who will be going back to work, when...any one else dreading it?

[elove]

I managed to get 8 weeks off...On October 4th, I go back at 70% capacity (deep deep sigh). I have been living w the fear of that date since hmm say 2 weeks postpartum. I know it will be OK and we will get used to it etc. And I know it will be harder for me than her (she will be home w papa who will work from home). 

my mother was going to come to stay w us to help ease the transition. last week we learned those plans have changed, I was very upset for not knowing sooner but now, I am ok w it. We did not decide to have the baby based on her help anyways. Just not sure how good I will be managing house chores, work and baby. DH is great help! But, since he is still at school, every time he is not working - we are stealing time from how long it would take him to get his degree.

it is not bad, just not what I would like..not sure if there is any other time that would be better than this though, so still willing to take the plunge.

I am sure there are others out there, what are your plans?

[earth-mama]

I will be going back to work mid October.  I am nervous about it as DS will be about 10-11 weeks when I go back and I did not work until DD was 1.5 years.  I'm sure that it will work out, but I would much rather be a SAHM rather than work.  I will only be working part-time, but I do on-call work so the hours vary from 10-40 a week (40 is very rare for me, but can happen)  Usually I work about 15-20 hours average per week.

[cat13]

elove, I feel like I wrote your post (except the mom part). I'm going back mid-Oct at 50% time after 8 weeks off, and DH will be home taking care of DS while finishing up school. He's only working on his thesis and not taking any classes, so it works out great (in theory). But after this week, I'll be halfway done with my maternity leave and it makes me want to cry. I gotta start planning out building a bm stash and getting DS used to bottles and probably a pacifier too since he loves to comfort nurse all the time. Besides sleeping in the other room while DH hangs out with DS, I haven't been away from DS since he was conceived, and the thought of leaving for even a few hours just breaks my heart. I know that women do it every day, but I'm still scared of how it will work out. 

I am thankful that I have a great job with great co-workers & supervisors. Pumping will be easy as I have a private office with a lock and my own mini-fridge, and I get to set my own 50% schedule.  Still don't know if I'll do 4hrs per day or a few long days, or maybe work from home a bit too. 

It's funny, because I find myself alternating between wishing that we could afford for me to be a SAHM (I'm the sole breadwinner right now), and then finding myself bored sometimes during the day while I'm home alone with DS.  I hope that someday I can find the right balance...

[Beckily]

I know that I will eventually go back, but I don't know for sure when or where. I figured I'd do maybe two massages a day a day or two a week to start. Not until he's a least three months old, though, I think. We'll see. I miss getting to go places alone, but I don't even like sitting him on the bed while I pee so :P

[elevena true]

i don't have to go anywhere, but will be starting this term at the end of the month. i have all online classes, but figuring out how to be present with babe and fulfill 12 credits is a little daunting. especially since i barely have any energy to offer the big kids right now.....and things like "dinner" are so hard to come by. lol....sometimes i throw dinner together (for the next day) at 2 am when i wake up to pee or after nursing y down.

[nald1]

I have my own practice and need to decide when to go back.  It was really stressful with DD - i think I went back at 9 months- it's a BLUR!  This time we are tossing around a year off and im excited to "just" be Mommy for a change.  I did enjoy the balance of work when we eventually got into the swing of things- and i moved my practice from an hr commute to 5 minutes. 

[1fitmom]

I have already been back to work briefly. I too have my own business which have both its positive and negatives. I answer emails and the phone through out the day (which can be difficult because you never know when the baby will get upset). I can do this from home which is great and last week I took her into work with me; thank god I have a sling to carry her in. I can feed her without anyone knowing. This week I am starting to spend more time at work (just a couple of hours per day) I'm really hoping I can get this little one on a routine to make things easier.

[katiemaeeee]

I am so in denial that I am going back to work. September 19th. That's less than two weeks away. And, I need to find a daycare. Oh My Goodness. I am feeling so overwhelmed and scared. I like the idea of going back to work for me. I think day care can be so wonderful. I just hate the idea of daycare for my precious little six week old. Right now. It would be different if I knew somebody who could do it. I am scared. AAHHHH

[kristandthekids]

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Edited by kristandthekids - 12/30/12 at 9:09pm

[FischK]

I am fully resuming my work duties in January when I'm back to teaching full-load. Until then, I am doing everything else people in my job do. I have to submit course proposals for spring at the end of the this week. I was considering going back for meetings next week, but I am now thinking that may be too early, and to wait another week before reporting back to duty. By the end of the month, I will have to begin seeing students again, and then  in mid-October, I also have to write a conference paper, host a couple of discussions, serve on more committees, etc. I wish I could just keep ignoring work, but it is not an option even though DS2 is only 6 days old. 

