When to start looking for nurseries for a 7-9mnth old?

[badguider]

Currently pregnant. If all goes to plan with mine and the baby's heath and we have no serious complications, I'll be working 2 days a week from when my LO is six months old. The first month or two we can muddle by with DH's holiday and GPs so I'm expecting to be looking to start nursery somewhere around 7-9mnths old.

Does anybody know how soon I have to start looking? I don't know if I can look before the birth, but afterwards will be quite hectic for a while (!!) so realistically if I don't do it before then it'll be a couple of months after - realistically do you think waiting lists will be more than 6mnths long? We have about four nurseries in walking distance (and would strongly prefer to be in walking distance as I work mostly at home and DH walks to work).

[justabigdisco]

I looked when my baby was 2 weeks old, to start when she was 7 months. The best places were already booked up, but it depends on how many / which days you want. Tues-Wed-Thur seem to be the busiest, as part time workers tend to take Mon and/or Friday off.

[YouBrokeMySmoulder]

I would look now if you want choice tbh.

[badguider]

Thanks, that's interesting. I can mostly choose which days to work except I think I need to work Tuesday afternoons for the first six weeks at least. I would probably choose something like Tuesday and Thursday if I had full choice... but I guess I could start off with the less popular days (mon and tues or tues and fri) and stay on the waiting list for the popular days...??

Did you just start emailing at 2weeks or visiting then? Would it be insane to email before the birth to set up visits after it?

[OhMyNoReally]

Ring them explain your expecting and are worried about waiting lists. Ask if they mind if you view now and if you can put your name down when dc is born. I know our nursery last place we lived had a huge waiting list, but it was the only one in the village.

[badguider]

... another idea would be to do all the visits pre-birth then drop the application if after the birth if all goes to plan.

[bluemintygel]

Now!

[CMOTDibbler]

Nothing to be lost by looking now. When I was pg with ds, there was a year waiting list for a ft baby place!

[badguider]

ha - xposts - thanks ohmy that's the best plan i think.

[floatyjosmum]

I'm 32 weeks - due mid April. I'm going back to work in September and need 1 day a week. We've already got babies name down and still n

[floatyjosmum]

oops posted too soon!

... still not guaranteed a place.

i would look now!

[badguider]

Ok. I think i'll look when i get to 30 weeks so that'll be about 9-10 months before I need the place.
Thanks.

[tilder]

Would look asap too.

The reason most part time workers try to avoid working Mondays is because of bank holidays. They can really eat into your annual leave allowance.

[Wincher]

I will hopefully be putting DC2's name down on the nursery waiting list next Tuesday, after our 12 week scan, to start in september 2014. We did that for DS but still didn't get a space till he was 2...

[Murtette]

When will your DC be starting nursery? One thing I (somewhat naively) didn't think of is that in August, the oldest children in nursery leave to go to school so everyone else in nursery moves up a room creating space in the baby room. Obviously, there won't be a whole load of babies who necessarily want to start in September but it does tend to mean there may be more space & flexibility in Sept/Oct/Nov than June & July.
Another factor is that 2 days is often the minimum number of days you can do at a nursery and your child won't be as valuable to the nursery as a full time child or a younger sibling although will be very valuable if you can slot in for the days that a 3-day-a-week-child isn't there (IYSWIM). So waiting lists don't necessarily reflect time since registration but business needs too.

[philbee]

I'm pg and have put the baby down for two nurseries and a childminder for a year's time. I think it's probably overkill to be doing it this early, but just don't want to be worrying too much. I'll probably keep looking and putting them on lists for nurseries and preschools after they're born. Depends on your area though - lists are long where we are and I stayed home with DD and quit my last job because I couldn't find anywhere that I liked a few months before I was due to go back (unavoidable as we'd just moved).