Maternity leave - daycare for older child question

[Skippy918]

Our second child is due in about 2 weeks, so I'll be out on maternity leave for 4 months.  Currently DS is enrolled full time in a daycare, which he loves.  I'm still undecided whether to reduce his hours or days while I'm off or just use the whole time off to focus and bond with the new baby. 

What did you do?

[Evergreen]

If you can afford it I'd try to keep him in just keep communication open with the provider that he may be late or absent often. The biggest issue for me would be losing the spot while on maternity leave. Good daycare options are tough to find!

[justKate]

If I could afford to keep one in FT care, I would go that route until you see how things are with the new LO.  My DD is really high-energy and loves people and activity, so it would really be cruel to her to isolate her at home, especially if a lot of my time was focused on a new baby.  Maybe see how it goes for a few weeks after the LO arrives, and then cut back the hours, if that appeals to you?  I definitely wouldn't pull him out yet, especially if you're sure that you're going back to work after 4 mos.

Congrats on baby-to-be!  Hope you have a wonderful babymoon. :)

[Alyantavid]

I kept my oldest in daycare a few days a week.  He loved it, it helped keep his routine going and he needed a break from the baby.  It worked out really well for us.

[Mosaic]

Another vote to keep the older one in daycare. DD2 had some feeding issues (still does), and we were going to countless doctor appointments, therapy sessions, etc. while on maternity leave. Thank goodness DD1 had somewhere to go where she could play, run around, etc. instead of sit around here and watch me nurse!

[Skippy918]

Thanks for sharing your experiences.  I'm going to play it by ear at this point.  I definitely know for the first month, DS will stay in daycare while I recover.