9 Tips for Going Back to Work After Having a Baby: How to Make Your Transition Easier

9 Tips for Going Back to Work After Having a Baby: How to Make Your Transition Easier

Maternity leave literally flies by faster than the speed of light. The back-to-work blues is sure to hit you near the end of your leave and you will be dreading the day you have to leave your precious baby to go back to work. Cut down on the chaos and make this difficult transition a little easier with this list of helpful tips:

1. Set the date

Procrastination is your enemy! We’ll be honest, it will be extremely hard to resist putting off your start date. If your start date is flexible, it is important for you to pick your day and stick to it! The more control you have over the situation, the more confident you will feel when that dreaded day comes! Making these plans is the first step, once you have your options laid out and are confident in your arrangement you can move on to the bigger decisions…

2. Ease in

The BEST advice we can give you: If possible, make your first day be in the middle of the week! Tackling your first day back will be overwhelming, trying to tackling a full work week on top of that will be unbearable. Try to start on a Wednesday and ease back into the routine. You will have a short work week and can look forward to the weekend and spending time with the precious babe!

3. Stock up

You have been spoiled these last few months with having everything you could ever need for you or baby at home and at your fingertips. Going back to work is an adjustment for everyone (you, baby, & your partner) and you will need to stock up on these essentials before heading out the door:

• Breast pump
• Professional looking bag for your pump and accessories
• Extra nursing pads - keep these in your desk, you never know when a meeting will run late or you have an unexpected visitor in your office
• Photo of baby to keep on your desk
• Healthy snacks

Don’t forget about your life outside of work either! If you think you were low on time for cooking after baby was born, that time is cut in half once you go back to work! Do some meal prepping or bake a couple meals and freeze them so you have a quick, stress-free dinner option when you get home!

4. Find the right child care

Day care? Nanny? Babysitter? Family member? It is important to think about what works best for you, your family, and your budget. This process can be so overwhelming! Visit day care centers, interview potential sitters, do what you need to feel comfortable! Check out our Child Care Guide for more help on choosing the right daycare for you!

5. Look good, feel good

If you haven’t lost all your pregnancy weight yet, don’t sweat it! Don’t try to fit into your pre-pregnancy work clothes, you’ll end up getting mad at yourself anyway. It took 9 months (okay, more like 10) for your body to grow that gorgeous, sweet miracle, so be patient while it finds its way back to your new normal! Go out and buy a few new outfits and don’t you dare look at sizes! Whatever fits and makes you feel good is your new first day outfit!

6. Take a test drive

Okay, it’s been awhile since you had to apply makeup, do your hair, walk in heels, etc. Add a baby to the mix and just showering takes longer than your old morning routine! Help preserve your sanity and take your new routine on a test drive. Wake up the same time you normally would if you were going to work and do a trial run. Get yourself ready, get baby ready, pack yours and baby’s things and head out the door to your child care provider. This way you can work out any kinks and your first day will be a little less stressful.

7. Stay updated

Caregivers are more than happy to give you updates on your babe throughout the day. For the first few weeks it is normal to want to check in on them a few times a day. This transition is new for them too! Call, text, video chat! Do whatever to help you feel more at ease and make the day go by a little quicker.

8. Connect

Make friends at work! Support is everything for a new mom and we can almost guarantee you have a coworker in the same situation as you. Grab lunch with them and swap stories. Good, bad, or ugly, the bond of mamas is like no other! The more you connect with people at work, the more comfortable you will feel.

Having mom friends is important. You can learn so much from just listening to other mom’s stories. Check out a local group for working mothers or join your city’s mom group on Facebook!

9. Skip the guilt

Whether you are choosing to go back to work, or you have to, DON’T FEEL GUILTY! Release your mommy guilt, you are doing what is best for you and your family! Over 75% of American moms work outside of the home. Going back to work doesn’t make you a bad parent, so don’t even think that for a second! Stop looking at other mom’s work situations, yours is the only one that matters!

See our Going Back to Work Checklist for more guidance and prep tips.