- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
January 2012 Moms
dizzycooks
member
End of maternity leave (XP w/ working moms)
dizzycooks
member
I have 4 days left of maternity leave and it became very obvious that this week is going to be all about prepping to go back, not relaxing which sucks.
I have to have my copies in by Wednesday and lessons written out by Thursday. Plus, we are visiting family over the weekend, house-hunting Tuesday and DD gets more shots on Wednesday.
I have freezer meals prepared and have been getting up at my 'normal' work time throughout my leave so I won't be shocked, but for some reason I feel like a kid fresh out of college starting their new job. I am incredibly nervous!
What is everyone doing to make transition back easier to deal with?
Hallelujah, it's a miracle, I have children AND a signature!
<a href="http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=HTML&utm_campaign=tickers" title="Trying to Conceive"><img src="http://global.thebump.com/tickers/tt1b3ec7.aspx" alt=" Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker" border="0" /></a> IW024W
3rd: 7FS0BD4th: XGYL4V5th: JPDH57
TTC since February 2009
MC 6/28/2010 @ 7w 5d
Dx low progesterone October 2010, IUI success and then a total surprise!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: End of maternity leave (XP w/ working moms)
Ditto FBW- wash all the pump parts and get everything together in a bag the night before. Pick out LOs outfit, set everything up for daycare, make a list of last minute things that need to be packed away. You'd be surprised what you can forget in the rush of the morning!
My first day back went pretty smoothly, but not all days do. Definitely recommend waking up a bit earlier than normal to give yourself some extra time.
And GL!
I have two laminated checklists: One for all of the "to do's" I need to accomplish each evening when I get home from work. For example,
The other checklist has all the things I need to grab in the morning. For example:
This takes all the thinking out of it and has been invaluable in my book! Since the checklists are laminated, each night I just wipe them clean and start over.
I haven't done a darn thing other than make a list of supplies we need to have for the babysitter, which I plan on dropping off this weekend so I'm not floundering around Monday morning with everything. But I'm a nervous wreck about the morning and the evening. I have a nearly 7 yr old and will be getting both kids and myself ready in the morning, dropping my 1st grader off at school (and the drop off line varies so much...it can take 1 minute or 10 minutes), then turning around and dropping off my LO at the sitter for the first time (he's tried it out twice, for two hour clips, but this is his first full day and four-day week) and seeing how that routine goes, then turning around and going back past our house to get to work on time. I nurse, so my husband can't help in that dept in the mornings and my son feeds on demand, so I'm not exactly sure when he'll be ready to eat - it may be off because he wakes easily in the morning, so if I'm up and getting ready he'll wake sooner than usual and, oh, hell, who knows!?!?
The evening is going to be the REAL challenge! I get out at 5, both kids will be at the sitter's so I can pick them up together and be home by about 5:45. I'm GUESSING that my LO will want to nurse because I don't anticipate him taking in as much via bottle as he does nursing, as he's only nursed up to this point (he's 12 wks), aside from about 6 trial bottles from us and one from the sitter.
My evening will pretty much be a harried rush to get out of work AT 5 (that never happened pre-baby, but I made it clear that I will need to be OUT THE DOOR at 5 for now). Driving to the sitters, packing up both kids and getting them in the car and back home. Having my DD unpack her backpack and get cleaned up. Nursing my son for probably 1/2 hour (so now it's 6:15). Then having her do her homework and help me keep an eye on the baby as I prep dinner. Review her homework with her. Dinner at 7 when my husband gets in, finish eating around 7:20 ...I'll tap out and he'll take over with the baby while I bathe my DD (she can wash herself, yes, but her hair is tight spiral curls and there is NO WAY she's able to wash it without making it a rat's nest or comb through the conditioner, which is a very necessary step - it takes ME about 6-7 minutes just to wash/condition her hair!). Now it's time to get her ready for bed, upstairs, read her a story and get her to sleep by 8. Back downstairs where the kitchen still needs to be cleaned - that'll have to wait. The baby will have to have his bath and immediately after he nurses himself to sleep. Now it's 8:45 and the baby has just fallen asleep. Now we can straighten up the kitchen and start things for the next day. I'm guessing that by about 10:15 I'll sit down between setting out clothes for three people (my husband will do his own
, packing lunch and snack for my DD and leaving that in the fridge for morning, washing pump parts and getting my pump packed for me, getting my daughter's backpack packed for her and my son's diaper bag packed for him, throwing in any laundry that needs to be done and straightening up around the house, etc... Then I have to shower so that in the morning I can just run the flat iron through my hair, wash my face, do my make-up and throw on my scrubs (TG for scrubs!!! A) they're forgiving and 
they require no outfit planning!) before I nurse my son, wake my daughter, make her breakfast, pack her lunch & snack in her backpack, make sure she's dressed and washed up on schedule as I wash up and dress my son...
Rambling, but typing it out just now makes me feel a tad bit better about the morning. I think I can make it through the mornings if I'm up an hour earlier than I used to be...although, of course, I'll be going to bed an hour later likely and then I'll be up twice during the night to nurse...
Why can't we be independently wealthy so I can just stay home for another, oh, 5 years!?
Laminated is brilliant! Much better than our system of papers with items listed (diapers since we CD, bottles, wet bag, etc ) to pack in the morning that are flipped up for NEEDS to be packed and down for HAS been packed.
I prepare everything the night before, so I can just grab and go for myself. Currently we have SIL staying with us as our girls were born prematurely and cannot enter daycare yet. They will be starting at the end of the month. At that time, I will be preparing meals ahead of time as well. And getting up @ 430am to shower. Getting the girls up @ 5p, so I have enough time to get them dressed, fed, into their carseats, and out the door for day care. Then it's off to work for me to hopefully get there by 730am at the latest. ugh.
I will say something, though. I was very angry and resentful at having to be back to work so soon, but we could not afford me not working (no income after 6 weeks of mat leave). After four weeks, it's easier and better, but I still have moments.