It's Working Project

"Work can get along without me--I even called in to one meeting from the hospital the day my first baby was born! I didn't make that mistake with #2."

What is one piece of advice you wish you could offer your former expectant self?

Work can get along without me–I even called in to one meeting from the hospital the day my first baby was born! I didn’t make that mistake with #2.

FOR MOMS: If you breastfed, was there a place for you to pump that met your needs and was conducive to your success? If you breastfed, how did you decide to continue? FOR DADS: What, if any, adjustments did you (or your workplace) make to your schedule after having a baby? Was it specific to your manager or larger, whole work culture?

I breastfed exclusively after my first for 12 weeks. It turned out that we deferred giving him a bottle too long–he hated it and refused the bottle completely when my spouse tried to give it to him. Finally we had to send him to day care still refusing the bottle, but he relented after a few days that were miserable for everyone. With our second we introduced the bottle–and formula–much earlier.

How much leave did you take, and how comfortable were you taking it?

12 weeks. I was surprisingly sad right before finishing mat leave with #1 but after a week or 2 I was glad to be back at work.

What was your biggest challenge going back to work?

Initially I was sad to be leaving my baby, but we had a good daycare set up and my spouse was a part-time stay-at-home dad, so there weren’t many obstacles to going back–plus we needed the money.

Who was your biggest source of support in returning to work? What was your biggest pregnancy indulgence?

No, but I did have some friends/acquaintances with similar jobs and similarly-aged kids, so we commiserated and shared tips. I also used an online mom’s group extensively for advice and support.

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