This is my first pregnancy and I am overwhelmed by the amount of organisation involved in having 2 babies!! One of those things is organising childcare. I am in Sydney and apparently there are huge waiting lists so I have to start thinking about it NOW! I am 16 weeks pregnant...is anyone else in this situation? Has anyone weighed up the costs of either having a nanny or taking the twins to childcare? Or are there any other options available? thanks....

Hi Alibub,

I can't help you with your question, but I wanted to say welcome to EB and the twins and multiples forum. Wishing you a happy and healthy pregnancy.

Cheers,

Hi and welcome. You're in the right place for answers to all your questions about multiples!

As soon as I found out I was pregnant I put our name down for (one) place at every daycare I had heard was good in my city. When I found out at 12 weeks that I was having twins I rang them all and changed that to two places as it is very difficult to get good daycare for under 2s where I live. I took a year's parental leave and I wasn't sure when I went on leave how long I would take off work but I always thought I would go back eventually (really enjoy my career). But I was taking a "wait and see" approach. Anyway I ended up making a quick decision to go back to work 3 days a week when my girls were 6 months old. I had reached a point where I couldn't face another week at home all day - hats off to those who can! We ended up not even following up on the daycare option. We have a wonderful nanny who comes to our home 4 days a week (I now work 4 days) from 8.15 to 5.15 while DH and I are at work. She's been with us for over a year now and is really part of the family. Costwise she costs us about 50% more than 2 lots of baby daycare. Luckily we are in a position to pay that. However we get the advantages of not having to get 2 babies out of the house in the morning or pick them up at night, having all our washing done and folded, floors vacuumed, and the girls in their own home. Another advantage is that they haven't picked up lots of bugs and if they do have a minor illness, the nanny is at our place looking after them rather than one of us having to take time off work. (Of course if they were ill and needed us one or both of us would be there).

There are advantages and disadvantages to whichever option you choose - we've had a good experience with a nanny but I'm sure not everyone does and of course there is the extra expense. But definitely get onto the waiting lists if you're interested in daycare.

Good luck and keep those questions coming.

Maree

Harriet Lorna 1/8/03
Eleanor Rosalind 1/8/03

thanks sooo much for your reply. Your arrangement sounds like HEAVEN! But my pregnancy wasnt planned therefore nor was the finances!!!

Thanks for the encouragement - its so nice to feel like there are other women out there contemplating the same issues!

thx!!

[color=Blue]I too live in Sydney and I put the boys names down at childcare centres before their 1st birthday...... I knew I wasn't going to go back to work until after they turned 2. It's been 8 months since I sent off the application forms, and we haven't been offered a place for this year. To be honest, I think we'll be lucky to be offered anything for next year too!!

Depending on which childcare centre you're going to send your babies to, they can cost anywhere from $40-$85 a day (just by going on the ones that I've looked at in my area). So, for 2 babies you can be paying $80-$170 per day.

A friend of ours (who also lives in Sydney) has been using nannies for a few years now and she finds that it works out much cheaper, and she gets her housework and some cooking done. So, I guess it all depends on what your local childcare centre charges, and if you can find a nanny who doesn't charge the earth. This friend of ours advertises in the local paper and she's employed some fabulous girls who are travelling Australia (but who are going to spend some time in Sydney). She swears by it. I also have another friend who's got a lovely young girl nannying for her and she pays her around $15 per hour.

Good luck finding something that works for you.

Vanessa

I was working in Canberra before having my 2 and had all intentions of going back to work full-time once my Mat leave was up, however..........when I actually sat down and crunched the numbers, I was going to be working for only $400 a month. The full-time chilcare was $275 a week, per child. $2200 a month.
Afte pros and cons, I have made the decision to stay with these little guys until they go to school, a real tough decision considering I was so Career minded (desperate houswife style ) but you do what you have too I suppose.

Best of luck with your decision

Lozaloxx

Ali, I just thought I'd point out that with a nanny you can also get child-associated washing, ironing, cleaning and cooking done - so while the cost may seem like more up front, you come home at the end of the day to a neat house, a freezer full of food and fed/clean kids (depending on what you decide between you).

Hi Alibub

Congrats on your twin pregnancy. I am less further along in my pregnancy than you, but still considering my options at this stage. Im having a similar dilemna myself. I am preg with triplets in ACT & we got some quotations & its going to cost us $750 p/wk for fulltime care or approx $174 per day for all three for parttime care. Although fulltime care turns out slightly cheaper on a per day basis, I'd rather work partime, so its probably logical to consider the nanny option for me, otherwise I'll practically be working for free?????

To be honest Im not even sure if the nanny option will be viable, as I have no idea what it costs for a parttime nanny with or without qualifications either.... Anyone??

Cheers, Lilymurray

ME 28
DH 28
TTC #1 12/03
Gonal F - BFN 12/04
Gonal F - BFP triplets due 11/10/05

[img]http://simply-baby.net/tickers/pregimage.php?id=4567[/img]

This message was edited by lilymurray on Tuesday, 8 March 2005 @ 6:38 PM

Hi Everyone

I'm not a mum mself, but have been a nanny to twins and triplets and also have worked in a child care centre. Both have advantages and disadvantags. Depending on what age you want the care from. I think for babies having a nanny early on is more beneficial for them and yourself , easier to get them into routines etc and also while I was nannying (all twins and triplets I looked after were newborns/babies) I always kept a daily journal for their mum of their sleeping, nappies and any fun or cute things they had done. The advantage of a nanny as well is they can do ironing, washing, cooking and the babies get to grow up in their own place, but I realise that not everyone can afford it. The other choices are to put them down for family daycare, so they are getting care in someone's home, but it's still a family environment,rather than a childcare centre, where as they get older, the care isn't so individual.

If you have any questions feel free to pm me and I'd be happy to help!

Hi there
I worked in child care in canberra before having twins and i decided that working and placing 2 children in child care is very costly and the other options are family day and a nanny but before you decideon another option is to work from work for 2-3 days aweek if possible with your work then this may be easier for maybe 6 months and return to work in a fulltime out of the house later.
I know some parents who do this quiet sucessfully
I live in canberra and i am a member of The mutiple club in the ACT and there are parents that work from home .
Please join your local club and ask the members what they did? for working and child care options in the area. Maybe they know a great nanny or family day care worker.
I hope that this helps you


Bye for now
Rosie

congratulations on your pregnancy. I havnt got much time but i did some research, and if any one gets centrelink parenting payments you can have a nanny come to your home and it costs about $200 for 30hrs of child care