Returning to Work After Baby (And what I wish I had known)

                   When I was pregnant with my first child there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to be a stay at home mom once she was born... I mean that's what all the good moms do right? I assumed that it would just come naturally to me. When my daughter was five months old I decided that it was time for me to jump back on the wagon and find a job. I worked part time at our local YMCA for a while before I left for a full time job at a hospital. I worked at the hospital for three years before I found myself pregnant again, and this time- I had no intention of staying home.

I wasn't sure how everything was going to play out once it was time for me to return to work. I decided to start my maternity leave a little early to spend a week alone with my daughter before the new baby came. Of course then my son decided to come ten days late and before I knew it my paid time was spent up and I was sitting around with this five week old baby knowing I was going to have to send this brand new baby to spend ten hours a day with someone he had never met and I began to panic.

Working and being a mom to an infant has been one of the hardest adjustments I've ever made. It seemed like every day I thought, "If I could just make it through today". Somehow I made it through and here is how:

A+ Babysitter: I know I've posted it before but seriously- You NEED a babysitter you can trust and communicate with. I can't tell you how much worse off my first week back at work would have been if I hadn't had a babysitter who kept me updated and made me feel comfortable leaving my tiny (colicky) baby with. I knew she was capable and I knew she would take care of him which made it easier for me to focus on getting back in the swing of things my first week back.

The more prepared you are, the better: Packing everything up for my first day back at work was like packing my diaper bag for the hospital but a million times less exciting. I felt like I was going overboard with all of the stuff I was shoving into his bag but I didn't want to miss anything. Even though I wasn't a first time mom, I had no idea what working with a newborn would be like. It was relaxing to know that everything would be ready for us when we woke up.

Dress for Success: I would say dress for success so that you look as good as you feel but with a new baby I feel like it should be: "Dress for Success so you look ten times better than you actually feel"... which is tired. You probably feel really, really tired. Luckily my job required scrubs and sneakers so I didn't have the added pressure of having to pick through clothes to decide what to wear.

Pump it Up/ Formula Friendly: So I actually didn't breastfeed after my maternity leave was over but I did plan on pumping at work. If you're planning on pumping while you're working it is important that you make sure you have a private room set up to pump in. Be sure that you have your pump bag set up for success with your pump, pump wipes, storage for your pumped milk, and plenty of water and a snack or two to eat while you're pumping. If you are formula feeding an awesome way to make your sitters life easier is to find a good formula dispenser and have the formula and water for the bottles pre-measured so that they don't have to fuss with scooping formula every time baby is hungry.

The most important thing to remember about returning to work after your baby is born is to make sure that you're ready! There is so much pressure on moms to stick to their 6 week maternity leave and not take too much time off but the last thing you want to do as a new mommy is worry about going back to work too early. Talk to your doctor about the physical limitations your body might have post baby and don't be afraid to talk to your doctor about extending your leave another week or two. Mental health for new moms is something many of us put on the back-burner. There is no shame in putting off going back to work a few weeks or heck- not returning to work at all! Our babies are only babies for a little while. So make sure you do what makes you feel comfortable. The best way to have a happy baby is by being a happy mommy!