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

That the anxiety gets better, that there are wonderful people in my life that will help.

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

I needed to support us. I had medical issues that led to me having to file for FMLA at about 10 weeks.  I just explained that I would be needing time off.

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?

d.

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

12 weeks. It was actually pretty close to what I expected, except my job gave me more time to re-acclimate than I thought they woul

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

My best friend/ sitter, she was great about keeping me updated and sharing Avery’s day and understanding how hard it was for me.

My biggest pregnancy indulgence: Steak, lots of red meat.

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

I never expected scheduling would be so hard and leaving the baby all day would be so much easier!

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