Tips for Returning to Work After Maternity Leave

1. Find Daycare You Can Trust
If you find yourself mid-way through your maternity leave and you still haven't lined up daycare for your bouncing baby, start looking! Finding a solid daycare center to watch the little one when you go back to work is often an overwhelming task, so don't wait until the last minute to start looking. Look for a daycare provider that has a clean facility, an ample number of capable adults (beware of private-home care with one or two adults for 10+ children), and multiple references. Speak with the daycare manager or owner to find out what their procedures are for child illnesses and emergencies so that you know what to expect the first time your baby comes down with the sniffles or bumps their head on the playground.

2. Divide Responsibilities
Sit down with your partner and discuss how the household and childcare responsibilities will be impacted when you go back to work. Who will take the baby to daycare? Who will pick the baby up? Who will do the dishes and mow the lawn? Having defined responsibilities will help you and your partner to balance work and family life without becoming overwhelmed.

3. Discuss your return to work with your boss
Don't just leave a message for your boss letting him know what day you will be returning to work, ask if you can have a meeting before your return date to discuss your added responsibilities as a new parent. Review attendance and tardy policies, what will be needed to add your infant to your healthcare plan and make sure that your emergency contact information is up to date.

4. Decide whether you will use formula or breast milk
Try to determine whether or not you will continue to breastfeed your baby or if you will begin using a breast pump or formula to supply your baby with food. Either way, you and your baby will need time to adjust to your new feeding style. Make sure to read formula and breast pump instructions completely, and practice using them before returning to work to avoid awkward conversations and embarrassing spills at the office.

5. Create a weekly meal plan and shop once a week
This is a great tip for anyone with a hectic lifestyle, but will come in especially handy after returning to work. When you are on maternity leave you may start getting used to being able to go to the store frequently, but this will become much more difficult once the exhaustion of a full work week sets in. Also, buy a cookbook packed full of recipes that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes so that your family can enjoy home cooked meals after your workday with minimal preparation time.

6. Plan a family/date night
Whether you choose one evening each week or one day a month, make sure that you set aside time to do the things that you enjoy doing alone with your partner and together as a family. Between the demands of mommy-hood and working woman, you will look forward to the break!

7. Sleep like a working woman
When you are getting ready to head back to work, start working on making sure that both you and baby are getting a full night's sleep each night. Your body may have become used to taking naps whenever the mood strikes while on maternity leave, but this is one luxury that you won't be able to indulge in when returning to work.

8. Practice being away from baby
As a new mother, you will be inclined to spend every waking moment with your new baby. While this is a very natural instinct, and is a wonderful trait for any parent, the desire to be near baby may become an insurmountable obstacle if you don't start taking time away from your baby while on maternity leave. An easy way to ease into being away from baby is to drop him or her off at an eager Grandparent's house for the afternoon while you run errands solo.

9. Find a cute trinket/photo to keep at your desk
Once you've returned to work, you'll find that suddenly being surrounded by adults is a big contrast to the cooing and cuddling that you've gotten used to while on maternity leave. Soften the transition by taking a photo of baby or a gift you received from a friend to display in your personal workspace. When you have a difficult day it will give you something to see and touch to remind you of the special baby waiting to see your smiling face, and will give you joy when you have the opportunity to share it with others.

10. Create a contact list and important information for your daycare provider and family.
Before you drop your little one off at daycare, or for their first night spent with Grandma, make sure that you have a complete emergency contact list for anyone who might be in charge when an emergency happens. Be sure to include the name of your pediatrician, your insurance information, important phone numbers to reach you and your partner, as well as any known allergies or medications that your infant might have. Make several copies of your emergency list and distribute them to family, babysitters, day care centers and friends so that if anything does ever happen to your baby there will be no question as to what to do.

Following these tips will help make the transition from pregnancy to working-Mom much easier on you and your baby. The most important thing to remember is that you are human, and you do have limits. Be open and honest with your family and employer if you are feeling overwhelmed, and look for new ways to meet your responsibilities without sacrificing your time with your new baby.

Want to read more about returning to work by Denise Kawaii? Click the links below.

Writing a Winning Resume

The Positive Recession

What to Do When You Are Being Downsized