Going back to work... if no C-section how short is too short?

[amers176]

Hi Mamas,

I am due June 28th with our first.  We are very, very excited.  However, I am a full-time law student and this will be the summer before my last year.  It is considered the most vital summer to "beef up" one's resume in order to get hired after. 

I was able to lock down working with a few non-profits for three weeks before I go on my self-imposed maternity leave about June 6th... but was just offered an (PAID!  Very rare these days) internship that would begin around July 18th, which leaves me like 3-4 weeks home with DD.

Am I biting off more than I can chew?  DH is going to be the SAHD while I am away.  I plan to pump, and want to avoid formula.

[zoebugsmom]

DDCC

I think going back to work that soon would be very very difficult.  You could have the baby late- I have, all 3 of mine were late- and only have a week with baby before heading out to work.  I can't imagine going back to work a week or even 3 after having my first child.  You're hormones will be all out of wack, breastfeeding will just be getting started, you'll be getting little sleep, and on and on. 

[coharmony]

I think it will be extremely rough but doable. 

[la mamita]

3-4 weeks sounds doable. Not fun, but doable. Definitely get all your resources together as far as breastfeeding (LLL, lactation consultants, etc), so you can nip any problems in the bud and get a really good start on breastfeeding while you are on mat leave.

I would also take into consideration that this is your first baby and first babies are often late...so your 3-4 weeks could be much shorter.

I'm looking at taking maybe 1-2 weeks off, no joke.

[Momsteader]

Another in the rough, but doable camp. You'll need A LOT of support from your partner and you won't be able to do much when you're home but nurse and sleep. Which will make it rough on him as well. If you're both committed, you can do it.  

I babysat for my good friend's twins when they were infants. She had used up nearly all her FMLA before they were even born while on bedrest and as a single mom with a good job, she just could NOT take any more time off after they were born. She went back to work while at 1 week PP while they were in the NICU. She worked for 2 weeks. Took another week off when they came home, and I started watching them at 4 weeks old. I had them 10 hrs a day and I often sent home dinner with her and she brought the babies in their PJ's some days, and I gave baths sometimes too just to keep her head above water. It was very rough, but she made it. Getting enough sleep to function at work was the biggest issue.

[Mamatoabunch]

We mamas can do anything, but emotionally I think it will be very hard on you.

[Curlyfry7]

DDCC as well.....I think it also will depend somewhat on the temperament of the baby-at least it was in my case. Both my kids have been very high needs, but the 1st one was a complete shock-I didn't expect anything like it. He didn't sleep-seriously he was awake for 10 hours straight when he was 2 weeks old, had reflux, had to be held constantly, etc etc. I'm a vet and went back to work at 12 weeks part-time, and had I gone back before 8-10 weeks I probably would have accidentally killed something, I was just so tired and stressed.

BUT I have a friend who has had 2 babies that have both been excellent sleepers, very easy going, easily entertained, etc etc. She was feeling pretty darn good by about 2 weeks PP. (and boy am I jealous of her!! LOL)

So that's just something to consider as well-NOT trying to be discouraging at all-hopefully everything will be smooth sailing for you and maybe babe will even come a little early adn give you a bit more time. Good luck!

[Nanette56]

Hey I was right where you are back in 2004 :) I was due with my first right during finals week the spring semester before my last fall semester of law school. (I actually had my mock trial final 5 hours before I was induced with DS!) I think like a PP said, it's how you deal with it emotionally. Right now decisions may seem easy, but when you have that little one in your arms, it's a WHOLE different story. It was very hard for me to leave him for any period of time. I, like you, got an internship (mine was with a construction law firm) for the summer. Thankfully, they totally understood (I had started that spring, and told them when I was around 16 weeks along) and I just started working again, like 20 hours a week around a month after he was born.

When I went back for the Fall Semester, I actually took him to all my classes with me and nursed in the back. He was EBF until 6 months :)  The teachers were totally accommodating, especially since he wasn't a fussy baby. They thought it was pretty cool :) I kept the internship, but again, only worked 20 hours per week, during the fall semester. I interviewed in the fall and got a job, and by then he was older and more independent, and I felt more comfortable leaving him with my parents while I went to work full time.

