Navigating the difficult post-baby return to work can be stressful, scary and physically and emotionally draining for both mother and baby. A few simple preparations made before, during and after the day can help make it less so!

Before the day dawns

    • Find and finalise preparations for day-care well in advance. Be 100% certain and at peace with who is going to look after your baby when you go back to work. There are many options, so do your homework. Perhaps you can discuss with and convince a doting grandmother or other relative to look after your baby!
    • Assemble a support team to help you before and after the baby’s birth and especially when you start working again. This may include your hubby and other family members as well as friends and other new mothers. Help out where you can and don’t be shy to accept any and all offers of help when it is your turn.
    • Stock up on healthy pre-prepared meals that you can freeze. With load shedding, part and parcel of the South African way of life, prepare your husband for doing the manly thing, which is making a fire for a braai and grilling the meat!
    • Invest in a new post-pregnancy wardrobe. This will give you confidence and make you look professional. Do not, under any circumstances, stuff yourself into your pre-pregnancy clothes. Also, remember that it took nine months for your body to become the way it is now, so please be patient and give it a decent chance to return to normal. Doctors estimate that it may take six to ten weeks just for your uterus to get back to pre-pregnancy size!
    • Find out in advance, from your HR representative, if lactation rooms are available where you can pump out milk if you are breastfeeding. If not, ask if they have ideas for how to accommodate your needs and make it clear that the ladies bathroom is not an option. Many workplaces are forced by local laws or company policy to comply and help.

When the day dawns

Do yourself a favour and ease into the job. Try the following:

    • Time yourself by making a few dry runs beforehand so that you know exactly how long it’s going to take to get yourself and baby ready in the morning and how long the trip to the nursery school or crèche and ultimately to work is going to take. Add extra time for possible emergencies or traffic snarl-ups.
    • Start midweek, not on a Monday. If you can arrange this with your boss, you can use the previous two days to get the baby settled in at the nursery school or crèche. This will give both of you time to adjust and make your first day back at work less emotional.
    • Speak to your boss about the company’s flexible working hours arrangements and the possibilities that exist to work a half-day from home every week, switch to a part-time schedule or use a co-working facility, etc. These options are becoming more the norm than the exception in modern-day workplaces.
    • Have a breast pump (or two) handy, as well as a decent bag to carry your pump, nursing pads and other breast paraphernalia. Aim for a professional look; don’t advertise the contents.
    • Take healthy snacks to work instead of raiding the vending machine, especially if you are breastfeeding.
    • Don’t let colleagues descend on you like bees and inundate you with work and new projects on your first day. Speak to your boss, find out which projects are most important, prioritise and try to buy some time to get settled in.

When night falls

Going back to work after maternity leave can be rough indeed and may leave many mothers overwhelmed by guilt and dread. When night falls and you have survived your first day back at work, remind yourself of these wise words by Ariane de Bonvoisin, author of The first 30 days:

“All moms crave validation that they’re doing the right thing, but that feeling won’t come from balancing your life perfectly (if only that were possible!). It will come from knowing that you’re doing what’s best for you and baby.”

 

Sources

Eight ways to say no at work – without feeling guilty. Retrieved from: http://idealistmom.com
Nine tips for going back to work after maternity leave. Retrieved from: http://idealistmom.com
Tips for going back to work after baby. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com
Working mom survival guide: back to work. Retrieved from: http://www.workingmother.com