No daycare, need to work nights, is this doable?

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in 1 yr step down unit, 2 yrs mother/baby.

I have been an RN for 2 1/2 years and I work on a mother/baby floor. I used to work 12 hr day shifts 3days/week. When I switched hospitals a year ago I had to take a 8 hr PM shift (1500-2330). I didnt like this shift at first but now I am used to it. Everything was going good but I just found out that our daycare provider is closing down her daycare so that she can go back to school. I do not know of anyone that can take care of my 20 month old son for 2 1/2 hrs/day when I am at work until my husband can pick him up by 5:00 and I am terrified of taking him to someone that I do not knw. Right now I am part time and I do 7 (8-hr) shifts per pay period. I am thinking about changing to the night shift (2300-0730) and cutting my hours down to 6 (8hr) shifts per pay period instead to avoid having to find a new daycare provider. So basically I would work two 8 hr night shifts per week, and then every other weekend. My husband is home on weekends to watch my son while I sleep every other weekend but he will not be home during the weekday until about 6:30pm. My question is, will this work out? Will I be too exhausted coming home to care for my son after work and only sleeping during his nap time (usually 2 hrs) until my husband gets home? Will it be ok since its only part time or will it still be too hard? I was thinking about spreading out my days so that I wouldnt have to go back to work the same day after getting off that morning, but will I feel like I'm always catching up on sleep? Should I just bunch my days together in order to get more time off? I was thinking I could work mondays and wednesdays then every other weekend (fri and sat night). What do you think? Any advice? Also, I am 19 weeks pregnant and plan to be home with a 2 year old and a new baby during the day after working night shifts. Am I being unrealistic to think that this could work since its only part time??? Please be honest. Thanks in advance.

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No, I don't think it is doable.

You are 19 weeks pregnant? You are only going to harm your health, the health of your baby, and the mental health of your family if you routinely go without sleep. And you think with a newborn you are going to somehow be able to catch a nap or sleep well on the nights you aren't working? You are being completely unrealistic.

If you even think it is doable, why don't you trying staying up all night two nights a week right now, to see how you feel. I can't imagine that you would be able to routinely go without sleep two nights a week and feel happy and healthy.

Why don't you work every weekend? No daycare, and hubby home while you sleep? It's not ideal, but maybe you could make it work the weekend nights until you found a babysitter. Plenty of us have done just that (hubby working during week, wife on weekends) to avoid daycare, and our marriages and families are great.

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Specializes in LTC, Disease Management, smoking Cessati.

NO! don't do that. You will be miserably tired, and you set yourself and your kids up for disaster. With a newborn and a small child it certainly isn't advisable. I understand your frustrations. I would ask around about other day care providers or work only weekends when hubby is home to watch the kiddo's. I work midnights and have in the past. I like the shift, but no way could stay awake enough to take care of 2 little ones safely.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

BTDT and no way would I do it again! It is horrid. I finally ended up taking my kids to daycare during the day for 6 hours a day so I could sleep.

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Specializes in ICU/ER.

My normal sched is nights---once when my little guy was about 15-20 months old--just shy of 2years I had worked 8 hours the Saturday night before and my husband and taken the older kids to an event out of town that Sunday day..I thought I would be fine, just nap when the toddler napped...well what did I wake up to?? The dog barking like mad because the doorbell was ringing..who was at the door?? THe nieghbor--with the baby!!!!

Apparently the little guy had unlocked the door and went out to play in his t-shirt and diaper only. A stranger found him and knocked on the nieghbors door asking if he was hers--as he was playing near the road..the nieghbor took him and brought him home.

Dont do it. Pregnancy not only requires MORE sleep, but when you are that tired from working all night when you do sleep it is a deeper sleep than normal.

I learned my lesson about stretching myself too thin on sleep. I now take sleep very seriousely.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Case Management.

NO IT IS NOT DOABLE. DO NOT PRETEND IT IS. YOU WILL BE SOOOOO, SOOOOO MISERABLE. :nono::crying2::nono:

Seriously, find another way. Another sitter, another shift, another job. Any or all of the above. Trying to go without sleep AND pregnant??? You putting out the welcome mat for misery of all sorts.:yawn::crying2::nono:

I worked nights and had children in school. When school vacations came, I thought I could stay awake all day with them. Um NO! It doesn't work.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

sweetie, please listen to these other posters and learn from there experience. you need your sleep more now than ever before. look for other daycare for your sweet son. and get the sleep you need for your not yet born baby. i wish you all of the best with this difficult situation.

praiser :heartbeat

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Bless your heart. I think the other posters gave you a reality check....no, it's not doable and it's not even advisable. You really need to take care of yourself first. I can attest that life with a second child (especially a newborn) makes you deliriously tired in and of itself...don't add this to the mix. Good luck-I really hope that you are able to find a solution.

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Specializes in PICU.

Ditto to what everyone else has said. I did this for a while (a year or two, I don't remember, it's all a miserable blur, lol). I was so grouchy with my poor kids. Some of mine were older (we homeschool) so I thought it would be ok, but it was very difficult.

I hope you can find something that'll work for you.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

I think you are putting yourself, you children and your patients at risk. Your immune system will suffer. You may doze off while your son is mobile and gets hurt, you may commit a medication error---------- Not worth the risk. Plus, you will be miserable.

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I agree with the other posters, inviting in that kind of misery from lack of sleep and maybe even danger (what if you're too tired driving home?) isn't worth it. Maybe you can talk to some of your coworkers who have children and see who they recommend for daycare? People won't recommend someone they wouldn't take thier own children to, and you can't be the only one that works there with kids! Best wishes to you on finding a doable solution for yourself and your family!

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Med-Surg..

The other posters are correct. It is not even a bit safe to work all night and stay up all day and go to work the next night after no sleep. It won't be worth the med error you may make or the danger your kids could get into if you fall asleep. No, this is not doable, daycare is tough but there must be someone, even if it is expensive, it is worth the piece of mind and those baby years go by quickly, so daycare is only a temporary expense.

I also tried to do this once for two days and I couldn't and I wasn't pregnant, in fact I could barely stay awake long enough to get them to school at 0900. Best wishes to you and congrats on your pregnancy.

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