Full time career girl to full time mummy!

[Shaz]

Hi Girls

Just wondered what your experiences have been with all you working girls out there who are suddenly on maternity leave with a little one to care for!

I worked full time up until 38 weeks and Connor was born two weeks after I started my maternity leave.

The first week was a nightmare (isn't it always) but we're slowly getting into a routine and I love him to bits - can't wait for him to start interacting with me a bit more!!

Sometimes I find myself wondering though - I spend all my days feeding, changing or trying to get Connor to sleep - washing loads and loads of clothes and going to the supermarket!

Does anyone else miss the cut and thrust of working life? I'm going back end August/beginning September this year working four days a week in the office and one day a week from home. Connor will be in nursery four mornings a week then Nanny or OH (who works shifts) will have in the afternoons so it's a nice balance of being with other children, but spending time with Daddy too.

Your life certain does change with a baby! But it's taken a while to settle into for me - is this normal??? I've been working since I was 16 and everything feels so strange!

 

[Nicky_Jones]

Up until Ellie reached 3months I was really looking forward to going back to work. She had colic and spent most of the day screaming which was very hard work. Then once the colic passed she was a joy to be with, at the 3month mark they gradually start interacting with you more and more. By the time I was due to go back (she was approaching 5 months old) - we were having trouble getting her to take a bottle and I was dreading going back worrying about her feeding etc. I decided at that point to go back on less hours than originally planned (I had planned on 30hrs - 4 full days) but reduced that to 26hrs so she only needed 2 milk feeds at nursery and I could give her a feed as soon as I picked her up. I now feel really happy with the hours I am doing. I find it nice to go to work (and TBH at times I forget I am a mummy now, so little has changed at work) and have somebody else looking after Ellie but I also find it really nice to pick her up again and spend the later afternoon / evening with her and then we get Friday all to ourselves.

I stopped at 38weeks as well.

 

[Daggers]

I too found the first hmmm 3 months a bit rough, but then Otis became so much more interactive it's great!
I can't say I've had any urge to go back to work, and have now opted to take the full year and hopefully pack it in altogether! If I had a really top ranking job then I most likely would go back, can't say my job was bad but just don't think it's worth all the commuting and not sure what I would be looking at finanically as I definately won't go back for more then 3 days a week - is it worth it then???
I hope at some point to start my own thing doing reflexology and Indian head massage treatments as I am qualified but at the mo there just seems to be no time and I'm definately not ready to put him into nusery.

 

[Alfiesmummy]

I worked about 50/60 hours a week as a bar supervisor and loved it i loved the night life i loved the pressure (it is hard having angry customers waiting and complaining and drunk) i loved the rush and the calm at the end of the night, i left work at 22 weeks pregnant as we moved and i had problems during pregnancy, and doing nothing all day almost killed me, i have never been without a job part time or otherwise since being 14 (working for my mum firstly) and all of a sudden to be doing nothing i couldnt cope couldnt wait to get a new job once alfie was 3/4 months old when he was here, and along he came, and now over five months on iv not even browsed the job pages iv told ian im not going back to work untill hes one and tbh the only reason ill go back then is so when i fall pregnant with baby number two itll be so i can get maternity pay ... god im bad arent i, i loved my job as a bar supervisor but i love my job being a mummy more than i ever imagined i would, ask anyone they never thought i would have kids and now i want a whole brood of them

 

[Freya]

Hi Shaz
When I had first child I couldn't wait to go back to work to feel 'normal' again if you know what I mean. I found maternity leave in the beginning quite hard especially in the beginning when I felt like I didn't know what I was doing.

BUT like everyone else has said I returned to work on a part time basis as this seemed to be the fairest option.

After second I never wanted to return to work again - I loved being at home with baby from day one. However needs must so I had to go back part time again.

I would say enjoy your maternity leave as it goes so quick and you will soon wish that you were at home again.