New(ish) RN, new baby soon.. how to fit the two?

[carolina.RN]

Hey yall, I am a new grad RN with 3 months step down experience about to move out of state.. and start a family with my husband! We are thrilled but I have some work concerns. It is our first, so I was going to look for a part time 12hr shift position on a floor at the hospital in our new state.. How did you guys who have kids maneuver this? I am worried about the childcare situation. My husband is active duty Navy and I am worried half my paycheck will go to childcare (a caregiver that is a stranger, to boot). However it is too early to take a year or more off to focus on the baby because I am so new and am worried I won't be able to find a job when I get back into nursing (I eventually would like to be a school RN).

Kinda freaking out.. advice??

[RNperdiem, RN]

Is the new baby on the way as we speak, or is there some time?

Everyone has their own way of working out the childcare dilemma; there is no one way.

Here is what I did. I worked for 2 years full time after graduation, I worked through the pregnancy. Close to my due date, I applied and was accepted for a per diem position on my current unit.

Now I could choose my own schedule since my husband carried the benefits.

After the baby was born, I worked per diem, part shifts or weekends. Where I work, you can work as little as a 4 hour block once a week when my husband or mom could watch my son.

As the kids grew older, I increased my hours but still make my own schedule without having to pay for childcare.