After 12 solid weeks home with my little one, here we go…back to work! I returned to work on December 30th, so there was 2 days of work, then New Year’s Day (holiday) followed by 2 more full work days and the weekend. If you’re having a baby, I highly recommend have them around the holidays! (haha)
Returning to work can be hard. I think I was more stressed out about thinking about being stressed out then actually being stressed out. Make sense? I consider myself blessed that we are able to work out that I could take the full 12 weeks off to care for and bond with my baby AND that returning to work as been an easy transition. The staff missed me (or so they say) and all welcomed me back, wanted to know about the baby, etc. But they’ve made pumping while at work easy, too, which is HUGE (A big stress for me, we’ll get to that in another blog).
There are many options when it comes to kids and you have to find the right one that works for you (or make it work). I have friends that quit their job and did the stay at home parent thing, others went back to work as soon as they were healed up and ready to go, some put their kids in daycare, others have a relatives watch their kids. We decided, as a family it was best to have our daughter in a daycare setting after both of us take leaves from work. Financially hard, but worth it in the long run. Although I’m jealous I had the first 12 weeks of basic, “eating, sleeping, diaper change, running on very little sleep” part. My husband has the next 12 weeks of her being awake, cooing, laughing, learning and the overall ‘fun’ part. I mean, it’s all fun…until you learn the definition of a ‘poop-losion’ and the nearest diaper is in the nursery and you’re downstairs in the living room. I don’t care how small your house is…that’s a LONG walk!
As for going back to work? Some Moms cry. I didn’t. Am I broken? Maybe. I think the fact I was leaving the house for the day, going to work and my husband was with her made it seamless and a much easier transition. Much easier than handing her over to a total stranger that I pay to watch her and hope that they do things the way we do. I’d be a hot mess if that was the case. I think I was just ready. There were days I was over tired and the second my husband walked through the door I handed the baby to him because I was exhausted, hadn’t changed out of my pajamas in 3 days and really…REALLY needed to take a hot shower longer then 3 minutes. There were days our schedule ran like clock work and I was able to get SO much done. But I was ready. I love my job, I love my little family. But the fact of the matter is, sometimes you need ‘adult time’.
It’s totally ok to WANT to go back to work. Heck, having money is a nice thing, let’s be real. Staying at home is great, too. But I’m also looking at the message I’m sending to my daughter. I want her to see me as a woman she can look up too. A working Mom with a career she’s worked hard for so many years to build AND a Mom to her who prepares her lunch, goes to her sporting events and is there for her every step of the way. I want her to see me, even though I feel like I’m losing my cool and ripping my hair out, as a Mom that’s got it all figured out. (Even though I don’t and I don’t know of one person that does…except for that British Lady the ‘Super Nanny’? Man, she has the solution to everything!)
So to you the stay-at-home Mom, working full or part time Mom…the C-section Mom who’s still sore and needs help just to get out of bed, the Mom bouncing around the room like nothing happened 48 hours postpartum…the Mom who’s sending their kid to daycare, the Mom that has built-in childcare with a family member…
You’re awesome, and you’ve got this all figured out (even on the days you feel like you’re coming unglued).