Why did you return to work?

[OceanPrincess]

Hi all,

This question is directed at the mums out there who have returned to work post-baby. I am genuinely interested in your motivation for doing so!

Was it because you love your job? Maybe it was purely financial? Were you going insane at home with just the baby to talk to all day???

I'm interested because I am contemplating my options for 2009/2010, once bubs is born - at the moment the only reason I can consider for returning to work is financial!!

Would like to know what others think!

Not sure how to do a poll so please, responses welcome!

[Laranna]

I haven't returned to work yet. I'm still on maternity leave (12 months). We are fortunate that I don't *have* to go back so we are just seeing how it all goes. I don't want to go back as I'm having too much fun with my little bubba But I guess I'll probably go back part time once the 12 months are up to have some 'me' time and have some adult interaction, but then again I might just be a SAHM. It's way more fun and rewarding

[satya]

I'm on mat leave now and the only reason I'm going back is financial. If we were not paying a house off I would not be going to work. I really do not want to go back to work at all.

[~mamaspice~]

Hi Oceanprincess.

The reason for my return to work was purely financial
Towards the end of my pregnancy DH transfered to a different department which mean't he no longer got overtime or penalty rates (a lot of which we were relying on for me to have time off work after bub was born). I returned back to work 3 days a week when bub was 3.5 months old and in June I increased to 4 days a week.
it is kind of nice to have a little adult time but I would much rather still be at home with my little girl.

[Willow]

With DD it was purely financial, we'd just brought a new house. This time around we are in a much better position financially, but I have to (guiltily ) admit that I'm looking forward to going back for a bit of a break and time away from home, something I don't get much of at the moment. Feel so bad saying that because I always said I wouldn't go back after #2 but things change I guess...having two has been more challenging than I thought it would be and we have very little family support, DH works 12 hour days so it's really just down to me for the most part. The other thing is, having done it once before, I know it's not too bad and that I WILL actually survive leaving my beautiful baby

Having said all that, I only work 2 days a week and wouldn't consider going back more than that any time soon, I want to be at home most of the time. Maybe when the kids are both in school, unless we have another before then.

[OceanPrincess]

Satya I hear ya! DH and I would love to buy a house but would that then put us under even more financial pressure??? Definitely!

Its such a tough decision - and so difficult for us in this day and age when buying a house is so expensive!

[Sueby]

Hi,
I have three bubs well DS1 5 DS2 3 and DD 6 months. I am a nurse and have just recently started casual work again to help out financially. I also like the me time even though I am at work. I will go back to work in January when my maternity leave is over but I only work two days a week so its not that bad!

[briggsy's girl]

i've not had a kidlet yet, but my intention is to go back to work part time to retain my job more than anything! i'm in the public service, the conditions are fantastic, flexibility is amazing, so as much as i'm fighting tooth and nail to get pregnant and have a child, i will still return to work as i know, when that child is at school, i would go stir crazy without working - and my job is one i'd return to everytime... (flexibility means i can basically drop kidlet at school, go to work, be at school to pick them up so it's worth it for me)

[AnyDream]

With DD1 I hung out from returning to work until DD was 4 yo. By then we were so hideously far in debt that no amount of scrimping and being clever with money was going to save us. DH's job gives timeinlieu not overtime so there was no way of getting extra income there. I had contemplated returning to work when she was about 2.5 yo but I had worked casually pre-preg and moved interstate a couple of times so I faffed around a bit not knowing what type of work to pick up (adamant not to go back to banking).

This time round, I'll be trying to get back into work before DD2 turns 2 - hopefully just three shorter days a week, tops. We're moving again so I'll have to actively seek work but I have leave without pay in the pub service so it behooves me to get back to retain that pay and conditions, like Briggsy's Girl.

Also if I'm honest, I remember how hard and exhausting I found the toddler year (2-3 yo), so it's good for my total wellbeing to get back to work before then as well.

[danniellabella]

I've been working full time for a month now. DD is 5.5 months old. Initially the decision to go back to work was daunting because I quit my job so I was looking for work and also I felt guilty. But the reality of returning for me was better than I expected. I returned for a few reasons:
1. Financial
2. DH wasn't coping being at work and I wasn't coping being a SAHM
3. I enjoy working
4. I think I was on the verge of PND so I needed to get out of the house and away from being mum for a few hours for my sanity

Once we found daycare we were happy with I felt heaps more comfortable about returning. I was also lucky enough to get a job close to home in a family friendly environment with flexible hours and great benifits.

