Samina, who recently returned to work following maternity leave, has a seven-month-old baby. Except for minor sleep issues, her transition to the office was pretty easy. For the first two weeks, her baby was fine. However, after two weeks, she discovered her child with fever. What happened next? Distressed mom started blaming herself as a result of her internal shame as she left her baby for work.
Tabassum, mother of 10-month-old, stated her feelings after joined her job like "I thought I was doing nothing right," "I felt like I was always hurrying. I was hurrying to leave work to get back to my baby, and I was hurrying my son's bedtime routine so that I could get back online to do work".
The stress of childrearing responsibilities along with the strain of job takes a toll on many working mothers. Rejoining the job at the same time having full responsibilities of the newborn make the mother feel tired, guilty, frazzled, concerned, tensed as well as depressed.
Many working mothers struggle to strike a balance between family and career after having a baby, and as a result, they are sometimes forced to give up their career.
We are aware of your predicament. Thus, we've included 10 suggestions below to assist you in maintaining a work-life balance while returning to work.
Suggestion 1: Determine who will
be caring your child
First and foremost, you must pick where you will keep your child during your absence. It could be a member of your family, with a daycare or nanny. If you're going to entrust your children to a caregiver/nanny, make sure you find someone who can satisfy all of your needs. If you plan to keep your child at a daycare, look for one that is close to your workplace. So, you can keep an eye on your infant in the interim. You should start your baby's daycare/ nanny/ caregiver adventure at least 7 to 15 days before you start working. So that the process of separation should be slow enough to allow your baby to adjust better.
Suggestion 2: Make an attempt to establish a proper feeding routine
Typically, mothers return to work after six months of maternity leave. It is necessary for breastfed infants to begin transitioning to solid food or another breast milk substitute (formula milk) at least 30 days prior to start job. Determine the optimal infant formula for your child and ensure that it is readily available. Introduce solids gradually, at least 15 days sooner, to help the child overcome his or her dependence on milk. Early on, establish the portion size of solids and the type of weaning meal.
Suggestion 3: Establish breastfeeding / breast pumping routine
If your infant is breastfed, you may pump breastmilk and store it in an appropriate container. Breastmilk can be stored at room temperature for 6 hours or refrigerated for 24 hours. By pumping as much as possible before leaving home, you may ensure that your child receives breastmilk for rest of the day. Make an attempt to establish a pumping schedule as body produces almost the same volume of milk at the same time as the previous day's pumping.
Suggestion 4: Make time for yourself
New mom requires a lot of rest. Joining back to the work requires a lot to do, but still they have to set daily resting hours to sustain their body, even to produce enough milk. Try to rest at least for one hour after coming back home and enjoy the rest moment with your kid as much as possible.
Suggestion 5: Always keep backup
As you are about to begin your new career, always keep a backup plan in mind. For instance, what will you eat at night if your child is fussier than usual and you are unable to prepare dinner? Always keep a supply of extras in your home in case of an emergency. Purchase additional bottles for bottle-fed infants. Attempt to keep more baby food, clothing, and other supplies on hand. Have backup for everything because you will surely need it!
Suggestion 6: Keep general medication handy
Before starting work, purchase some basic medication for your infant (such as napa syrup, suppository, or cough syrup) to ensure that he or she is prepared for any situations.
Suggestion 7: Maintain open communication with line manager
As a new mom you might need flexibility in your working hour. It is of utmost important that you maintain an open line of communication with your supervisor so that you are able to handle emergencies, manage load and deliver on your commitments.
Suggestion 8: Hire domestic help
It's difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance when you're not getting assistance. Determine how you can accomplish any task more simply and train your domestic worker accordingly to make your life easier.
Suggestion 9: Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize
Time management is more important now than ever. If you weren't big on daily to-do lists before, now's a great time to start making them for work and home. Figure out what needs to be done and what can wait.
Suggestion 10: Overcome all guilty feelings
It's fairly normal for new mothers to experience a slew of emotional issues before and after returning to work. Always keep in mind that you are not alone. Consider how your choice will benefit both you and your children. Associate with a more experienced mother who has already taken care of everything.
Remember
The key is to trust in yourself. Believe that you are doing everything you can for your child and family, that you can handle everything, and YOU CAN!
Sadia Mahjabeen (sadia@iammotherly.org) is the Principal and Tamanna Toma Khan (tamanna@iammotherly.org) works as a Program Expert at iAmMotherly.