Motherhood is a blessing. It comes with its share of pleasures and aches. Being with your baby at home all day long makes you happy. Work life seems like a blurred memory.
However, you still need to be prepared for the avalanche of emotions that will hit you when you actually get down to doing so. You may feel guilty about spending time away from your baby or leaving him/her in someone else’s care.
Here are some tips to prepare yourself to get back to your work:
- Set a Return-To-Work Date
If you can, it’s best to join your work in the later part of the week, say, a Thursday. That’ll make your first week back to work a shorter one. You, in fact, would have enough time to get the hang of hitting your office as well as scheduling your time for office and your child perfectly (well, at least near perfect).
- Talk To Your Employer
Clarify your job tasks for the week and schedule them so you’ll be able to get your work done on time without any complaints. You might ask about flexible hours, telecommuting or working part time. Make sure to complete work when possible, with a young child at home you would never know when someone from home would need you.
- Prepare To Continue Breast-Feeding
If you plan to breastfeed after returning to work, talk to your employer. Ask about a clean, private room with an outlet for breast pumping.
Breast milk can be stored at room temperature for minimum 3 hours and in refrigeration longer, which can then be double boiled to warmth when required. This way you wouldn’t have to go for formula food.
- Get organized.
Make a daily to-do list. You might divide the list into tasks for work and tasks for home, or tasks for you and tasks for your partner. Identify, and prioritise your work – put those that can wait on the waiting list, and do the ones that need to be done immediately.
- Prepare Yourself for the New Routine
Take extra precautions. Make sure you set your alarm so you wake up extra early during your first week back at work in order to give yourself enough time to work out the kinks (you never know) in your schedule.
Try to adjust a quick power nap in your free time at the office or back home; this will energise you and keep your battery from going down.
- Try Your Best to Keep It Together
When you go back to work, you may find it difficult to get used to performing your daily tasks. Keep the following in mind:
There’s no harm in asking for help. If you are not able to settle in at work, don’t shy away from accepting help from your co-workers. If this happens at home as well, ask for support from your partner and other family members.
Make sure to be prepared with backup plans to deal with situations effectively when your baby is sick or the caregiver is unavailable.
- Stock up on Essentials
Carrying the following along with you to work can be quite beneficial:
- Extra nursing pads.
- Some healthy and nutritious snacks – keep them at your desk.
Here are some more quick tips that might come handy
- Ensure to get sufficient sleep. Only then will you have the energy to manage your day-to-day activities efficiently.
- Take some time out for yourself.
- Juggling work and home can bring along both, mental and physical exhaustion.
- Remember, it is difficult to achieve a perfect balance between work and family, so don’t add pressure to your life by setting unrealistic goals for yourself.
Good Luck!
