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

Start the team building process with your partner early. My husband and I work together very well and we always have each other covered. We agreed early on that we want the other person to still have a life, so we’re both happy to watch the baby while the other one goes out with friends, but we never keep score.

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?

After a few weeks it was apparent that he wasn’t gaining weight and we needed to start supplementing with formula, so although I would’ve preferred to breastfeed exclusively, it just wasn’t in the cards.

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

I had twelve weeks’ leave, a lot of which was covered by a combination of my company and short term disability insurance provided by them. I dreaded going back, but after a day or so I felt normal again.

How easy was it to put a childcare arrangement together and did it work for your family?

Work out your childcare situation eeeearrrllyyyyyy. Daycare is in high demand.

When did the “new normal” set in for you?

After a rough start, by the end of my maternity leave, I had finally hit my stride. The baby was sleeping great, he was cheerful, I felt confident, and we were getting out and about every day. I worried about leaving my little guy at daycare, and about the logistics of getting him there and home. But most importantly going from spending all day, every day, with him to seeing him for an hour or so a day has been a total bummer.

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