FFwd to now? Started my own firm last year, and had twins 2 weeks ago, and we're all back in the office already :) AND I had a C-section ;) See what you have to look forward to?? We attorneys are tough bunch though right!?

Just to say it CAN be done, but you need to weigh those emotions you're going to be going through- Hopefully you can come to some arrangement so you don't have to work a full 40? That's my 2 cents though :) Feel free to PM me if you have any questions, I know it's tough, and you're very lucky that DH will be a SAHD! That's awesome!

Good luck mama!

[SGVaughn]

physically...Im always ready for anything in about a week....emotionally..not so much..

I think this is an area you will have to be careful not to underestimate

[Mamatoabunch]

Originally Posted by SGVaughn 

physically...Im always ready for anything in about a week....emotionally..not so much..

I think this is an area you will have to be careful not to underestimate

ITA, 100%.

[34me]

DDCC For lots of differrent reasons I went back to work when dd was 2 weeks old.  It stunk but doable as dh was also a SAHD.  Honestly 17 years later I still really, really regret it but it is absolutely what had to be done at the time.  We literally would not have had money to eat.

[jshannyn519]

I think it's doable, but it will be hard on you both physically and emotionally. It's really hard to leave your brand new baby and go to work, even if baby is at home with daddy. Factor in the PP hormones and not sleeping much and it's kind of a recipe for difficulty. However, it IS possible! My sister went back to work when her younger two babies were each 4 weeks old. She's an OBGYN resident so she didn't have a choice. But it was really hard on her. She pumped and BFed the babies too.

I'll be going back to nursing school in the fall when this baby is about 8 weeks old. I wish I could have more time off, but I am so happy that I'll have 8 weeks instead of the 3 that one of my classmates had. She ended up dropping to part-time school because it was too hard for her to do full-time.

[texmati]

Another in the you can do it! camp. I'm assuming that since it's an internship you'll be working long hours with no hope of negoitiating the date.

I'd set the expectation with yourself and your husband, that when you are not working, all you'll be doing is sitting on the couch holding the baby or sleeping. Let the house go to hell, and get take out. Cosleep, and get some help learning how to bf baby while laying down. Pray for an easy baby! Post on the bf/working mama's board for tips on how to pump, and check out the standford 'hands on pumping' method. Emotionally... it was much easier for me to leave my son when he was tiny and only awake for maybe an hour or two of my workday, than it has been now, when he's up and awake and not nursing.

[amers176]

Thank you all SO much for your responses.  Nanette, it is nice to know that someone was in a similar situation... although, if you took the bar that next summer you are a ROCK STAR.  I am definitely considering taking her to class, so am hoping she is the angel I envision.  Hey, she was nice enough to not give me any morning sickness so I could handle school, it's possible :)  I know it will be difficult, and am interested in trying to do a part-time with the office.  They have already been awesomely flexible, as it was supposed to be a full-summer ordeal, but I went in and exlained that was a no can do.  I was thinking about having DH bring her on my lunch breaks so we can have an hour or so together and I would be able to BF morning, noon, and night at the very least.    Above all, I want to be a good role model for DD, which entails working if I am able to, and not if I am not.  She is my priority!

[amers176]

Ended up with a C-section because of high blood pressure and I was running a fever after my water broke and she pooped in utero.  Her heart wasn't beating as well as they would like so out she came.  Meant that there was no summer internship for me, but I've enjoyed my time at home.  Unfortunately, the wee babe has colic, but is 8 weeks tomorrow and things are slowly getting better!  I was also able to work out going to the office once a week while in school so I still have an "in."  Just thought I'd update!

[erigeron]

glad your networking won't suffer too much.

where in ohio? i need more mom friends!

[amers176]

I live in Marysville, go to school at ONU in Ada, and intern in Columbus. Looking at settling near Pickerington. DH is from Canton. I only have one friend who is a mom at
school and she advocates CIO and scheduled feedings
so we don't see eye to eye and she actually gets mad at me for disagreeing with her, since she has two children and knows everything there is to know.