1. COST. If you have two or more children, it may be cost effective for you to hire a nanny as many daycare centers can cost you more. Also, many families are using “nanny share”. This is an arrangement in which two families share one nanny. This cuts down on costs but you still experience the benefits of having a nanny.

2. HEALTH OF THE CHILDREN. You may have healthier children by keeping them away from the large groups of children typically found in daycare. Germs are easily spread from child to child, so daycare centers can be breeding grounds for every cold and flu of the season. When your children contract illnesses, it takes an emotional toll on both you and your children. Further, they may miss school, you may miss work, and you may incur expenses associated with doctor’s visits and medications. Your children’s exposure to germs, and thus the risks discussed here, can be dramatically diminished by simply using the services of a nanny.

3. WORKPLACE PRODUCTIVITY. If your children are sick, many daycare centers will not accept your children. However, if you have a nanny, you can still go to work as the nanny will stay home with the children. Further, if you have an attentive nanny at home with your children, you will be less likely to feel like you just can’t concentrate at work due to concern for your children. By staying focused at work, your workplace productivity remains high.

4. HOME WORKLOAD DELEGATION. A nanny can help you maintain work/life balance. For example, a nanny can be an extra pair of hands helping with household duties such as laundry, errands, transporting children, and starting the evening meal. This allows for more quality family time when the parents arrive home. No need to rush in the morning to get the kids out the door for daycare or school: a nanny is an extra pair of hands in the morning….http://blog.nannies4hire.com/benefits-of-hiring-a-nanny-2/309

Very exciting indeed! A good friend of mine has recently become pregnant (it will be their first) and it’s great to see them embarking on this life-changing course of action. It’s a time of apprehension, excitement, intrepidation… and a huge adventure.

It’s really important that you are as much a support to Jane as possible. It’s quite common for the woman to have wildly mixed emotions through a pregnancy (and even after), so you will do her the world of good to just be there, to comfort her and understand that whatever she is feeling from day to day (joy, sadness, or nothing) is perfectly normal.

There are plenty of articles through this site about pregnancy, the first 24 hours, what to expect and do when the baby arrives. I hope you find them useful.

All the best to you both,
Dodi