New moms always dread the day their maternity leaves come to an end because it means leaving your baby in someone else’s care and most importantly; getting accustomed to a new routine with a baby to look after. Chalk out the things you need to take care of to be tension free at work and yet stay connected to your baby.

10 Tips To Ease Going Back To Work After Maternity Leave

Here are a few things you should definitely put on your checklist.

1. Sort out childcare issues:Find a dependable childcare and preferably one which is close to your place of work. There are many local childcare facilities available. Visit a few of them, check their amenities, make sure the caregivers are well qualified and the environment is suitable for the baby to spend the day. Ask your friends, neighbors and doctor for recommending well-known day care centers in the area. If you have someone from the family to take care of the baby, ensure that the person is well equipped to do so, and ascertain what other support he or she may need. For instance, parents can be excellent with babies, but you cannot expect them to do the running around. Hence, a little eye for detail at this stage would work a long time solution
2. Stock up these things before you enter the office doors:
   • Breast Pump: Invest and carry a breast pump with you so that you can store up milk
   • A bag to carry the breast pump: Carry it in a professional looking bag rather than one which makes it quite obvious that you are carrying one
   • Extra nursing pads: You may not be able to visit the washroom at the right time, so it is important to keep along an extra pair of nursing pads of a good brand which has high absorbing capacity
   • Healthy snacks: Keep some healthy snacks along with you which will be good for your nursing health
   • Baby picture: Carrying your baby’s picture will enable you to stay motivated for long days coming up at work
3. Clarify your work schedule: Have a talk with your employer wherein you decide your exact duties. Ask for a few flexible hours at work. If your job requires long standing, see if you can manage that or would like to change to a lesser exhaustive profile. Also see if you can take breaks to pump or breastfeed your baby
4. Take a dry run: It is recommended to do a couple of dry-runs before the actual day from which you start working. Managing a baby and a job is not at all an easy task and it is bound to take some time for you, your baby as well as your husband to blend in the new schedule. So test and try it from a week in advance. Start taking your baby to the day care center from a week in advance; this will give him time to settle with the new environment
5. Back it up: Come up with a good backup plan for days when your baby is sick or the day care remains closed for some reason. You could decide that your husband would take the day off, or someone from friends or family would take care of the baby
6. Rest enough before joining work: Save yourself from falling into pieces by resting as much as you can before joining office. Set early bed times. Best, stick to 9pm. You will have to get up early in order to complete the basic household chores and rushing yourself and your baby to the day care center, so you will have to make sure that you get appropriate hours of sleep. Remember the promise of breastfeeding your baby and so take considerable rest to ensure the same
7. Keep your calm while at office: Though it is quite impossible not to worry about your baby and even missing not seeing him, it is important that you keep yourself together at work. Don’t let anyone think that you are off your game and you are feeling too much stressed out. Honor your commitments at work, and call your caregiver (day care of home) once or twice a day to know how the baby is doing. You will feel at peace
8. Join work in the middle of the week: Set your joining day to be a Thursday. That way if your office gives Saturday and Sunday off, you will have to go to work only for a day and you can spend the weekend with your baby. Even if Saturday is working day for you, you will have to work for only two days. This way your baby will also not feel your sudden absence and will adjust better
9. Take care of yourself: Don’t ignore the fact that you are a nursing mother and no matter how much pressure you are having to handle at work there is no excuse not to eat your food on time and not to eat healthy food. You have to also keep yourself well-hydrated. Carry fruit juices along with you, or some fruits and nuts to munch on while at desk
10. Wash out that guilt: Last but not the least, let go of the guilt that you are giving up baby time and not giving enough care to your baby. Just keep in mind that you are working to make your baby’s future secure. Also, there is no perfect mother in this world, even if you goof up a few times, don’t keep blaming yourself for it over and over again

Though not easy, try to keep your motherhood and professional life separate. Also seek the support from family and friends, talk your apprehensions out, and you are all set to strike the balance between work and family. Above all, maintain a positive attitude towards joining work after your maternity leave and you will handle it just fine.