Returning to Work
-
I have approx. 5 weeks left of maternity leave for my third child. This will be the first time I am returning to work full time in the office (with monthly work travel involved as well). What tips/tricks do you have when it comes to scheduling/managing home and work/childcare hacks/breastfeeding while traveling for work? I’m all ears for anything!
-
Well first, just like when you first had your baby compared to now, it takes time to get "good" at something. Those first couple of weeks or months might feel overwhelming because it's a whole new skill juggling your work needs and timeline with a baby. Here are a few of my tips and I'm happy to expand on anything:
- outsource whatever feels painful or is accessible for you financially. get a housecleaner, a mealprepper for 2 nights, a babysitter/mother's helper to help on key nights, etc. It doesn't have to be full time, but you can be strategic. Maybe in those first couple of weeks, hire something like Dinner Elf to make 2 meals a week, just to take it off your shoulders.
- Enact a system that keeps you and your partner on the same page - a paper calendar, a digital to do list, whatever makes sense for you. For me, I have a paper calendar, I write the daily meals, appointments, when my husband or I will be out of town, things that we all need to plan around.
- See if your work will cover breastfeeding shipping if you need that. I've used milk stork when traveling for work and it was great.
