So you need to get back to work - but paying for a full-time nanny would mean you end up bringing home less than the minimum wage. The good local nurseries are full - and also expensive - and your parents live on the other side of the country so babysitting opportunities are few and far between.

What do you do?

For more and more parents, the solution to their childcare dilemma is to "nanny share". Teaming up with one or more families to spread the cost means that many parents who would ordinarily be priced out of using a nanny can now afford what many experts think is the best childcare option.

There is also the added benefit that your child will be mixing with others which can help in their social development.

An innovative website nannyshare.co.uk, has launched - with a database of more than 2000 parents looking to share a nanny with another family.

It is the first site of its kind and has the largest and fastest growing database of families looking to match their childcare needs. A postcode search finds families locally who want to share the child care.

For some parents it means their children will be looked after together, halving the cost, and for others it means they split a full time nanny's week between two families. Don't forget that you will have to sort out wages, tax and holiday issues - and of course all agree on the best nanny to do the job. But get it right and the sharing option can solve your childcare problems.