It's working for Stephanie M
Manasquan, New Jersey
2 children
"Make sure you are stable in all areas of your life...career, financially, in your marriage, and mentally. You need to be willing to give up everything for your child."
What is one piece of advice you wish you could offer your former expectant self?
Sleep when the baby sleeps and don’t worry about cleaning your house.
What was your primary motivation for deciding to return (or not) to work? How early did you tell your employer?
Health benefits
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?
Yes, I need to pump. I exclusively pumped for my first child so breastfeeding and pumping here/there was a breeze for me this time around.
How much leave did you take, and how comfortable were you taking it?
I took 16 weeks off.