-10's, you get to spend an extra full day at home with your baby. That'd be my preference. 

I see a lot of working moms that are away for 12 hours (I am away only 10 hours). You just have to make sure you take enough time to pump if you are BF. If you went with the shorter work days you could likely cut out one pumping session.

ETA: It seems like with either option you'd be at home around the same time in the evening, so I based my opinion on that. 

MBMcC421

Option #1 is what we currently do, switching me home on Mondays with my mom having her on Tuesdays.  I love being home with Sam one day a week, so if you can pull that, I would definitely say got for it.  Also, with a set schedule of your mom on Mondays, you Tuesdays, and daycare Wed - Fri, it will help the baby with their schedule... yes, its awesome that your MIL wants to help, and def keep her in reserves, but I think pulling her our of daycare and going back and forth an extra day every other week might be a little much, especially being so young and trying to adjust to new things.

It might seem like a long day, but looking at the time it takes, especially with your commute, I don't think an hour give or take will really matter... and trust me, you'll be up early with the baby anyway, so you won't even feel the difference.  Worth it, IMO...

Mrs. Mo

I would definitely choose an option that would let me be home woth the baby for a full day. The only thing I'd worry about is just making sure both your Mom & MIL know that you only have the daycare slots for those specific days. My SIL ran into a problem when my MIL said she would watch her baby on Fridays but every-so-often she would want to go away for the weekend and thought it was NBD. I guess she didn't fully understand the "slot" thing (she thought that SIL could move around the days each week) so SIL ended up having to take those days off that MIL couldn't end up watching her.

kmo630

I love working 4- 10 hour days.  Yes, Weston comes to work with me so my situation is different, but I love having 3 days off to have one-on-one time with just him.  I also think whatever you can do to keep as much of a consistent schedule is super important.

tdmd09

michelle142:

However, H made a good point that if I work 4-10's (I'd be gone 5am to 5pm) that I might be away from home and baby too much. He thinks that option #3 is the way to go. Do you think 12 hours a day is too long to be at work? I see where he's coming from. WDYT?

Well, considering DH works 24 hour shifts and I work 12 hour shifts, I'd say no, it's not too long to be at work.

I'm not a mom yet, obviously, but I think I am lucky in that I will be home with my child 4 days a week (and DH will be home 4-5 days a week). That way the time I do get to spend with my child is full on quality time. Most of the nurses I work with keep their 12 hour shifts for the same reason, and most people I know are wicked jealous of my work schedule. 

michelle142

Thanks for the input ladies!

I don't think I was very clear about option #2. It would break down something like this:

Monday: My Mom would watch baby at our house

Tuesday: I would be home

Wednesday & Thursday: Daycare

Friday: Mom at my house until 2PM then MIL would come to my house and watch baby until I get home at about 4:30

Would that be a consistent enough schedule or does it seem like baby would be all over the place?

amelianguy

I think it's fine, Michelle. Young babies are very flexible and if that's the routine he or she is used to from the beginning, it will work just fine. I'm with the other girls in that I would give anything to have an extra full day off with El, so I would totally pick one of those options.