Congratulations! You’re pregnant! Soon you will be welcomed into the magical, sleep-deprived world of mommy hood. But what about work? Maternity leave flies by in the blink of an eye, but there are a few things that will help make the transition back to work easier. The sooner you start planning your maternity leave, the easier it will be on everyone involved. One of my closest friends is getting ready to head back to work after having her first baby, and we have been talking about these tips a lot lately.
Here are a few dos and don’ts of returning to work after maternity leave.
Do: Speak to human resources ahead of time. To make returning to work go as smoothly as possible, make sure you and your company are on the same page BEFORE your baby comes. While pregnant, get all the details regarding your maternity leave in writing. Be sure to read up on maternity leave laws beforehand so you know your rights. (click here for maternity leave laws by state)
Don’t: Assume your entire maternity leave will be paid, or that you will automatically get 3 months off. While there are medical leave laws, each company has its own policy. You may get 12 weeks of leave, but only 6 weeks of it will be paid. Double check every detail, so there won’t be any surprises.
Do: Speak with your boss before going back to work. As your return date approaches, touch base with your boss. Maybe your manager will allow you to come in late for the first few weeks to help ease the transition. If you are thinking about switching around your schedule to accommodate the baby, make sure your boss knows this and that it is acceptable to everyone involved.
Don’t: Wait until you have the baby to start looking for childcare. Many day cares have waiting lists, so it never hurts to get ahead of the game. If you are planning to get a nanny, you should start looking for that person ahead of time. You want to give yourself time to do background checks and secure a start date.
Do: Have a childcare run though, if possible. If your child will be going to daycare, plan to drop the baby off there for a few hours to get everyone used to the situation. If you have a nanny or family member watching the baby, be sure to figure out the exact schedule. What time will they be coming over each day, will they watch the baby at your home or theirs, will they be traveling with the baby, do they have the right car seat adapter… etc.
Don’t: Beat yourself up. Thanks to the time home and those crazy pregnancy hormones there is a very good chance you are going to doubt your decision to go back to work, or even be tempted to quit. Try to remember why you decided on your original plan to go back to work and stick with it. Now is not the time to make any sudden decisions. (pregnancy hormones, remember?) Your baby is going to be okay. You are going to be okay. (and it’s okay to cry on the way in, most new momma’s admit to doing this, myself included)
Do: Give yourself extra time to get ready. It’s your first day back, you don’t need to stress yourself out more by running late. Make you you set everything you will need out the night before… for you and the baby. You are about to get a taste of how much longer your morning routine will now take, thanks to your little one!
Going back to work after having a new baby is never easy, but you can do it. Keep a positive outlook and you will be back in the groove in no time!
I originally wrote this post for Mom.co
Great tips! Too many moms have to go back way too early.
Such wonderful tips, how did I miss this post?
Its an oldie but goodie.. haha
Love these tips. Wish I’d had them with my first!
Me too! My first go round was a mess with maternity leave!
This is really helpful! I had no clue what to do and not do when I got pregnant with my first.
yes it can be overwhelming for sure.
Don’t beat yourself up. I wish I would have listened to that one! Great list. Have all bases covered (:
I wish I would have listened to myself! ha!
These are great tips! I’m thankful I never had to deal with maternity leave. But, I can say that the policies in the US ARE THE WORST!
They are the worst, it is really so sad!!
These leaves of absence can be tough in so many ways. It is great you raised some of the issues to be aware of.
Taking care of the details before the baby comes helps to bring down some of the stress 🙂
These are great tips! I’ll be using them next time I’m pregnant… #pregnantbrain will make me forget most of these
This is such a great list. When I was still working, I had found out that the supposed 6 weeks of paid maternity leave I had was actually only 4 because of a “two week delay.” I ended up leaving my job before I had my daughter, that’s a story in itself, but I was so surprised and taken back to learn how little time I would have had, and how little that actually pay out!
Most companies these days really have horrible maternity leave, it really is so sad!
These are great tips!! Saving this post; I’ll need this in the near future!! 🙂
I love these, I had a hard time returning to work at 6 weeks, luckily I was able to spend half the day working at home with a nanny/half day at the office with the baby until she (really, I) was ready for child care. My job was very accommodating, but there’s so much you don’t consider: doctors appt’s, having to stay home if the baby has a cold, being late because they need to be fed or they spit up. 😉 I know a lot of moms don’t have the luxury of an understanding job, and I’m grateful I did. 🙂
yes, my current boss was so understanding and flexible with me when I had my second, it makes the whole process so much easier!
Great tips that will help any new mom. Yes, so true every job and state the amount of paid time differs. Always have a back up sitter if your day care provider is one person / nanny doesn’t have one they use. In case they get sick or hurt….
Yes a backup is a must! (and an understanding boss helps too!)
Maternity leave was awesome for me when I was working. It gave me lots of benefits of being paid while I was off. Not everyone gets paid leave so it was a blessing!
most of mine was paid to, but we are in the (lucky) minority.. fewer companies pay for maternity leave these days!! So sad!
Omg this is great! I only wish I had read this before I went back from maternity leave!
http://www.myplotofsunshine.com
Me too, trust me I did it twice and the first go round was a mess!!
Great and informative post. I will safe this for all the new Mommy’s!
thanks! and thanks for stopping by! 🙂
These are great tips for those who haven’t been around this block yet… So thankful I had all the bases coverage for my leave too!
it makes a big difference, no one wants to be stressed out at work with a new baby at home!!
The whole maternity leave planning was hard for me. I just didn’t want to think about leaving my baby! Not a smart plan though. I love these tips and probably should have done better 14 years ago.
I have a new link up over on my blog and would love to have you share this there.
Hugs and have a great day!
I think having a good plan before the baby comes is a must.. once that newborn is here it is very hard to think straight and even consider going back! I will go check out your linkup! 🙂
This is such a sensible list. Things that moms don’t think about, but should. Great advice.
yes, unfortunately the US makes maternity leave harder than it should be. (in my opinion)
As a working mother these are great tips! I remember as a first time mom not knowing where to begin when it came to maternity leave.
Yes it can be overwhelming, especially if you try to tackle it AFTER you have your baby! 🙂
The last tip is my favorite because I was an absolute mess that day. A mess and late.