Preparing for going back to work

meandmrsjones

I was wondering what steps everyone took to prepare themselves and the little one for returning to work. We are working on eating from a bottle and I am trying to pump more to build up a stash, but it's tough to pump with LO at home. The DC is also asking for certain items like crib sheets and blankets, etc

Just wondering how far in advance you started preparing to go back to work and what steps you took.

amyc216

My LO stays with my mom.  Like the week before I went back to work, I left him with her for a few hours while I did errands so they could get used to each other and practice bottles (and so I could get used to him being away from me!).  That's about all I did to prepare. 

The night before you go back, just make sure your diaper bag is all set, your pump bag (if you're pumping at work) is ready, and your outfit is picked.  It makes mornings easier if everything is ready to go!

jlaOK

Start your week back on a Wednesday or Thursday. That way it'll give you a 2-3 day "trial" before the weekend starts. It'll be easier than facing a 5-day work week before you have a day home with your LO.

Echloe

I just went through this (started daycare 3 weeks ago).  You are on track.  Just keep working on getting your baby to eat from the bottle.  I just used one once of milk and saved the rest for the freezer stash.  The freezer stash will come in handy once you go back to work just in case you are late with pick-up or something.  I bought labels for my daughters bottles and her crib sheets, blankets, binkies, and burp clothes.  You will also want to label your childs spare outfits.  Lastly, you might want to take the baby in for a few practice days with the daycare where you are there, leave baby for and hour, then 2, then 5, etc.  This really helped me transition and know that she was well cared for.  Also, pumping while at home is super hard I agree.  I tried to always do it at night after she went down for the night or after she started a nap.  Good luck.

baylie11

I started back (at a new job!) on a Wednesday. The Monday before, I got up and got dressed at around the time I'd have to for my job. I got my LO up, fed her, dressed her, etc. and we went for a drive. We drove by the DC, my new office and back home. On Tuesday, I did the same but I dropped her off at DC for a few hours while I ran some errands. The rest of that week, she was at DC just in the mornings because my husband had the week off and I worked all day. The following week, she started full time.

Truth is, I'm not sure this gradual process made much difference to her, but it helped me a lot. I was able to ease back into the real world post-maternity leave a little slower (like having to wear pants with a button again!)

Our first couple weeks were tough, but the anticipation about going back was much worse than actually doing it. I found that I actually like being a working mom. Imagine that.

P.S. If you're pumping at work, here's a little tip: plug your pump into a surge protector, not a wall outlet. I fried my pump in the first week by plugging it into the wall in a building with old, unreliable electric outlets.