attn working mamas.

icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN · Feb 3, 2015

The pediatrician wil tell you that the best thing that you can do for your baby's health and minimize exposure to disease is to keep him out of daycare for the first three years of life.

Work weekend option so that your husband can take care of the baby then and enjoy being a sahm during the week.

RNperdiem, RN · Feb 3, 2015

I did work per diem weekend days when my kids were younger. It gave their dad a chance to spend a lot of time with the kids and do some real "childcare" as opposed to "babysitting". We avoided daycare costs and the weekend differential and per diem pay rates made a bigger impact financially than a full time rate. Luckily the cost of health insurance is quite reasonable with my husband's company. The drawback is that time together as a family on weekends is limited if someone works every day of the week. You won't find us taking a lot of weekend trips as a family, but we have made the schedule work for us.

klone, MSN, RN · Feb 3, 2015

No, it will not improve your bond to be away from your baby; neither will it lessen it.

I agree with others that I would try to do something to minimize exposure to childcare, assuming it is feasible and doesn't take a toll on your physical and mental health (for example, working every other night, then staying up all day the next day to care for the baby - bad idea!). Given the option of 3 shifts vs. 5 shifts, I would choose 3, for a couple reasons. First, because it means you have 4 full uninterrupted days with your baby. And second, because it will result in your husband spending more solo parenting time with your baby (I assume he works a 8-5 job, which means he will need to do solo parenting in the evenings when you work until 7:30pm, as well as those weekends you will have to work). Good luck, whatever you decide!

xoemmylouox, ASN, RN · Feb 3, 2015

I work all of the time and am in school. My husband is a SHD. It works great for us. Sure I feel like I miss some of her growing up, but for me it is all about quality time. I "talk" to her when I can during the day, he takes lots of videos/pictures, etc. I would rather miss some of the fun and keep her safe at home with Dad. It's tough some days, but it works for us. You just have to find out what works best for you guys. I would rather work 3-12hr shifts, but that's me.

NightNurseRN13 · Feb 3, 2015

I've found that when working nights you are really "working" the day shift after that as well (since you are sleeping). I think I'm away from my kids more since I work nights. If you work days, at least on your days off you will be awake...

Libby1987 · Feb 3, 2015

I got to stay home with my last and I wouldn't relish leaving an infant, but as soon as baby turns toddler/pre schooler they can thrive in a good preschool type daycare. And while I get the theory of child always being home with one parent or the other, that's not much family time. If you work 8-3p and your husband works a similar schedule, that's every afternoon/dinner/bedtime and weekends (holidays?) together. There's a lot of good that comes from a child being their parents together during those times with lots of social and learning experiences during the day.

I started my 2 1/2 yr old in a very nice preschool (not affluent, but great educated warm staff in a small country town) and it was he who kept stretching the days out longer, he wanted to stay til after nap time. 8-3 is long but it's not leaving them there 12 hrs.

Red Kryptonite · Feb 3, 2015

No, it will not improve your bond to be away from your baby; neither will it lessen it.

This is a modern fiction with which people comfort themselves. I'm not going to tell anyone they shouldn't work if they have to, but I will say they should consider options that maximize family time and minimize paid-stranger care. It just doesn't stand up to basic logic to assert that spending the vast majority of waking, formative hours away from parents as an infant and toddler doesn't affect the quality of the bond.

sistrmoon, BSN, RN · Feb 3, 2015

I've always worked weekend nights since having kids. Daycare is minimized and I'm essentially a SAHM during the week.

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Feb 3, 2015

I have a 10 week old and go back to work next week. I will be working two days a week. During the week I will be on nights and during the weekends I will work days. My husband works a 9-5. The baby will stay with my MIL from 1-6 while I sleep and from 10-2 the night after. I know my struggle will be being up with baby all day. Buy that's the sacrifice I have to make.

NightNurseRN13 · Feb 4, 2015

I have a 10 week old and go back to work next week. I will be working two days a week. During the week I will be on nights and during the weekends I will work days. My husband works a 9-5. The baby will stay with my MIL from 1-6 while I sleep and from 10-2 the night after. I know my struggle will be being up with baby all day. Buy that's the sacrifice I have to make.

oh my! You are going to be so tired! Only 5 hours to sleep? That 5 hours doesn't even include transport and wind down time.

Alnitak7 · Feb 4, 2015

The pediatrician wil tell you that the best thing that you can do for your baby's health and minimize exposure to disease is to keep him out of daycare for the first three years of life.
Work weekend option so that your husband can take care of the baby then and enjoy being a sahm during the week.

Babies need their mothers. My child is still recovering from the abuse she and I took from her babysitters. You should study the statistics on this topic. Unless you have an angel for a babysitter is really is not worth it.