Tips for Going Back to Work After Baby

One year later. Or more, even. Maybe less. We are going back to work.

We are softer (in so many ways and places) but we are still the same person. Going back should be easy.

Here’s the truth: It’s not easy after six months or six years, but (just like childbirth) it happens all over the world everyday so we can do it too.

Our friend Jacqueline Foley, author of Flex Appeal: An Inspirational Guide to Flexible Work for Mothers has a few tips to share with us on this topic.

Tips for Going Back to Work After Baby

1. Make Childcare Your #1 Priority

Finding the right childcare for you and your baby is the most important thing you can do to ensure peace of mind when you go back to work. Experts recommend getting your name into the daycare of your choice at least one year before you’ll need it.

If you are interviewing for a babysitter, take time to meet as many candidates as you can and spend some time with a few of the best ones before making a permanent hire. You will feel more confident leaving your child with someone you know and whose judgment you trust.

2. Plan a Phase-in Period

To ease the transition period, plan a few introductory drop-offs with your child. With a new babysitter, be sure to build in adequate training time so your child can get to know her and the routine can be developed. Begin transitioning yourself back to work too with a visit to your office or lunch with a collegue.

Ask your employer about a phased-in work schedule or start back on a short week.

3. Keep Life Simple and Share Domestic Duties

For working mothers, simplicity is the key to sanity. Put some basic morning and evening routines in place to make your life more manageable. Be sure to share domestic chores (and clearly define what they are) with your beloved and anyone else in your family who is willing to pitch in.

Find a quiet time to discuss this with your spouse—be specific and put it in writing. It will help to remind both of you. Don’t plan too much on weeknights or weekends so you can catch up on your sleep and spend some time with your family.

4. Pack Lots of Kleenex

No matter how much you plan ahead, you ARE going to cry and feel guilty. This is completely normal and part of the package of being a mom. Accept your feelings and find comfort where you can, whether this means checking in with your child’s caregiver, having coffee with a fellow working mother, or going for a secret sob around the block.

Try not to worry about it. Like many things in life, this too shall pass and when your children speak with pride about the job their mom does you’ll see that working and motherhood can go happily hand in hand.