[Rebecca77]

I have to say that the main reason I returned to work, even thought I REALLY dislike my job, was financial. It was tight!
plus being so far from friends and family, and with H working such LOOOONG hours I was going positivitely insane being alone so much. i CRAVED adutl contact. I went back when C was 3 months old.

[Nai]

I went back to work after 12 months and although I hated going back it became a lot easier after the first few difficult weeks! I went back as we couldn't afford for me not to financially as I earn more than DP (about the same with me working part time), I studied hard for my Masters and I wanted to keep using it and I needed to use my brain differently.

This time around I will also take 12 months (we have been saving very hard) and will also return part time for the same reasons - unless of course we win the lottery and then I might change my mind

[onthefly]

When DS was 8 weeks old we could no longer afford for me to be off work any more, so I went back to full-time work - it was purely a financial motivation. In an idea situation, I would take 1 year off then return to work part time.

[fionas]

I stayed home for 12 months and have just returned back to a 5-day fortnight.

We could have survived financially without me working but I wanted a little bit of financial leeway given that we're thinking of having #2 and it will have to be very, very soon given my age.

But really, the overwhelming reason was for my mental health. I loved being home with DD but I had a very tough year. Physically, the first six months were a nightmare because I couldn't walk, stand or bend without being in pain so I was virtually housebound. On top of that, I was a)trying to reach a financial settlment with my XH b)trying to organise renos to this house c)trying to win custody of my DSD who lives in the States and d)trying to hold my relationship with DP together which had suffered enormously because he didn't understand how much physical pain I was in. So each one of those items went around and around in circles and each day felt the same as the last.

On top of that, DP is a shiftworker who often works 9 days out of 10, so I rarely got a break.

If we have no. 2 and the physical problems recur, then I will try to get DP to go part-time and me potentially go back to work earlier (I'm in an office job so it's easier physically to be at work than it is lifing and carrying a baby).

If I'm physically fine (and able to get out of the house and actually engage in life) then I may stay home for 12 months again.

In my situation, going back to work part-time has been extremely beneficial for my state of mind though staying home for 12 months has, I think, been very worth it in terms of my bond with DD and my confidence in my parenting.

Sorry, that turned out to be a novel!

[Karina]

I took 13 months off and went back mainly for financial reasons. It was just too tight on one income. We have a mortgage, and live in sydney and DH is a teacher so his wage isnt all that crash hot. I'm working three days a week. II dont intentd to go back full time for a long while yet.

[Lulu]

Purely financial...but I can't say I don't enjoy my work.

I have only been back 4 weeks and I resent only seeing the kids for 2 hours a day, but I managed to stay home until my youngest was over 2. I really had to go back though, I'm single and I have a bit of catching up to do financially

[Jaycee]

I returned to work 2 months ago when my DS was 6 months old.
I was dreading it, I hated the fact I had to leave him but now I can honestly say that I enjoy coming to work, as I see it as a bit of me time.
Plus DS is with my mum and he loves it, she loves it so I know everyone's happy!
It took me a long time to stop feeling guilty about enjoying being away from him but in the end I've come to realise as much as I love being a mum, I'm still me as well and needed to get a bit of me back.
In the beginning returning was purely financial but now I enjoy the financial side of having more money and also the adult interaction as well!

[Epacris]

Great thread, thanks for asking.

The number one reason I went back to work was because I was going absolutely INSANE!!!

I'm A TAFE teacher, I LOVE my job and my boss and colleagues are fantastic. I initially went back when DS was 3 months old for 6 hours a week, one night of 3 hours teaching with a few day field trips here and there. DH would mind him at night and Mum would have him when it was a day trip. I loved this arrangement, it worked really well for all of us.

When DS was 8 months old I then switched to working one full day a week (with Mum minding him). But, by the time DS was 10 months I was completely depressed and going insane. I found my days with him so utterly draining and totally unfulfilling. If we were not out of the house by 9am he would constantly whinge and tear the place apart. It completely did my head in.

So, I found a family daycarer (which was a rocky road too but that's another story) and went back full-time. Full-time is four days per week because of the amount of marking and prep you have to do at home in your own time.

So DS has three days in FDC, one day with my Mum and Fridays with me. Life is really, really, really busy with both DH and I working full-time and we are doing major DIY renovations to our house too. But, I wouldn't have it any other way, I really feel like this is a choice we've all made and although we're often really tired, we're happy too. We'll probably do something similar when the next one arrives (soon now).