Knowing that you are going back to work at some point can make an otherwise exciting time seem a little daunting and depressing. It's important that you prepare for back to work slowly, and try not to dwell on it.
From day one of when my child was born, I was worried about my return to work. I wondered whether I'd be able to fit in my clothes, or sleep at night, or how I would pump at work. I also cried at just the thought of not being by my baby's side all of the time.
On the clothes issue - you will lose the weight. It's not easy (I hate when people say, "She's all baby" because that sounds as though the weight will slide off), and it doesn't happen right away. But, if you take 3 months off, exercise a little bit, and have no other health issues, eventually those old work clothes will fit again. Because it's probably been some time since you wore those clothes, take some time to go through them, throw out or donate anything that you don't think you'll wear again, and maybe wash or dry clean those that need it. A week or two before you go back to work, try on your pants and separate those that fit from those that don’t. I actually had only 3 pairs that fit me upon my return to work, but eventually, they all fit.
On the sleeping - that will come with time. If your child wakes up frequently at night, it can be very difficult. Go to sleep earlier at night and try to catch up with naps on the weekends.
On the pumping issue - try to talk to other moms at your job to see how they did it. Hopefully your company has a mother's room. Mine has one that I never knew was a mother's room until I was a mother! If there is a mother’s room, try to touch base with the mom’s currently using it, as it is great to have some allies.
Whatever you do, don’t dwell on your return to work while you are on leave, because you don’t want to ruin the time that you do have.
Jodi is a mom to two who transitioned back to work from maternity leave twice. Jodi's website, http://www.momsfavoritestuff.com, provides real moms' reviews of everything for mom and baby.
Source: www.articlealley.com
