Here we go again , back to reality…
The time has come to change my OOTD from pyjamas and slippers to normal clothing, bleh!
I’m sure most moms have a lot of mixed emotions about returning to work after having a baby—some of them conflicting.
You might be anxious about leaving your child in the care of someone else and whatever you are feeling makes total sense. This is a big transition but there are concrete things you can do to help you adjust to your “new normal”.
My 1st week back at work and I am proud to say that I was on time 4 out of 5 times, not bad for a mom of teenagers, a toddler and twins.
Without teamwork by hubby and myself, this would not have been possible.
Here are a few of my tried and tested hacks that assisted in making my return to work as stress free as possible.
1. Look Good And Feel Good
First DO YOU!
It’s ok to be a teeny weeny little bit selfish at times, you are human too, and no kid wants to see their mom in a frantic stressful state.
DO NOT try forcing yourself into your pre-pregnancy clothes, because chances are they probably won’t fit, which WILL make you feel like crap. Embrace your new body (stretch marks and all), I mean you just had a miraculous change of body experience.
Treat yourself to a few new items of clotting to accentuate your new curves and after the last couple months you’ve had, you most definitely deserve a haircut and a mani/pedi, too.
2. Change of routine…again
Being a mother of 5 boys, I believe having your kids in routine is vital in keeping things sane, for everyone. Your baby might have just settled into a routine with you being home and now just getting to work is going to involve a whole new routine.
You are now required to pack a baby bag, working in a last feed, changing that unexpected poo nappy, etc.
Don’t fret about changing your routine, you will be amazed at how quickly you baby adapts.
3. Trial run
Choose a day near the end of your leave to test out your new routine. If youneed to be in the office by 8:00 am, set the alarm for when you’ll need to get up. Run through your new routine,maybe you’ll find that you need 20 minutes, not 10, to feed your baby. Or you could discover that getting to the daycare in rush-hour traffic takes twice as long as you thought.
I returned to work mid-month, but I had my twins start at their daycare the beginning of the month, giving me 2 weeks to myself to just relax, maternity leave with twins was hard work. In the last week I decided to do a trial run, it took me 4 days to find what works best with a few tweaks here and there.
4. Get everything ready the night before.
It’s hard enough to get out the door with twins and a toddler and you can’t help to squeeze in kisses one last time (ten times). Add a 5:30 am feeding session, a diaper change (or two, or three), and you will appreciate any spare second you can find.
This is what my husband and I do the night before when all the little people are asleep, husband and wife teamwork is essential in a big family (that’s a topic on it’s own). This is also the time we spend with each other, catching up on the day and having adult convos.
Set out clothing for the next day.
Pre pack my lunches and store in fridge (this is no joke 2 x adult luches, 2 x teenage lunches, 1 x toddler lunch). I usually make extra for dinner and use the left overs for lunch the next day. This is a total timesaver, in the morning I just open the fridge and pack it in everyone’s bags.
Set the breakfast table for our teenagers, hubby and I have breakfast at work and toddler eats at daycare.
Set up the coffee machine for the morning (when we wake up, it’s just a matter of pressing the power button).
Pack toddlers bag for the next day.
Pack twins bag for the next day.
Pre pack lunch and store in fridge.
Pack bag for the next day
Set out clothing for the next day
Pre cook dinner for the next evening (this is my favourite time saver, when I return from work all I do is add potatoes or heat up, we have dinner within 30 minutes).
Time saved in the morning is more sleep for you :)
Until next time.
xxxZ