Having a plan is one of the best ways to help reduce the overwhelming anxiety that can accompany your return to work

As a new mom, you have experienced both the joy of motherhood and the challenge of a life transformed. If you have been able to stay home as part of a maternity or parental leave, you’ve likely treasured the bonding time with your baby while experiencing the stress of being sleep-deprived, being on your baby’s schedule, falling behind on household chores, and more.

Now you face a new challenge: the end of maternity or parental leave and returning to work.

Just thinking about going back to work can be daunting for a new mother. The thought of entrusting your baby to someone else’s care – especially if this is your first child – can provoke anxiety. Plotting out the details of childcare, work hours, and commuting in addition to staying on top of laundry, cooking, and other chores can feel overwhelming. Lining up the help you will need from family, friends, and neighbors can seem like a logistical nightmare.

Having a plan is one of the best ways to help reduce the overwhelming anxiety that can accompany your return to work. Of course, when you are suffering from “baby brain”, developing a full-fledged plan can seem impossible. However, a plan can be as simple as writing down a list of items to consider and then taking the time to work through it item by item. As you approach the mid-point of maternity or parental leave and begin to contemplate your return to work, begin to jot down notes on the key considerations and options available to you.

Following are some key items to consider organized by three major areas: Work, Childcare Options, and Additional Help.

WORK

Work Status

• Are you returning to work full time?
  • Are there other options such as working part time first and then eventually building up to full time hours?
• Is job-sharing an option at your organization?
• When do you need to communicate about or confirm your return to work? And with whom? Your contact list may include your representative from human resources as well as your manager.

Work Schedule

• What are your actual hours of work? What flexibility in hours might you have?
• What is your required commute time?
• Can you work from home?
• If you are self-employed, what is a realistic work schedule?
• If you are married or have a partner, discuss whether you can coordinate work schedules to allow for less time required for childcare.

CHILDCARE

Childcare Options

• What childcare options are available to you based on your needs, location, and budget?
  • One option to consider is seeking help from a family member who can provide care in your home.
  • Another option is finding a professional who runs an in-home childcare business in their own home. The benefits of this arrangement may include a smaller number of children and therefore more attention for your baby.
  • You may prefer a professional childcare facility, such as a local or branded (chain) facility, or one that is operated or sponsored by your church. Though this may mean a larger number of children under care, it may also mean better trained and skilled care providers as well as greater opportunities for socialization as your baby develops and begins to explore their world.

Childcare Hours

• Consider the hours offered by your available childcare options.
  • For example, a professional childcare facility may offer a wider span of hours each day for drop off and pick up. However, they may charge by the minute if you are late picking up your child.
  • On the other hand, an in-home daycare business may offer shorter hours but be willing to keep your child longer if you hit an unexpected delay without charging any additional fees.

Childcare Location

• When considering options, do not minimize the convenience of using childcare options that are either close to home, close to your or your spouse/partner’s office, or on the way in between. This may not seem that important at first. However, after you have been stuck in several traffic jams during your morning commute while stressing about being late to work or a meeting, you will appreciate how important this can be, especially long-term.

ADDITIONAL HELP

• No matter how capable you feel, you will need help and there is no shame in asking for it! You may be surprised at the number of people in your orbit that are willing to lend a helping hand, whether it is for something small or big, especially after you return to work. Here are a few things you can consider doing:
  • Organize family members or a trusted neighbor to show up on a regular basis to help or even look over your baby for a few hours so you can enjoy some space and time to catch up on things you’ve been falling behind on, including sleep.
  • If you can afford it, hire a housecleaner or cleaning service to clean the house once per week or once every other week.
  • Re-connect with friends. You have immersed yourself in being with and caring for your baby. As you prepare to go back to work, reach out to a close friend or two and take some time for yourself to get together for coffee, lunch, or dinner. A friend who has already been through the struggle of managing time between their home life with their child and work can be a rich resource of information, advice, and reassurance.

One final point to remember is to give yourself the grace of understanding. No parent is perfect. Balancing caring for your child, work, home responsibilities, your relationship with your significant other, changes to your body, lack of sleep, and all other aspects of being a new parent is hard, especially in the beginning. But it will get better, and with time you will be able to adjust to the best schedule that works for your lifestyle!

Your children are precious and you only want what’s best for them. Truffle’s mission is to offer parents access to high quality, safe childcare services that will provide the best care to children and peace of mind to parents. For more information and to sign up for early access visit Truffle.ca.

Author: The Truffle Team