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

Savor the time at home and get to know your little one well. Before six months, forget about sleep schedules, sleeping through the night, outfits other than jammies (for the kiddo), and cleaning. Just. Enjoy. The. Baby. The phase is so fleeting.

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

I was fortunate to have just over 12 weeks by combining FMLA and my remaining PTO. It felt like a 1/4 of the time I really needed, though.

What was your biggest challenge going back to work?

In my second pregnancy, I had to tell my employer early (7 weeks) because of two main reasons. The first and significant reason is the nature of my job. I am a mental health therapist on a locked unit for the severely and persistently mentally ill who are unable to live on their own in society. I work with a forensic population who are very unstable and we are frequently physically threatened. Raising awareness of my condition was important so accommodations could be made to protect my person. The second reason was because I was significantly ill early on and needed understanding for frequent breaks.

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

First my husband, second our childcare provider, and third my boss. My boss is a remarkably supportive human being who understands the life-factor that is impossible to set aside in the work place. We are on a locked unit and my office has a glass door for security reasons. She has given me a key to her office to use for breastmilk pumping to accommodate this need.

Fill in the blanks: As a working parent, I never expected ____ would be so hard and ____ would be so much easier!

I never expected time for myself would be so hard and leaving my kids would be so much easier!

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