Before your baby is born, you'll want to decide who is going to care for this baby throughout the workday. If you currently work nine or ten hours per day, someone has to be watching the baby during that time. The following sections review your child-care options, which are presented in no particular order.

Day-Care Center

Day-care centers have been growing steadily in popularity for the last 20 years or so. In a day-care center, which ranges in cost from a low of about $150 per week to a high of about $500 per week, your child will be one of many children his or her age. The setting is usually very much like a school, except, perhaps, brighter and a bit cozier.

Children are usually fed a couple of snacks and a lunch; they may or may not play outside very much. Some day-care centers accept newborns, while others take only children who are six months of age or older.

To find out which centers are the best in your area, ask friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers for recommendations. Then visit the center, more than once, if possible.

Although you'll want to arrange a visit your first time, feel free to drop in unannounced the next time. You have every right to see how children at the center are treated all the time, not just when a parent is expected.

If you're lucky enough to have an on-site day-care center at work, you'll be able to spend your work breaks and lunch with your child, and you may even pay a discounted fee for child care.

On-site day-care centers are rare, so if you have one, consider it one of your best options. If you don't, consider looking for a new job that does include this benefit.

Daytime Babysitter

Another option is to use a daytime babysitter, either in your own home or in the home of the babysitter. (Live-in nannies, who work for room, board, and a small salary, fall under this category.)

Usually, daytime babysitters care for only a few children of varying ages at one time — their own and one or two others. Even the most caring babysitter can't watch, care for, and stimulate more children than that at one time. Some daytime babysitters are able to take on newborns; others choose not to.

Babysitters usually, but not always, prefer to stay in their own homes during the day. They may ask you to provide lunch and snacks, or they may provide them for you (charging more, of course, for that service). Prices range from a low of $120 a week to a high of several hundred per week. Live-in nannies can be the most expensive because they require their own bedrooms and baths, plus food and a small salary.

Personal recommendations from family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers is the best way to locate a daytime babysitter.

Grandparents

Having one of your child's grandparents care for him or her is exactly like using a daytime babysitter, except that grandparents usually charge far less. In fact, some grandparents who are retired are eager to spend as much time as possible with their grandchildren and don't charge a penny for the service.

While this is often the case, don't expect it from your own parents. If a grandparent has offered to care for your child during the day, discuss fees early in the conversation.

You or Your Spouse

The advantage of having others care for your child is that you can continue working as you have in the past. The disadvantages are threefold:

• People with other values, disciplinary tactics, energy levels, and education levels are caring for your child.

• You get to spend far less time — and often the times when you're most fatigued — with your child.

• Paying for a child-care provider often costs more than your income brings in after taxes, commuting costs, dry cleaning, and so on are subtracted.

As a result, many people choose to care for their own children. You can do this in a variety of ways:

• Work a different shift than your spouse does (either full time or part time), and each care for your child while the other works.

• Both of you work part time (for example, one works mornings and the other works afternoons), and each care for your child while the other works.

• One works full time and the other cares for your child during the workday.

If you both decide to work, but on different shifts, you won't experience any reduction in pay, which is good. The downside, however, is that you and your spouse will rarely see each other, and you didn't get married so that you could leave each other notes on the kitchen counter.

If you choose this option, it should be extremely temporary. For example, until you can save enough for one of you to stay home full time or until the baby is old enough to be accepted at a day-care facility.