[Peony]

I never took a full maternity leave. Work called wanting me to do a budget the very day he was born.  I still have to answer calls, emails, and do any paperwork related to my program. I go back to doing meetings on Monday, baby will come with me. I don't want to even though he will be with me, I don't want to be doing any work right now. I'm turning down anything that requires me to leave him for a while. I'm hoping to continue to keep him with me through the end of the year. He is so fussy and hates anyone else to hold him, I feel like he needs me so much. My sitter that I use for my other kids 3 days a week let me know last week that she is moving next week. I really, really didn't need that right now. We've gone through 4 sitters this year now, 2 moved, 1 had brain surgery and complications resulting from that, the other one went full time with another family. I'm covered for this Monday but screwed for the week after. I've spent the last week frantically looking for another one. Finally have an interview set up for this Friday, she couldn't start for 3 weeks so I'll have to figure that out. Childcare sucks. 

[katiemaeeee]

Who else is pumping?? I just picked up a double electric pump yesterday that WIC lent me and I am so excited!! Tried it last night and I'm starting to pump to build up my supply, but it seems like its going to be very bulky. I work on the road and in homes with families and pumping in the car is going to be quite an adventure. But, I can do it, I can do it, I can do it for DD!!! :)

[cat13]

Originally Posted by kristandthekids 

I went back to work when Princess Beyonce was 17 days old. That's the single mom life.

I was just thinking of you and Princess Beyonce.... haven't seen you post in a while. I hope work isn't too stressful and that you are all doing well! 

[CrazyCatLady]

I am in the process of trying to find a nanny for V.  I will be back to working full time by the end of this month.  I'm honestly really not dreading it too much.  I will certainly be more tired and that always sucks.  But I need the money, plus Veianya is a very mellow baby (and unfortunatley she is formula fed, so it makes going back to work less stressful).  I really think that if I find the right nanny (I'm doing interviews this week), it could really be the best thing in my situation.  Sure I would love to be a sahm...but it's just not in the cards right now.  Now I just pray that the nanny hunt goes well...

I never took a break from school, so classes have been the same as usual.  I find it easier to do school work now with an infant than I did before with pregnancy brain though.  So that is also working out ok for now.  Might be different once she wakes up from this sleepy newborn stage lol.

[Tear78]

Even though I'm exhausted and sometimes really crabby, this is just about one of the happiest times of my life. I would love to stay home and do this full-time, and I know I will miss DD and hubby terribly when I go back to work. I feel lucky that we were able to budget time for me to stay home until mid-November. That will be just over four months after she was born. I'm nervous about pumping because my school-day is a whirl-wind and I never seem to be able to fit in planning/eating lunch even without pumping. Plus, on Wednesdays (?) my lunch and planning time are pretty much back-to-back, which means a long stretch between pumping opportunities. Ugh. I'm just not thinking about it at the moment, and trying to enjoy this time to the fullest.

[Inali]

I don't want to go back to my job at all!  Work maybe but not the same job....  However I am due back mid November...  And may go back for a few weeks so I don't have to pay them back for the insurance coverage....  I wish I could be a SAHM but hubby just got a great new job but w a crappy pay cut :-(  So, for now that dream is on hold! Hopefully I can find something decent part time for when I need to go back... I'd like to have the holidays completely off and go back after the new year.  I've been pumping this whole time (or I might explode) so I have lots of milk building up in our tiny freezer....  Today we joked about getting another freezer.  Which is comical if you only new the size and state of our apt!  Good luck to all of you going back so soon!  I feel like I just left, idk how you do it!

[elove]

wow 17 days is brutal! how are you holding up?

Much luck to all of you looking for childcare. I was the child of a working mother, and I do remember variety of childcare I have been through and how much stress that was causing to my mother. i m not looking frward to that task since affordability and quality does not always go hand in hand..I know we will need to start looking into our options soon.

OK, so some of you have more experience going back to work than first timers here, and some of us first timers will be back at work before the others. Would you like to share tips  (this can be do's or dont do's)? Some that would be useful that I can think of;

- pumping at work

- meal planning, house chores etc

- your relationship w the babe and older kids

- breastfeeding 

- finding child care

I am currently reading a book named "nursing mother, working mother" loaned to me by the LLL. If i find anything other than common sense advice, I will be happy to share. 

much love to you all, I am sure we will all find a way to make this all work out, I hope it will be smooth journey for all of us!

Edited by elove - 9/8/11 at 2:53pm

[katiemaeeee]

Yes Please!!!

Advice????