I searched my last month of maternity leave and it worked very well. It also left for the first couple days to be overlap days with me home - so I could show the nanny where stuff is/goes, walks around the neighborhood and the child saw us interact.
Talk to your friends with nannies, get the range of ranges, roles, responsibilities, and get some examples of contracts emailed to you.
Write out your job spec - obviously leave room for changing duties as the child grows (take to class, driving, car seat safety, street safety, etc.)

OP, I agree with the others that it's too early to post ads or conduct interviews, but here's what I would say:

Familiarize yourself with care.com, SitterCity, Craigslist, as well as some agencies in your area. Find out what the nannies you like on paper are looking for in terms of jobs and pay.

Do you have a neighborhood listserv? Certainly send out a message that you're looking for a nanny in Feb and if anyone is planning on losing their nanny around that time (would probably be at the holidays) you would love to talk with them and potentially meet their nanny.

Same goes for any friends you have who employ nannies. Make sure they know when you will need one and that you'd love to have a personal referral.

Begin looking with advertisements and interviews 8 weeks out, give or take.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why 8-12 weeks, pp?

6-8 weeks is standard (allows for a week or two to run reference checks and do interviews with enough time left for nanny to give generous notice to current family), so you can start a little earlier and maybe snag an outlier like the PP, but earlier than that and you risk someone accepting the job and then bailing when they find something better.

Standard according to you? Your advice is an indication of the low quality of caregivers you deal with.

I'm a nanny and have always given 4-6 weeks notice. Is that considered low-quality? Since when? In every other industry 2 weeks is considered adequate.

If she were looking for a nanny to start in september or June, when families needs naturally shift and long-term nannies are tearfully let go, then my advice would be different. But a February start date is going to pull either nannies who are in a position that doesn't suit them (and who will therefore not wish to give excessive notice in case the family fires them on the spot) or nannies who have been out of work for a while (in which case, OP should be wary of someone accepting her offer but finding something that starts sooner and bailing on her. February is slim pickings for nannies, so she should be extra cautious.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why 8-12 weeks, pp?

6-8 weeks is standard (allows for a week or two to run reference checks and do interviews with enough time left for nanny to give generous notice to current family), so you can start a little earlier and maybe snag an outlier like the PP, but earlier than that and you risk someone accepting the job and then bailing when they find something better.

Standard according to you? Your advice is an indication of the low quality of caregivers you deal with.

When you are ready to hire a nanny:
Decide what type of nanny you want: Do you want a nanny who is take charge and needs little management. Do you want a nanny who has less experience but likes/needs you to check in a few times a day?

Are you going to allow your nanny to drive?
Are you looking for someone long term or just until a daycare spot opens?(either is fine)

What is your personality like are you type A or B. Do you need things done a certain way, or you just need it to get done and you don't care how it is finished?

These are all questions you need to start asking yourself now, draw up a job description based on the above, and be straightforward and honest in what you want and need from your nanny. That way you will get applicants that are applying to a job they really want.

I would start the process early (as early as now) but don't expect too much activity until about 4-5 weeks before. Nannies (or anyone) don't really job search that far out. You could get lucky so worth trying but expect the number of applicants to be super low. Number of people applying will pick up starting about 4-5 weeks out. You will find lots of people needing a job NOW or yesterday. You'll get the most responses if you have a job posting that needs someone right now.

I wouldn't begin the search process right now because you still have another five months before you need her.

Perhaps start your search mid-December however you may want to switch to the beginning of that month due to the holidays.

Your best choice would be a good nanny agency in your city. Sure you will have to pay more, but then you get someone automatically background checked, CPR/First Aid certified as well as a neutral person to confide in if there are any problems w/the person you selected.

Congrats on your upcoming bundle of joy. I wish you all the best in your nanny search as well.

Anonymous wrote:Why 8-12 weeks, pp?

6-8 weeks is standard (allows for a week or two to run reference checks and do interviews with enough time left for nanny to give generous notice to current family), so you can start a little earlier and maybe snag an outlier like the PP, but earlier than that and you risk someone accepting the job and then bailing when they find something better.

Personally, I don't think it's too early, but my situation might be somewhat unique: I'm originally from DC (my parents and many close friends still live there). I moved to Portland, OR a little over three years ago. I've been working with two nice families here for the full three years, but I'm starting to really miss DC, and would like to move back.

However, I don't want to make any big moves (like giving my families notice, giving my landlord notice, etc) until I've secured a good nanny job back in DC. I need at least two months lead time to get all my ducks in a row, and most nanny jobs I see posted start in less than two months (so by the time I go through the application, phone and Skype interview proces, if I am formally offered the job I would have less than two months to make all arrangements and pack everything up and drive back across the country).

I keep looking for full time nanny jobs in DC but keep seeing ones posted with less than two months lead time, which is making this process very frustrating for me.

The point is, it doesn't hurt to post the job 3-4 months in advance. Especially since you need care in February, you don't want to be doing your nanny search during the holidays (and with a newborn), right?

It's a bit too early to start actively looking for a nanny.
What you can start to do, however, is begin creating a list of your wants and expectations.

Things to start thinking about:
desired pay range to pay your nanny
what federal holidays you will be offering
how many paid sick/vacation days

expectations are for your nanny around the house (helping with bottles, helping with baby's laundry, etc) as well as long term expectations -- driving the baby to music classes, actively taking the baby for walks around the area and to playgrounds.

Too early. Start 6-8 weeks before you need someone.

Why 8-12 weeks, pp?

I would say it's too early to begin a full-on job search. Nannies who will be available at that time are still working at current jobs and nannies who are available now won't be able to wait that long. What you can do now is start to look into your finances, needs etc. and figure out exactly what you are looking for (you need your list of needs, nice-to-haves and dealbreakers) so that your search will be effective. You can also start scanning nanny ads on local mom listserves and on websites like this one and talking to friends, neighbors and coworkers who have nannies so that you have a better idea of what to offer in terms of benefits and compensation so that you can jump in ready to go at that point. And I would begin the real search 8-12 weeks before you need care.

Congratulations!!
It's never too early to start looking around. Ask anyone you trust for recommendations. You can also post on this site for your search.

The hardest part is figuring out what kind of person you hope to find. Professional or not.

I am looking for advice since I am just starting to look for a nanny. I am 26 weeks pregnant with my first child. I am due Nov. 30th and looking for a nanny to start mid to end of Feb. 2016. I live in Alexandria and would need a nanny Mon.- Thursday for 10 hours a day. Is it too early for me to start looking for a nanny? If so when would be the best time? Where is the best place to look for one? Any other advice?

Thanks