No one wants to leave their newborn baby behind and return to work. But maternity leaves have to stop at some point. It is four months in some regions and, in others, a year. In any case, women feel too many emotions when returning to work after a baby. They feel sad and nervous about leaving their baby behind with other family members or in a nanny’s care. But, at the same time, they also feel excited to be back at work and not constantly surrounded by diapers.
It is challenging, and women shouldn’t feel compelled to choose between them. As a woman, you can be the best at work and the best mum. All you need is a work-life balance. It ensures your professional life doesn’t bleed into your personal life. It allows you to care for your baby in the best manner and work too.
Here are a few tips to help you balance work and a new baby.
Find a great caregiver and work on a good relationship.
The first step to resuming work without worrying about the baby is finding a caregiver. It can be a nanny, a daycare, or a home daycare. Go with any of these options as per your preference. But ensure you research and review them thoroughly. Do intensive interviews when hiring a nanny or home carer. Look at their experiences. Talk to other parents to get their recommendations and more. If you decide to go with a daycare, do a walk-through. Also, once you finalize a daycare, have a trial week to see if the baby fits well with the carer.
The same is true for the nanny. Irrespective of whether you work from home or the office, take one week to see how the baby fits with the nanny. Also, work on having a good relationship with the nanny. Create a schedule for your baby and ask them to follow it. Ask them for updates, and be grateful.
Subscribe to food subscription delivery.
Working the entire day, whether you work remotely or from the office, is hectic. After logging off, you look after your new baby, play with or help your other kids (if you have them) and perform house chores. You might even have to socialize, and all this already taxes you out. It might demotivate you from making meals. You might order in or get packaged food.
Doing this can tax your bank account, and eating takeout daily isn’t healthy. You have no control over the portion or what goes in your food. The best way out of this is to buy meal subscription delivery. It is a service that provides pre-measured and prepared ingredients delivered to your home. All you have to do is cook it, which takes minutes. So, you eat healthy and balanced food without spending hours in the kitchen. Quiet Meal kit delivery subscriptions provide this service at affordable prices.
Have clear boundaries
Your schedule looks different When you return to work after having a baby. You may log in and log out of work at a different time. If you work from home, your online and offline availability might be different. It is a massive change, and you must explain it to your team. Ensure they know and respect your boundaries. After you log off, don’t let anything or anyone log you back in. Respect the boundaries you set for yourself too.
Divide the responsibilities and conquer
If you have a partner in the picture, things become easier. So, ensure you divide the responsibility between you and your partner. Coordinate your schedules for everything. For instance, who is picking up or dropping off the baby? Also, if the baby gets sick or there is an emergency, who will come, and so on? Talk through all this before you set foot back in the office.
Have a backup babysitter.
The carer you have can also handle emergencies. But it happens, and you need to be prepared for it. Having a list of backup babysitters with good recommendations is always a good idea. Or have a few family members or friends be your backup. It is never easy to go back to work after birthing a child. But with a great support system and setting boundaries, you can manage work and baby both well.