It's Working Project

“I had to quickly find a new job while I was in the throes of postpartum hormones, pumping every few hours, sleep deprivation, and adjusting to motherhood + working full time. It was probably one of, if not the lowest, points of my life.”

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

Don’t try to plan anything in prep. for labor, delivery, and/or the baby’s arrival.  It will all go out the window, I promise.

What was your primary motivation for deciding to return (or not) to work? How early did you tell your employer?

I had a rotating door of managers for most of my pregnancy, but I told my supervisor at the time at around 14 weeks.  I actually had told a co-worker just minutes before and she pulled me into my supervisor’s office and was like, “did you hear??”  at that point the cat was out of the bag.

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

I took 12 weeks, which was all my company allowed for with a guarantee that you will get to come back into your old role.

My back-to-work plan vs. what ended up happening was pretty different.  As I mentioned in my last response, I had a rotating door of managers throughout the year, and they hired someone permanent while I was on leave.  My plan was to come back into my job, doing my previous tasks, with {hopefully} no major hiccup.  However I ended up having my role reimagined while I was out, and essentially being phased out within a few months, after being at the company for over 6 years.  I had to quickly find a new job while I was in the throes of postpartum hormones, pumping every few hours, sleep deprivation, and adjusting to motherhood + working full time.  It was probably one of, if not the lowest, points of my life.

 

 

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

Seeing my friends have children and return to work after was how I knew it was possible.  They have served as such a wonderful support group.  But mostly my husband–who was there for me night after night when I would come home from work crying, saying I was never going back–always made me feel like I was the strongest woman in the world for doing what I do.  He really is, and has always been, such an amazing support for me.

My indulgence was ice cream by the buckets!

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

As a working parent, I never expected the morning routine would be so hard and falling asleep at night would be so much easier!

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