Curious About Adjusting

writerinpink

I'm a first time mom (due in February) and will have to go back to work 6 weeks after I give birth. I don't have a built in baby sitter in grandma like my mom did. So my husband, who is in school, will need to work his schedule around mine because I just don't feel comfortable (nor can we afford living off one salary) putting a newborn in daycare. I'm just wondering if some of you might not mind sharing your experiences about being a working mom. What was it like your first time? Was it difficult to adjust? How did you make it work?

writerinpink

Thanks for all your comments. I'm sure that I could find a reputable daycare that I would be comfortable with.  However, like I said, it's more of a financial issue with us, not really a judgement on people who decide on daycare. If we could afford it, we would do it. Daycare in my area is half my yearly take home pay and our cost of living is very high. I just don't see how we'd be able to afford it.

MickeyM04

I understand you not wanting to put a 6 week old in DC.  I am a huge anxiety ridden germophobe and I know all the "rules" or whatever for fevers change at 3 months, so I was basically even a wreck from weeks 12-13 (just shy of 3 months) with her being in DC.  Like if she got a fever it would be the end of the world.  So I get that aspect, and anyway, like you said, if you and YH are both living off your salary, affording childcare would be very difficult.  So it sounds like between you and YH you will have childcare covered, yes?  That's what my parents did...my mom worked nights and my dad worked days, so it worked out well that we never needed a nanny or DC or anything like that.

Honestly, it's hard to "prepare" someone for being a working mom.  No one can ever prepare you for how hard it is (at first) to leave your baby while you go to work all day, presumably helping other people (whether it's your boss, a customer, whatever) instead of your baby.  The benefit to your situation is it sounds like if you're not home, YH is with your LO.  That's a great luxury that I'm sure many people would be envious of.  I know I don't trust anyone with my kids as much as I trust MH.  You guys will figure it out one day at a time.  Trust me, nothing any of us can tell you will prepare you...I had read all the books, gotten all the advice and it still was just a huge shock to the system to go to work all day and then come home and have a baby to take care of, and not sleep at night and then go back to work and do it all over again. But we figured it out, and you will too.