Bye Bye Baby! :(

[ashokia]

I can't believe it is here already. My mat leave is over. I go back to work on Monday. I feel extremely anxious to be leaving my son in the care of a virtual stranger. There is a new Manager at my job who I don't know, and who doesn't know me, which is making me even more nervous. I feel completely unprepared for this! How do you Super Moms do it? Juggle work with chores and cooking and couponing?

Did you continue breastfeeding when you returned to work? I'm not sure I can manage pumping at work, as I don't have a private office. If I skip his feedings during the day when he's at daycare, will I lose all my milk?

Really feel like I'm losing it right now!

[ninna]

Didn't breastfeed so I can't answer your question on that.

I can tell you however, that while it will be an adjustment going back to work and leaving baby, that you will manage just fine. It might be a little hectic in the beginning until you find your groove, but you'll get there. It's also a little easier once baby gets older.

I still remember that horrible sick anxious feeling I got when my mat leave was over and I realized it was time to return to the workforce. For about 3 weeks leading up to my return to work, I dreaded every minute.

Once I went back? Yes, I did miss being home with my daughter. But--I also felt good going back to work too.

Chin up. You'll do just fine...and baby will too! Don't sweat the small stuff. Just enjoy the moments you spend with your child and you'll probably discover that you cherish the time with him even more once you've returned to work.

[ashokia]

Ack! I just hit the report button instead of the rep button! That's embarrassing!

[Jezebel]

Ack! I just hit the report button instead of the rep button! That's embarrassing!

no worries

[oddduck]

I breastfed after returning to work with both kids.

Kid 1 - Returned at 11.5mo, didn't pump -- nursed on demand when I was home.
Kid 2 - Returned at 6mo, pumped before and after work until she was 10-11mo old -- nursed on demand when I was home. I kept getting walked in on while pumping at work so I gave up on that after a month or so.

You won't loose ALL your milk if you skip your daytime feedings. After a few weeks your body will adjust (though you'll feel full and be a bit leaky until this happens). Be aware, your LO may start nursing at night if they've stopped.

I was able to nurse kid 1 until 20 months (I weaned) and kid 2 until 21 months (she weaned).

[ashokia]

q

[ashokia]

That was Noah saying hi. LOL.

[juniperjune]

I kept the evening feed. I BF until 22 months.
You slowly loose your mind inside, while outside you smile and nod! LOL
You feel freaked out when you go back to work, then you come to love the Adult conversation time
You will adjust, just don;t be too hard on yourself

[i_forget]

Do not feel bad if you cry at work non-stop for the first couple of days. I did when I went back to work after my first. My second I only cried the first day, I never went back to work after my 3rd....but I cried when I had to drop him off at his first day of therapy....guess that counts too lol.

[Minou]

I was happy to be back at work, but it was stressful getting into a routine. Didn't have the best/most reliable daycare in the beginning either, and it seemed that there was that one kid who was always sick and who would get everyone else sick too! Any kind of sickness is worse with a little one. Fever and crying!

After five months, we changed home daycares, and couldn't ask for better. He loves daycare, he's been healthy, and he barely notices when he's dropped off there. I'm on maternity leave with the second one right now, and I plan to go back when the baby is nine months old. We've continued paying for DS1's spot, and there will be space for the second in September when I return to work. While I'm off, DS1 goes to daycare for the day a few times a month, and he can't wait to get there. He gets a lot from the structure/teaching/interaction at daycare.

Good luck with your return! From our experience, I'd say that daycare is good for most kids!

[LifeisBeautiful]

I cried and cried and cried the whole week before. But I brought some pictures with me of my LO to cheer me up.
Be prepared for the attack of daycare sicknesses. My LO was never sick until he started daycare. Everyweek it was a new sickness.
On my mandatory one hour lunch breaks, I would run errands so that it would not interfere with my non-work time. Have a plan of quick weeknight dinners so that you avoid take-out dining. As a plus, I found that the house stayed alot cleaner with my LO out of the house, so a little less housekeeping. Best of luck to you!

[ashokia]

Today is the day! I am surprised that I actually got some sleep last night! I got a little stand up photo album from my SIL a few years ago so I've loaded it up with pics of my LO to take with me to work. It seems strange to wake up and not have him in the house. I've got all my clicks done for the day, my dishes are ready to go in the dishwasher and I've just got to shower and get dressed. I feel so nervous I just may throw up! LOL.

I'll be calling my daycare provider at lunch to see how DS is doing. Hopefully everything goes well today. I figure the first day is going to be the hardest. The first week will be hard for sure, but once it is done I'll probably be able to relax a bit!

Wish me luck! I'm gonna need it to make it through the day!

[viji_mothi]

Good Luck Ashokia , and i am very sure you are going to have a great time at work and the time you go see the little one at day care it is even more precious, the hug , the kiss after being away for long day - sure it is cherishable

[glowworm2k]

Thinking of you today.... I'm sure it'll be an emotionally challenging day, but here's hoping that everything goes off without a hitch!

[Alixana]

Goodluck. I came back to work recently too, after DD #2. It was as hard as the first time, but I did pretty good.One thing I didn't do right away was put up pictures of my kids as soon as I got to work. I missed my kids, but not seeing their pictures the whole day didn't reduce me to weeping almost all day. That's one thing different I did this time around.If you work in a big office building, ask if there is a private (semi-private) spot for tenants where you could pump if you really want to do it. Like people said above, you don't lose your milk supply and your body adjusts. I still bfeed my baby as soon as I get home, and she still does night feedings. With baby #1, I was able to feed until she was 2.Hope your day is going well.