4 Ways to Rock the First Month Back to Work After Baby! Yes, It's Possible!

Returning to work after your maternity leave can feel challenging, but take control of this new stage with 4 easy strategies.

Author: Joann Thelusma, Aila Birth Village

You have been home with the newest addition of your family for a few weeks, months, or years, and it’s time to return to work. The transition back to your career will be a delicate balancing act, but I have a few strategies that can help you manage this time well.

Confirm Childcare

Before returning to work, confirm your childcare arrangements. Most childcare centers have a waiting list (some as long as six months to a year!) so it is an absolute must to inquire about availability as soon as possible. Visit a few childcare centers and join the waiting lists for the ones you love to ensure that your baby will have a better chance of getting in somewhere. Having childcare center arrangements in place, even if you do not initially plan to use one for your baby, will ensure you have coverage if you return to work before you anticipated. If you plan to have your child cared for by a family member or nanny, it’s still a good idea to have a childcare center as a Plan B.

If you plan to use a family member or nanny, remember that it is important to sit down with them and discuss everything about your work schedule, your partner’s work schedule (if applicable), and other important items, such as feeding schedules and what to do in an emergency. Ensuring you are on the same page about your baby will minimize the first month back to work jitters.

Merge Personal and Professional Calendars

While previously, you may have kept your personal commitments off of your professional calendar, it’s now time to merge the two. Let’s say that you scheduled an important meeting with your boss for Tuesday afternoon. On Tuesday morning, you receive a call from your pediatrician’s office that your pediatrician is running 30 minutes behind that day. You panic, suddenly remembering that you did not put your baby’s appointment on your calendar. Your partner is away on a business trip. You could ask your father for help, but in rush hour traffic, it would take him at least an hour to get to your daycare. What should you do to avoid this next time? Be intentional about merging your personal and professional calendars.

Having access to a calendar that you can reference quickly is immensely helpful when making any personal or professional appointments. If you can, review appointments as they arise so you, your partner, and/or childcare provider can coordinate easily. In some cases, it might make more sense for your partner or a trusted loved one to go to your child’s appointment, but if you are not aware of their schedule, it puts you at a disadvantage. When in doubt about whether a personal commitment needs to go on your professional calendar, just add it to be safe. You’ll be happy to know at a glance if these obligations will overlap with any professional commitments. This will also help you know in advance when you might need additional support from your village.

Consider buying a large calendar that you can place in a shared space, like your kitchen. Every week, you and your partner can list upcoming appointments that may require coordination. This will encourage conversations about who will do what and when.

Prioritize the Difficult Tasks for Early in the Work Day

If you know you have to relieve your nanny at 6PM, it might not be a good idea to schedule a time-sensitive meeting at 4PM that day. Should the meeting run over the allotted time, you may have to rush out of your office and head home. Not ideal at all! Instead, load the earlier part of your day with the priorities to ensure you can leave on time. Have to meet with a colleague to go over project? Get it out of the way with an early morning meeting. Need your boss’s signature on a document that must be submitted by the end of the week? Schedule a one-on-one meeting immediately after lunch. Front loading your day means that when your partner calls and says they won’t be out in time to make pickup at the daycare, you can move the minor items that you wanted to tackle that afternoon on to the next day’s to-do list.

Be Flexible

While planning can go a long way when you are returning back to work after having your baby, it’s okay if things do not go perfectly. This is a huge change and may take some adjustments. So if you were all for your chosen childcare center initially, but realize you do not feel your baby is receiving the best care, it’s okay to change it up. If you originally wanted to have your mom as the primary caregiver, but now want your baby to have a more structured day with a childcare center, that’s okay, too. If you returned to work at full-speed, but feel you and your baby would benefit from your employer’s telework options, consider making some changes. Now is the time to be flexible. Don’t feel guilty if you realize changes must be made to truly achieve a work-life balance! Be kind to yourself during this time.

Looking for postpartum coaching as you mull over your return to work? I offer customized coaching sessions via the Back to Work Planning program. Whether you are in Massachusetts, I have got you covered with a foolproof plan for returning to work and balancing your family. Email hello@ailabirthvillage.com to learn more.

Warmly,

Joann Thelusma, Founder and Owner of Aila Birth Village