It's working for Delanie I
Wyoming, Ohio
3 children
If I am overly stressed, it impacts my entire family, and prevents me from being effective at my job. Many of my clients will have other therapists in their lives, but my children only get one mother.
What is one piece of advice you wish you could offer your former expectant self?
Understand that you really don’t know what it will feel like until the baby is here. Annoying to hear, but unfortunately true in my experience.
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?
It was really important to me to breastfeed my babies, and my husband was incredibly supportive, both emotionally and practically. I could not have persevered through the considerable obstacles I faced without his support.
How much leave did you take, and how comfortable were you taking it?
With my first baby, it was a few days. In order to keep my scholarship for graduate school, I had to take one particular class the quarter that I had my daughter and see a volunteer client literally 5 days post C-section. With my second child, 9 weeks unpaid leave. I took 12 weeks with my third.
Who was your biggest source of support in returning to work? What was your biggest pregnancy indulgence?
Yes. My supervisor at my assistantship could not have been more amazing. She encouraged me to have my partner bring my baby into the office to nurse, and was endlessly supportive.