Thoughts on Going Back to Work After Having a Baby

Well, I have officially completed my first week back from maternity leave. On one hand, it feels like I never left and on the other, it feels like a brand new job. It's quite fascinating actually!

I was very nervous for my first day because I didn't know what to expect or how much work I could handle while also taking care of a nearly 3 month old. Let me step back for a moment and give you a little back ground. I work for a large company as their wellness coordinator. I create wellness campaigns and get employees excited about their health. A few months before I began my maternity leave, the world changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone began working from home, including myself and my husband. When I was nearing the end of my leave, the company's policy on work from home, luckily had not changed. Although we couldn't put our child in daycare, or bring a nanny into our home for assistance, this was a great opportunity to be able to continue bonding with our daughter and see every milestone.

My nerves came from not knowing how I would balance giving my daughter all the attention she needs and deserves, while also getting back into the swing of meetings, phone calls, and work. On my first day back, I was given a great reintroduction to my role and already had multiple projects to begin working on. I began working and everything started to fall into place. My husband and I found a few kinks in our plan over the course of the week, but they are minor and we will have to learn this new way of working. You know, a baby doesn't care if you have to talk during a business meeting; the will fuss when they are ready to fuss.

So far, I have already experienced:

• an overtired baby crying to go to sleep while I was on the phone and my husband also had a meeting

• a baby falling asleep in my arms so I had to contort myself to be able to continue working while she slept

• the joy of having her grandma over so that I could take a few calls in peace

It's already been a roller coaster, as I am sure most parents can relate. This is just a brand new world we live in and we're all doing our best to learn this new way of life.

What has been your challenge of working from home as a parent?