I'm 6 months pregnant and the maternity policy at my work is pretty generous, but I will eventually need to go back to work. For those of us who don't have relatives or whose spouses both will need to go back to work, how do you do it? I'm a bit loss at my options and, I feel like I'm already failing as a parent, as when I talk to my co-workers it seems they had daycare lined up from the get-go...
You do not need daycare lined up from the get go! Some places have spots open at the last minute, and in others you really just need to line it up a few months before you need it. You can search for Group Family Daycares at the link below. Most take babies as young as 6 weeks. They are small, so many are full, but just call around.
https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/childcare/looking/ccfs-search.phpYou can also search for commercial daycares here.
https://a816-healthpsi.nyc.gov/ChildCare/ChildCareList.doFor recommendations, joining jhfamilies is a great tip. And you can also ask people with babies and young kids that you see on the street... this is a friendly neighborhood!
Just know that you are NOT behind or failing in any way. Good luck!
P.s. feel free to post any follow up questions