[confustication]

I'm returning to work in health care, which I love, but have stepped away from over the past few years.<br><br>
However, as we are a 24 hour facility, this means that at least some of the time, I will be working nights. We staff in 12 hour shifts, so my 'nights' are 6pm to 6am.<br><br>
We have three kids, my youngest still is cosleeping and nurses a lot at night, I'm a little worried about that particular transition, but I think we'll get through it.<br><br>
Anyone else work weird hours?

 

[Llyra]

I work in the evenings. I work only part time, much fewer hours than it sounds like you'd be working. I leave the house at 3:30 pm, and I'm home by 9 most nights. I work four nights a week, and then Saturday mornings, although I'm down to only three days right now because of the family's needs.<br><br>
I started back when the twins (my youngest two) were four months old, after a very protracted leave. Anyway, within three weeks it was clear that was never going to work-- DS would just scream and scream and scream until I came home to nurse him, and DH was going crazy trying to syringe milk into him and try and get him to sleep, while the other two just fended for themselves. Clearly not a situation that was going to work.<br><br>
So I took another two months off, and then we tried it again, and it worked great. We used the two months to work on building better routines for the LOs and DH to follow, so that bedtime would work without me there. DS still wouldn't go down until I got home-- he stayed in a sling on DH and slept there-- but at least there as no screaming going on.<br><br>
The hardest part for me now is DD1, because I put her on the bus to school in the morning, and then I don't see her again until the next morning, because she's asleep when I get home. I've actually considered pulling her out of school, because of this, but school is so obviously the right choice for her in every other way that I haven't been able to take that step.<br><br>
Working until 6 am, though-- when are you going to sleep? Will you have daytime childcare so that you can sleep? That sounds really hard to me.

 

[JSerene]

I work nights and have for years. When my dd was little we kept expressed milk at the bedside to substitute for nursing (until she was something like 2.5 years old). As she got older, she stopped waking up when I was gone because she just knew it wasn't an option. It kind of surprised me. When I was home, she nursed, and when I wasn't, she didn't and that was that.<br><br>
Also, she adjusted to co-sleeping with only her dad just fine.

 

[mambera]

I've had to do a few 12-h overnight shifts since DD was born. Honestly they didn't go very well and I ended up trading away as many as I could for days, because the nights were so hard on DH and DD.

 

[MisaGoat]

3-12 hour shifts a week. I started that schedule when my son was 2 1/2 and it has been fine. He did start full time preschool once my husband started working too. We cut him down to 3 days a week this month but it isn't working because it means I have at least one day a week that I have to be responsible for him during the day and work during the night. So he is going back to full time next month. Luckily he loves school, he is the kid who asks to go on snow days and Saturdays.<br><br>
I am pregnant now and will return to work full time after maternity leave (12 weeks max) so I am not sure how it will work out with a baby and pumping. I guess I'll figure it out.<br><br>
My husband is a great dad and my son is fine with just him on nights I work. We haven't had any trouble in that respect.

 

[Sharlla]

at the one job i work from fri 3pm to 9 am then sat and sun 11 pm to 9 am (unless i pick up another double then i wouldnt get off until 3pm) my other job is prn overnights 11-9. some weeks i dont get a night off but they are sleepover nights. some weeks i get 4 nights off.<br><br>
i pump at home and work. dh gives her a bottle but she will typically sleep most of the night if he's in bed cuddling her.<br><span style="font-size:xx-small;"><i>Posted via Mobile Device</i></span>

 

[mamaofprincesses]

I'm currently working three evenings a week, Tues/Wed/Thurs. I leave at various times but I usually get home at 10. We have three kids - they are five, three, and six months.<br><br>
The biggest things for us have been routines. I have a list on the refrigerator of the "focus room of the day" (i.e., the room that DH and I should both try to clean in whatever free time we have) and a laundry category of the day (our laundry, the kids', bedding, towels, whatever). This way, if I don't get around to it, DH will.<br><br>
And bedtime routines! Really, really set bedtime routines.

 

[Ceinwen]

I'm an RN and I work a mix of days & nights. Our shifts are 7:30 - 19:30 and vice versa. It's difficult, especially if you work a short change or I have to stay up with a sick child following a night shift.<br><br>
I agree with the pp that mentioned bedtime routines. As well as evening routines. Both my kids tend to do okay when I'm nights, as long as there's nothing unusual that happens while I'm gone.

 

[PPK]

I've worked nights for about 10 years, but normally I get to bed by 3 or 4 am so I'm not in the same position as you. Ds is 3 and I will say its been toughbecause no matter what, I just don't ever feel completely rested, yk? On my days off, I have to get up early, so my sleep cycles are never very consistent and my body has a hard time waking at 7 every other day and then try to sleep in on the other mornings.<br><br>
You might want to give it a test run to make sure you'll be able to sleep during the day. Find good earplugs and blackout curtains...crucial!