It's working for Carolune A
Apex, North Carolina
2 children
"I strongly felt then and I still strongly feel now that I needed the "work-life" balance to be a better mom and a better worker."
What is one piece of advice you wish you could offer your former expectant self?
There is no right way or wrong way to take care of your child. Do what works for you. You know what is best for your family.
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 tried to breastfeed initially but I was having issues with producing enough milk no matter how hard I tried to pump. I ended up supplementing with formula and then mostly formula after a few months.
How much leave did you take, and how comfortable were you taking it?
I was out 3 weeks before my EDD and then 12 weeks maternity leave. I added 2 more weeks on top of that to bond with my child. Took another 4 weeks intermittent bonding time with my child. All paid. I felt that was sufficient but it could be a longer time off. Perhaps 6 months maternity excluding 6 weeks bonding. All paid, of course 😉
What was your biggest challenge going back to work?
Finding a dependable care giver for our son.
Fill in the blanks: As a working parent, I never expected ____ would be so hard and ____ would be so much easier!
Diaper rash! Babies’ bottoms are very sensitive. After the first incident with our son, I must have changed his diaper every 2 hours. Phone alarms and apps were used to track timing.