Back to Work

MrsBigTime · February 2013

Our little ones are either already or quickly getting to twelve weeks, which probably means a lot of us mamas are heading back to work soon (is anyone else crying about it? I am, all the time!).

For those of you brave souls that have already tackled this obstacle, how is it going? Have you noticed any changes in your breastfeeding relationship? What about sleeping - did you going back affect things? Any little tricks/tips you've picked up in order to make things easier?

I know I'm lucky to only have to work three days a week, but I will miss DD completely as she will be asleep when I leave, and asleep when I get home. I am also so happy to be going back to a job I love, but leaving her is going to be so hard for me. What I'm having the most difficulty with is the fact that this season of life, the one in which your whole world gets to be wrapped around and focused on this tiny person, is over. "Real life" is coming soon and I'm so not ready to welcome it!

kjsmith9 · February 2013

I've been back for 3 weeks now and it has gotten WAY easier. The first day I took her for a "practice day" at daycare, I was fine when I was there and then cried all the way home and for an hour after that. DH takes her to daycare every morning because I leave for work before he does, so it helps that I'm not the one leaving her with them every day. I teared up the first few mornings when I was leaving, but now I'm fine. It just gives me a reason to run out of work every day Honestly, I think time is the only thing that makes it easier...

No change in the BF relationship, but she sees me at daycare when I pick her up every afternoon and screams her head off until we get home, sit on the couch, and start nursing. Even if she has just finished a bottle, she comes home wanting to be latched on for an hour. It makes it hard to get anything accomplished, but it's nice to know that she loves me haha!

Sleeping improved for us, because she barely sleeps at daycare. I guess she isn't used to the noise yet. She usually sleeps a total of 1-2 hours while she's there (mostly 15-30 minute naps), so she's exhausted by the time 5:30pm comes around. She slept through the night the entire first week she was was there, and now she's doing 6:30pm-6:30am, usually with a quick 10 minute feed sometime between 1am and 3am.

itsmevkb · February 2013

This is my fourth time returning to work and honestly, I was pretty much ready to go back. There is always a learning curve on figuring out a good schedule for the mornings and evenings but Maren has really just sort of fallen into the schedule we already had with the other three. It's been almost a little better than I expected.

I don't breastfeed and her sleeping seems about the same. Right now she's waking once a night to eat. I find myself falling asleep pretty soon after she does but by 8:30-9:00 I'm exhausted, but that isn't really anything new!

With all my kids, I focus on all the time I have with them instead of focusing on the time I'm not.

myskyegirl · February 2013

My first day back was last Monday,my days have been very long, and the commute home seems like forever. On the plus side, I find myself following my pumping schedule, and since i have to be in bed by 10pm so i can get up at 6am i'm making sure her feeding is on time which makes her night sleep "schedule" is easier. I b.feed twice when I get home so I get to spend one on one time with her, and "cuddle" with her when I'm getting her settled in for sleep.

jo4janet · February 2013

Wah! I am not crying but i am really sad thinking about going back and this is number 2. I know i am going to miss her very much during the day, but will be that much happier to see her in the afternoon.

velazquezk1 · February 2013

Oh. I had a scare this week. My original doctors note said I would return February 10. February 19 I get an email from HR wanting to know why I hadn't submitted paperwork or why I wasn't back at work. I fuhhhreaked! My original work date is April 1. My OB would only give me a note for 8 weeks, my primary care couldn't fill out my form saying I couldn't return until April 1. Finally my primary and OB got together and realized HR would accept breastfeeding as a reason to stay out. Let me clarify: I am an LEO. I wear a tie, shirt that's connected to my socks with shirt stays, vest, tshirt, sports bra. To get out of my shirt alone I have to take off my pants. It would take me 10 minutes to get undressed, 10 minutes to get redressed. Then pumping time.

So. April 1. Wherever you are in the world you will be hearing me cry. Thankfully I was able to get a shift of all days. I will work 6a to 3p or 7a to 5p. I am thinking about switching to a different division JUST to cure myself of the annoying uniform problem as wear something a little more mom friendly.

UnexpectedlyExpected · February 2013

I go back to work this Thursday and have been dreading it; mostly because I'm not the biggest fan of my job. DD starts daycare on Tuesday and I'm really anxious about it. Our daycare has a camera so I can definitely see myself sitting in front of my computer trying to watch her most of the day, lol.

Best wishes for smooth transition.

kerbear135 · February 2013

I started back to work last Tuesday, and honestly, it's not been near as bad as I feared. Sure, I miss LO like crazy while I'm gone, but it's nice to be out and have some adult interaction (and be able to eat or pee in peace, lol). The hardest part for me has been adjusting to getting up so much earlier (I have to get up an hr earlier to get LO fed, out the house, and to my sister's house in order to get to work on time). I am fortunate that my sister is keeping LO for me, so she can pretty much keep her on the same schedule I had her on before I went back to work- so we've had no interruption with her sleep habits. I don't breastfeed, so I can't speak to that. I was worried LO would be cranky after being away from me all day, but she will smile at me when I pick her up, which makes me feel so much better about things. It's been a week tomorrow and we've already carved out a new routine that seems to be working, and the end of the day is always my favorite part

feistybear · February 2013

I am fortunate to only work 3 days as well. I went back to work when Elli was 7 weeks old it was tough!! I cried everyday the first week but it has gotten better, not easier but better.

I love my job and am happy to be back but I do miss DD all day. I keep pictures of her at my desk and that helps. Our BF relationship got better after I went to work. Now she loves BF she'll take it over the bottle which she used to never do.

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