Back to Work - Making the Transition

Charlotte turned 12 weeks and that meant three dreaded words: back to work! So last week I headed back to work full-time at my job as a manager at a global content wire service. I had been dreading this day since I had Charlotte, but knew it was necessary to go back. I asked my mommy friends for some advice on how to handle the transition and most of them said the same thing: stay busy.

That was easy to do with 12,817 emails to read on my first day back. I cried twice driving into work that first day, but knew she was in good hands. My mom had come up for the week to watch Charlotte. She doesn't head to daycare until December. This eased my worried mind quite a bit, knowing she was with grandma.

My advice to mom's out there who have to head back to work: ease into things. Talk to your boss and see if part-time is an option. If not, schedule a meeting with your boss on the first or second day back and talk about what you absolutely have to get done in the next week or two. I am lucky in that my boss is a great family guy who is very understanding - so this helps a lot to be able to talk to him about any and everything.

Be flexible: even if you have a schedule set in stone now, know that it will have to change a bit when you head back to work. Charlotte definitely knew something was up the morning I went back to work, she was fussier than usual. Stay patient and realize it's a big change for your baby too. Have dad help out as much as possible. Don't be afraid to tell your spouse that you need more help. I told Sam I'd need his help with 2 AM feedings and helping her get ready for bedtime more now that I'm back to work and he's stepped up quite a bit.

As for the lack of sleep while going back to work, I don't have much advice on that. I'm glad if I get 4-5 uninterrupted hours of sleep - and that's usually only 2-3 days a week. This past Sunday my mom and I decided to decorate the house for Christmas - get a jump start on it early since she was around to help. I put Charlotte down for a nap, and decided to plug the baby monitor in downstairs so we could hear her while we were decorating. As I plugged the baby monitor in and went about getting the decorations organized, I looked around and realized I had carried down the fan from my bedroom and plugged that in, NOT the baby monitor. This lack of sleep business can really do a number on you.

Talking helps. Speaking to my hairdresser (another new mommy to a 5 month old), my sister-in-law (mother of a soon-to-be 3 year old and a 6 month old), and a friend at work (mom of a soon-to-be 2 year old) you come across different tips and tricks. And even if they don't work for you, just having someone to empathize with and know what you're going through really helps.

For now I have to work full-time to support my family and while I enjoy my job I surely miss peanut while I'm at work. But it makes the time we spend together that much more precious to me. Oh, and I've also resorted to playing the lottery - I've got my fingers crossed!