Mama’s Maternity Leave & Return to work – How to keep your sanity

Maternity leave is a blessing and having that previous time with your newborn sure has taught me a lot about myself. Having a baby just doesn’t end or begin with the baby, your entire world changes! Every aspect gets impacted. And n matter how well you think you’ve planned, everything still creaks and croaks! I was lucky enough to be working for a company that was very family friendly and they made my pregnancy very comfortable. Not only that but after my maternity leave, my return to work was a breeze.

The first year after the baby is always stressful and many a times you’re going through baby blues, post partum depression, hormones are all over the place and what not. Having a check list of sorts would be a life saver, that way you would know what step comes after the other or what’s left pending.
Here are a couple tips that made my life so much easier.

For your Office/Work/Boss

1. Set a timeline as well  as a backup plan in case you were to start your maternity leave before time. That way your boss would be prepared for the situation when you may not be around. 
2. Plan out your transition as well as work load for the time you would be off. Always and I mean ALWAYS make a tutorial guidebook for whoever will be taking over your work even if you have walked them through it a million times. It’s always great to have a guide to refer to.
3. Make sure all the teams are aware of the time period when you will most likely be gone on maternity leave.
4. Make a shared folder where you start storing files that will be needed while you are out. Labeling is key here.
5. Train at least one person on what you do.
6. Make sure to read up on your company’s FMLA policy so you know when to give them a heads up.
7. Ask if remote work may be possible from time to time if it wasn’t before. No harm in asking or checking.
8. See if your office has a pumping area. If not talk to your boss or HR regarding it if you plan to pump.

For Daycare/Nanny

9. First decide if you want a nanny or use a daycare. If nanny then of course always choose the one from a close reference. (I’m captain obvious :)) Invest in a nanny cam.
10. If daycare, decide where you want your daycare to be – near your work place or near your home? Perks of being near your workplace would that you can reach the daycare sooner if you want to feed your LO, attend events or in case of any emergency. 
11. Perks of being near your home is that someone else can easily pick up your LO if you are running late, less of a commute for your LO too.
12. Some daycares require lead time for registration so look up the details  (while you’re still on maternity leave) and start going to open houses
13. Ask all questions that pop into your mind, there are no dumb questions when it comes to your child

For yourself

13. If you plan on breastfeeding and pumping then be sure to check up for a free breast pump through your insurance. I used Aeroflow and they sent me the pump month before I was due.
14. Once on your leave, start pumping and storing milk for when your maternity leave ends, that way you will always have sufficient milk for your baby’s daycare
15. Continue to pump during the day even if it’s for 10-15 minutes. This will help in preventing a decline in your milk supply.
16. Keep your prenatal at your desk. As long as you’re feeding/pumping it’s definitely a good idea to keep taking those vitamins.
17. Keep extra nursing pads, wipes, bottle cleaner, pump and disposable sterilizer bags in your desk. It’s better to keep the pump at work so you’re not carrying too much stuff, however if you’re pumping at home as well then it may be a great idea to invest in a manual pump too. Otherwise it’s fine, just pop it in your bag.
18. Keep an extra shirt in case there’s a leak or spill.
19. Keep tons of pictures of you cutie on your desk to be reminded that everything you’re doing is for this awesome little human. It’s totally worth it!

For at home

20. If cohabiting then make a chore chart so that all household chores are divided amongst you and your partner
21. Otherwise prioritize tasks on what can easily be moved to the weekend and what needs to be done on a daily basis
22. Half cook and meal prep on the weekends so that when you come home there’s a minimum amount of work for you to do 
23. Set time aside at night for story time, singing or just some simple mommy and me time. You will need this more than the baby. Trust me on this.
    

Remember, give yourself plenty of time to adjust to this new lifestyle. It’s a big change so don’t rush it. It’s completely okay to be overwhelmed and completely natural to break down crying. In fact, many times you will feel sooo much better after a cry.  

Just keep in mind what your goals are and why you’re doing all of this. Above all, keep repeating to yourself, I am a great mom and my baby knows it. That’s your mantra and that’s the truth.

Good luck mamas. I hope this helps ease your anxiety a bit.
PS.I would love to hear from other working moms on what helped you through the initial time and any tips that you found valuable