Anyone choosing a nursery?

Hi, I'm not interested in doing the video call but I can tell you how I've chosen mine just last week, to start in February 2027: whatever was available. I called 10 nurseries in the area and most of them were fully booked until mid 2028 (baby room), and two others had just one space on the days I needed (or I could accommodate). I went to both on the same day, and the one that got me a better feeling is the one I chose. What a lot of nurseries told me is that women that are only 4 months pregnant are already booking nursery places for when they return to work

Also not really interested in the video call tbh....but for me is been fairly simple.
All nurseries in my area seem to have similar ratings.
So we opted for the one that is literally across the street from our flat, with the hope to be able to manage with half days as there is no commuting time to the nursery and I work from home full time with a fairly flexible job.
Anything that involved commuting would force us into a full time nursery which we want to avoid due to cost and also long days for baby.
All other nurseries would require a minimum 15/20 minute bus there and back, with waiting times etc we worked out it would be 1 hr for drop off and 1 hr for pick up which just doesn't make sense.

We went and they signed us up for the waiting list. If they are unable to accommodate us for Jan 2028 then we will explore other options but they seem to think it would be fine.

In all honesty. The best way to do it is to visit. I’ve had so many recommendations… but ended up chosing a very different nursery just by popping in and feeling out a few available ones in my area. How is the staff was with the kids when you’re there (one nursery I saw a staff member tear and throw a toy from a toddler hands as the staff wanted to go outside but this seemed so brutal …they were out straight away ) … what toys are there(Montessori or other) , do they cook on site or is it “ready meals” catering, how long does staff usually stick around (if huge turnaround probs not a great sign as staff might be unhappy) , what is the outdoor area like is it free flow (means kids can freely roam which was quite important to me personally), are nappies provided and if so which (relevant if your child is prone to excema) , hygiene in nappy area , how staff and management seem to you, … i think those are a few points important for me personally but understand Everyone is different.

Good luck:)

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Our area js more of a what’s available rather than options. People put their names down when they have just got pregnant which makes the waiting lists years!! It’s absolutely bonkers! Things really need to change and should be at a certain stage in pregnancy /giving birth before being allowed to choose!