You asked and you shall now receive. It’s only fair for us to share all of this stored up knowledge about having a baby and what is going on with your body during those nine (really ten) months. We now will answer, in a very public forum, all of those burning questions about having a baby. Each Monday, we will tackle a commonly-asked-question from the point of view of an expectant parent. Chiming in to give feedback will be an expert (you know someone who does this for a living). Earmark, share and add your own input to today’s question; it’s good karma.

How long before the baby is born should I find a nanny?

Childcare, nannies, and daycare are often on expectant moms minds the moment that they see pink on the pregnancy test. Understandably, it is something that we want to devote time, energy, and diligence in our search for the “perfect” full-time caretaker of our little one.

If we had a magic wand to grant all our wishes, we also would like to find someone as early as possible, though it’s often tricky as most caregivers are looking for work now, and not in a few months when we return to work. The vast majority of moms find childcare within a month of returning to work.

Some solutions that have worked for expectant moms in their search to secure a nanny a bit earlier than the norm is by having the nanny begin part-time hours during the maternity leave, and then ease into full-time upon returning to work. This helps the caregiver begin work now, with the promise of future full time work soon, as well as puts you at ease in having childcare taken care of and getting some much needed help to get some rest while you are on mommy duty.

Another potential challenge is that some other moms are only looking for part – time help. One of the great ways to navigate this is to find another mom or two who is also looking for help and to hire the caregiver full-time and share the hours. This creates an ideal situation for the caregiver who is looking for full-time work, and the mom that would like to get some help, and reduce the likelihood of the caregiver leaving the family if they find a full time opportunity.

The search for good childcare can sometimes seem like an uphill climb – but it is well worth the journey – letting your friends and family that you are looking and interviewing nannies that come highly recommended will bring you to a wonderful outcome.

Expert: Renee Sullivan

Renee Sullivan, parent coach and Founding Director of Mommybites support groups, works with moms each week to create their own personal parenting plan that is right for them, while making sure that each mom gets the support, resources, and community they need for their parenting journey. Drawing from her experience as an birth coach and educator, she guides moms – new, seasoned and expectant through the never – ending array of decisions that come with having a child. Weekly sessions that are “nurturing, informative, and fun” and her “calm-laid back personality” has made her a “dynamic resource” to the parenting community since 2006. Renee’s positive, warm and enthusiastic personality relaxes and guides new and expectant moms to enjoy the journey and her personal attention to detail allows all parents that work with her to quickly get the resources they need to feel at ease to make informed and educated decisions. Before joining Mommybites, she narrowly escaped the trenches of Corporate America where she was a Senior Project Manager for The New York Times, Morgan Stanley and Pfizer. She lives in New York City and is the mom of one happy kindergartener.