10. If possible, get all your ducks in a row before your maternity leave begins. Do everything you can to complete projects and brief everyone on what needs to be done while you are gone. Clean off your desk, and be sure not to leave any snacks in the drawers!
9. Tell your boss an exact date when you will return. (You can change it later if you need to.) Make it toward the end of a week (I went back on a Thursday) so you don’t have to face a full work week right out of the gate.
8. Call someone in the office soon after the baby is born and ask them to spread the details.
7. If you haven’t already, make daycare arrangements. The sooner, the better. Then do a couple trial runs, if possible, to make sure everyone is comfortable with the arrangements.
6. If you’re going to continue to breastfeed upon your return to work, invest in a good quality dual electric pump — Ameda and Medela are the two most popular and respected brands. Read the instructions thoroughly and find support from a lactation consultant and other moms who pump. I made an appointment with my hospital’s lactation consultant so she could show me exactly how to use the pump. I also found the Pump Moms group on Yahoo! Groups helpful, as well as the Nursing Mothers Support Group that meets in St. Clairsville. Call your boss to discuss where and when you will be able to pump at work.
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5. A couple weeks before returning to work, try on your career clothes and figure out what you need to buy, if anything. If you are a size or two bigger than your pre-pregnancy wardrobe, hit garage sales, Gabriel Brothers, thrift stores and consignment shops. With some determination, you won’t need these “transition” sizes for more than six months. (Kill two birds with one stone and leave the baby at the new sitter’s while you shop!)
4. Take your baby for show-and-tell at the office a week or so before you return. While there, confirm your return date.
3. Take ownership of your decision to return to work. Be brave and stay positive. Even if you feel you can’t afford NOT to work, you are the final decision-maker, so complaining about going back just makes you sound like a crybaby. Understand you are not alone and you are doing what’s right for you and your family.
2. Make pampering yourself part of your preparations. Get your hair done; splurge on a manicure or pedicure; schedule a massage. It’ll boost your self-esteem.
1. And most important,
Don’t panic. I know, it’s easier said than done. The first few days, or maybe even weeks, could be nightmarish, but it will get better. And then it will get hard again. And this roller coaster ride will continue for as long as you are a mother! Ride it with pride!
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