Returning to work in less than 2 weeks, any advice, tips, suggestions?

LAMARBRIDE2BE

I am also breastfeeding, we have already secured a wonderful daycare provider, I am wondering how to juggle work with two kids, cooking, and staying sane and organized. Hubby works a midshift so he will be putting ds on bus and dropping the baby off to daycare on his way to work. I will do the evening p/u.

TIA

mrshutch

Just wanted to send you best wishes! You're busier than I am- we just have one DC (for now!). Just know that you'll get it all done somehow and that it doesn't all have to be perfect. You're already way ahead of the game if you've found a daycare provider you're happy with and you have help dropping off the kids. I feel like I get such a break on the days DH can drop DD off! Do you have a good pump for bfing? I know some of them are pricey, but I think they're so worth it. I had one of the Medelas that I'll also use w/ DC #2. Be sure to find a good spot at work where you can pump and have privacy. GL to you- I'm sure you'll be great!

LAMARBRIDE2BE

Yes, I have the medela electric pump

asnowracer

This is what I posted to another post:

if your LO isn't on a bottle, get that well established. have others feed him from a bottle as well as yourself.

do a practice day (or morning, or afternoon) at daycare. Get all your tears out then rather than the first day back to work.

On that day, drop off all the "stuff". Bibs, burpcloths, wipes, mylicon, anything needed at daycare. you dont want to worry about that on the big day back to work.

Get some freezer meals prepared. These came in handy went I went back to work WAY more than they did when we brought him home as a newborn.

Leaving the house the first day was so stressful, I really psyched myself out for being paranoid about forgetting something whether it was breastmilk, my pump, my lunch, workbag, etc. Find a place for all your junk and keep it all together so you dont forget anything. Make lists if you have to.Practice the "getting ready" routine a few days before so you know how much time it will actually take you from the time you and baby wake up, till you walk out the door. The first few days took a lot longer than i though! But get as much done the night before as you can (pack lunch and daycare bags, etc.)

Also, since you're BF here are a few tips: Think about how you want to store your milk, wash your parts, etc. For me, (in schools)all I imagine is germy sinks, so I just put my parts(2 flanges, 2 bottles) in the square medela bag and store them in the fridge to avoid washing. With each pump I transfer milk to bags, store them in a seperate cooley pack in the fridge as well. I sterilize parts in the micro bag when I get home.

If you can't find a good place to pump, buy a car adapter. I sit in the back seat with a baby shade on the window and I'm good to go. Sometimes its less stressful for me to go there than to find an empty room and pray no one walks in.

Most important for me (and my peace of mind) was to feed the baby bottles during "work day" hours for a few of the last few days of maternity leave. That way I could tell how many oz he'd eat and I wouldn't worry unnecessarily about him running out of milk at daycare.

When you start, tell daycare to call you for updates if you want them (the first few days). don't call them. There's nothing worse than calling and hearing your baby wail in the background.Trust me on that one...I wanted to dart out the back door and rescue him : )

GL!

jgeiman

My biggest piece of advice (re: juggling) is to give yourself a break. DD is 9 mo and I am just now feeling like I'm starting to get the hang of it. And that feeling comes & goes. LOL.

One thing that I did re: cooking was set aside just 1-2 days per month that DH was in charge of dinner. Not sure if that will work with YH's schedule, but you could flex it somehow.
I told him I didn't care if he cooked or we did take out or we ate out, but those nights, it's up to him.
It's so nice to have a night once in a while where I don't even have to think about it.

14years

First, dinner:  We to the grocery store on the weekends with a list of everything we need for the week.  We make sure we have 4 dinners on hand for the week.  We have a rotating list of easy dinners that we both can make in 15 minutes or less.  He does most of the cooking while I am putting DS to bed.  Sometimes I make dinner if he is running late and DS is already in bed.  Point is, keep is simple and make sure both of you know what the meal options are.  I would scream if I heard the question "what's for dinner?" 

Second, bottles:  After dinner, I got the bottles ready for the next day while he washed the current day's bottles and all of my pump parts.  It took about 20 minutes together instead of me doing it for 40 minutes.

Third: the house: get a cleaning person if you can afford it.  It's a lifesaver.

Good luck!

lzbflogrl

this is my second month back at work.  My hubby works shift work so it always changes.  I enjoyed returning to work for my own sanity, but I miss our little guy!  My dayacre has a webcam so I can watch throughout the day. 

 

I am still trying to figure out how to juggle everything, housework, etc.  I tend to do everything on Friday night when I get him to bed or whenever I have a spare moment.