Today we're dedicating this post to mums and their return to the routine they had before the best day of their lives - the birth of their baby.
Many mothers may ask themselves the following question: how am I going to coordinate my return to work after my maternity leave is over? How will I manage to balance my time at work with the thousand and one tasks I have to fulfil? And how am I going to cope with the constant worry about my baby - is he all right?
Well, there are many questions that have emerged and that we feel are necessary to talk about and debate today. Nowadays, this idea of returning to work after a period of, let's say, more intense motherhood, in which everything is new, is considered normal, in the sense that motherhood is not an obstacle to a woman being able to continue her career and fulfil her desire to be a mother. We're glad this is the case!
All these changes are essential, because the woman feels supported in introducing this new phase of her life and doesn't put off her desire to be a mother until later, because there is the idea that she has to give up her job to dedicate herself to motherhood or because she never had the chance to be a mother because work was the most important thing. These may be some of the scenarios that are now being circumvented and mums are allowed the freedom to continue on their path to motherhood.
In addition to these positive changes, a mum's return to the workplace can be adaptable, depending on her needs in the early days. So we've done some research into tips and suggestions for getting back into the work routine after your maternity leave.
Here are some tips:
- Mums can work and breastfeed: we should talk to our employer before returning - to bottle-feed our baby, we need a clean, private place to extract the milk. You need to set aside time in your schedule so that you can do it calmly;
- Selecting the right kindergarten: research the kindergartens where you want to place your children (ask for recommendations, visit). Above all, make the decision you feel most comfortable with so that it's easier to concentrate on your work;
- Flexibility at work: one option could be to reduce your hours or days and take a pay cut. If this isn't possible, having staggered hours could be a solution so that the mum can help with the baby's needs and care. Or choose to work from home. Discuss the best solution for you with your employer;
- Contact with your colleagues: if there is a change in your working hours, there should be constant communication with your colleagues. Managing expectations and ensuring that deadlines fit in with your schedule is important. Priorities must be clear and explained;
- Controlling anxious contexts: we can't be demanding. Making a phased adaptation is necessary for the mother - returning to the work routine and managing the professional and personal context - and for the baby - needs and care;
- Looking for support: we should look for a support network (friends, family, other mums in the same situation) with people we can talk to, answer any doubts or questions we may have. We shouldn't be afraid to ask for help.
These are some of the tips we'd like to leave you with and we hope you find them useful. We want new mums and mums who are continuing on this journey of motherhood to feel good and for these to be moments of security and happiness for both mum and baby. We believe that this management and balance between professional and personal life is possible and should be normalised.
We are working mums.
What about you? Mums out there, what has your experience of this phase of your life been like? Do you have any other tips you'd like to add to the list we've shared with you? We want to know your experience. We want to know your opinion.
