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I got on daycare waiting lists the month after my BFP. I took a year long maternity leave. We are still on the list.

I live a large city close to the downtown core.

I started looking at 8 weeks pregnant. I live in the South and in a big town, but the best options are highly competitive. He is currently on like 5 waiting lists and several commented that I should have called the second I started trying (RUDE!). I don't think you are too late by any means, as we just found out yesterday that it looks like a spot has opened up!

One thing that is difficult is that a lot of programs work on a school year schedule. Our little boy will be born in August, so he won't be eligible to go until at least 8 weeks (he's only doing 2 days a week). A trick we learned from a friend is to make it clear that you are willing to pay for the full school year before LO is eligible, as opposed to trying to get the timing perfect. Of course this assumes you have this flexibility - I'm on paid maternity leave during the 2 months we will be paying (with no baby there), so I could.

ETA: We were looking for a mother's day out / church program, so our experience was a little different.

Do it now. I put my names on lists at 8 weeks pregnant and I'm still very nervous that we won't get in anywhere. I have seen it happen before. We live in a medium sized city- east coast.

I live in the northeast as well and definitely had daycare locked down by 20 weeks along. By "locked down" I mean I was on their wait-list, had paid the deposit and registration fee and completed all paperwork. Luckily, I was pretty high up on the wait-list and there happened to be a few infants who would be moving to the toddler room when we would be starting.

i started going on tours around the 12-week mark. i would have gone earlier but i worried about making commitments and the pregnancy not lasting.

We started looking at daycare at 24 weeks but I don't live in a city. I'm in the suburbs. I think it's more important to start early when you are in an urban environment and there is a shortage of space.

I started emailing and contacting places at around 13 weeks and started taking tours at 17 weeks. I felt kind of silly worry about childcare in December but there were waitlists at all of the places I toured (3 so far, with 1 more scheduled). I think our odds are good for getting into 2 of the ones we toured, but 1 was basically hopeless according to the director. There were some women on one tour that were 6-7 months pregnant and they were basically told there would not be a slot available for them. The super expensive places don't seem to have a waitlist, but they are also $3k per month so... that isn't happening on our budget! I live in the NE as well.

I started looking in the first trimester. I would start now, as crazy as it feels/sounds!

I started looking around 16/17 weeks and there were very few spots available. We are also i the NEast.

I found my first daycare earlier in 3rd trimester. At that point they had no waiting list and no infant room. I was surprised when I brought LO in for her first transition day. There had been some local infant explosion. There were six infants, all twelve infant spots were filled and there was a waiting list.

We moved in November so I had to leave that daycare. We've had to do a TON of scrambling for daycare. LO will finally move to her 4th, and finally "permanent", spot in the middle of May. It's been so stressful. The earlier you find a spot the better.

I'm in the early stages of adoption and i'm already making a list and looking at how much to budget. I'm in nyc and i know its going to be crazy!

Now! I started looking when I was 8 weeks just to price things out and see which centers have wait lists and what not. It's competitive in my town. We were on the waitlist for almost 2 years at our current daycare.

Like seriously the second I got a positive pregnancy test. All the good centers around here have crazy long wait lists.

Holy cow. I am 4 weeks pregnant, this is giving me anxiety!!! Someone please tell me I can wait a little while in the Chicago suburbs!!

@MRSJX3: Haha ditto on the sudden anxiety at 4 weeks pregnant! I just sent this thread to DH.

I would've done it as soon as I found out about the pregnancy, but I live in a large city and the waitlists here are insane!

@Ms.Pumpkin: a lot of daycares do not like doing part time schedules. They prefer FT in the infant room.

@Ms.Pumpkin: I think you said you work in DC... I would also consider putting yourself on a WL or two near your office. Moms I know (myself included) go back and forth on whether it's better to have LO near you during the day or near home. You likely won't know what will be right for your family until LO is born, so it might be nice to have options.