According to the United States Department of Labor, women make up 47 percent of the American workforce. And women’s share of the workplace is only expected to rise in the coming years — meaning even more women will be working outside the home. This information, taken together with the fact that between 85 and 90 percent of American women become mothers at some point in their lives, adds up to a whole lot of people taking (and returning from) maternity leave. Becoming a parent (whether through adoption, surrogacy or childbirth) is one of the most momentous events in life. It literally changes everything. One area that is impacted most of all is our work life — and it starts with maternity leave. Whether the leave is short, long, paid or unpaid, coming back to work after having a child can be a time filled with emotions. Here are some ideas for how to manage. Stay flexible. Just as there are many ways to become a parent, birth a baby and then actually care for your newborn once she arrives, there are also many emotions that might (or might not!) come up when returning to work. Some women are sad and teary, others guilty and still others ecstatic to be back — perhaps all of these things at the same time! The point is, emotions are varied and variable. What you feel one day might not be what you feel the next. And that’s OK. Keeping your expectations flexible is a good strategy for managing the variability of emotions. Find a mentor, or two. Other moms can provide a wealth of information and experience to new moms just returning to work. Good childcare options, dealing with sick children, adjusting family roles and coping with varied emotional experiences are all areas in which other, more experienced moms can offer insight. As mentioned above, many millions of women have gone through what you’re going through, so you might as well learn from their experiences. Women in your family, at your workplace, in your neighborhood, in your professional associations or in a dedicated moms’ group might be good places to start finding a mentor mom. Be your own best advocate. Sometimes there are aspects of your job that worked well for you before you had children but that don’t fit as well anymore. It’s unlikely your co-workers or managers will anticipate your needs once you return from maternity leave, so advocating for yourself will be an important skill to practice. Perhaps you need a room to pump breastmilk, or maybe you could benefit from starting your shift earlier or later. Instead of suffering in silence, try speaking with your manager in a calm, professional way about your needs and wants as a new mom and professional. Keep up good self-care. Successfully working in healthcare always requires good self-care. It simply becomes even more important when you return to work after having a baby. When you’re shuffling between work and mom mode, it’s easy to stop making time for what recharges you. The problem is that now is when you need those good self-care strategies the most! Try to be diligent about keeping them in your busy schedule — even if it’s just for a few minutes at a time. Source
