Tips on going back to work?

Hi All...

I'm wondering if anyone has advice on going back to work... I'm cooking baby number 4, but wasn't working when I had the other 3 so I'm new to the idea of maternity leave etc. Finances dictate a return to work, ideally I would love to have 6 mths off but we can't afford it.

Currently I'm working about 37 hrs/wk as a casual, doing admin kind of stuff, it's pretty flexible & my bosses are understanding. We have agreed 16 weeks leave starting 10 days before my due date...all my other babies were late so I'm hoping this one isn't too late, I would like as much time as possible at home with her...

So I'm anticipating return to work at about 13 - 14 weeks of age, using Family Day Care as we have no family here, wanting to BF, and do a 5-day - fortnight, 6-7 hr shifts (about 20 hrs a week roughly).

I have no idea how we will manage as I never bothered with a routine for my other children! and feel a little overwhelmed at the idea.

HELP!! :)

When Nina was 6 months old I went back to work 2 days a week (16 hours) and continued to breastfeed. And when Emily was 9 months old I went back to work full time. There is another baby in the nursery room at the girls' daycare who goes full time and is still breastfed. So it can certainly be done, but the key is organisation.
You need to be organised in advance for the days you work. Each night, I pack the girls bags, bottles etc, I get my clothes ready.
With regards to expressing, this you'll need to do on an on-ongoing basis. I used to express a little each day and pop it in the freezer ready for the days I worked.

wow!!!!!!!!!!

i sometimes feel dis-organised working two days a week and having only one child :redface:, so i just want to say, WOW!!

you go girl.... i would say organisation is definitely the key, but i don't have many tips on that one, just wanted to give you a pat on the back you sound like super mum :clap:

Thanks Jodi, it's good to know breastfeeding can be continued, the only women I knew of who went back to work early on were not breastfeeding. I had thought I would get the same pump as last time (avent Isis manual) but am starting to think it might be worth investing in the electric pump.
Thanks Emma1979, that made my day :D I am definitely no superwoman! and my kids are older, you have a TODDLER :p - but isn't it funny how everyone else seems to be doing better than we are, or what we think we can? Maybe we just don't give ourselves enough credit....anyway thanks for the cheers!

def use an electric pump... i bfed after I went back to work.. and found thismade it a lot easier...

preagainpan, what pump did you use?

I have seen a few posts from mums who used the medela swing but it is about $250ish... I was looking at the Avent IQ Uno for about $150.

Any recommendations? Thanks :)

Mine is an Avent - it was good but not amazing....but it did the job iykwim.
If you are going down that route maybe hire one to make sure you are able to express well and baby takes to it (my ds didnt love the EBM thats for sure - i had ot pump it fresh, and put in fridge he would not have defrosted, fussy little b*gger) - then when it is all going well you could buy one?

thanks preagainpan...

funny because I picked up a leaflet at hosp this week from a hire company & DH suggested the exact same thing as you ! :D

I think we might go that way, I would hate to fork out all that money & find it's not working for us.

lmao about your fussy ds, :lol: they sure make their opinions felt from an early age don't they?!

Can't help with the breast feeding side of it cos I had stopped well before I went back to work full time when my son was 7 months old. Expressing at work can be an issue I know because not all worksites have comfortable places for you to do it in. Then their can be issues in health & safety issues in storing the milk in shared fridges (hard to believe but I know someone who had an issue with this one & had to use the boardroom fridge which no-one used). Hopefully that will all be fine in your workplace though.

Organisation is the key. You need to have bubs bag packed ready to go the night before. I do mine as soon as I can when I get home or else it's easily forgotten. As you would be aware a new bub brings extra washing & at first I found it very challenging to keep up with it when I went back to work so got in to the habit of doing a bit each day regardless of the weather.

I never felt true exhaustion until after I was back at work & bub stopped sleeping through the night. Getting up to go to work after being up in the night is truly a different thing to getting up and tending to bub during the day after such a night. At home you can flop about in whatever clothes & it doesn't matter what you look like, you don't have to use too much brain power... but being at work you have to look half decent (not always easy if your washing has got behind and you can't find any clean work clothes lol), and you actually have to use your brain. You also can't have a nap when you are at work (bit of a shame really). I'm suffering from it at the moment & I'm in a very busy job so it's not at all easy. That of course leads into problems with housework cos when you get home after a hard day, tend to bub, do your washing, have dinner & do all the other stuff you'll have to do with your other kids you are not terribly inclined to do any housework and then things start to get behind. Just try to do a bit each day & if anyone offers you any help at all take them up on their offer.

I returned to work when DS1 was 7 months, and then when DS2 was 8 months, and I continued to bf both times. It certainly can be done, and once you get into the swing of it, it is actually easier than you expect.

I recommend a medela symphony or something like that. Make sure you have a large handbag, or a backpack or something so that carrying it to and from work is easy. You will also need a coolie bag to carry the EBM around and keep it cool. I recommend that you keep stocks of EBM at home and also at day care or the carer's home.

I am not very organised and I managed, so I am sure that you will be fine (although with 3 other kids it might be a little challenging!).

GL hun. I am sure you will do very well.

I will be watching this thread very closely!!! I go back to work in about 5 weeks and also want to BF.
I have bought the Medela swing to express but am also not sure how it will go...
Heres hoping it goes well for both of us!!

Please DO keep on this thread LucaJack's Mum....

you will be back at work before I have even popped my bundle, I will be very keen to see how you go!!

:goodluck: Good luck, please do keep us posted!

Thanks to everyone else for the feedback, keep it coming... :D

Jasp, another thing is that if you join the ABA then you are entitled to discount pump hire - it can be as much as 50% off. Plus you get the ongoing advice and support of a breastfeeding counsellor included! The ABA also have fantastic booklets for $5 each - the "Breastfeeding, Women and Work" and "Expressing and Storing Breastmilk" ones are really helpful for returning to work. They were a huge help to me.

Jasp, tried out my medela pump today and compared to my manual pump it is FAST! Should be good for work. I have also emailed work about a place to express... fingers crossed that goes well...

Both very useful things to know, Thanks MantaRay & LucaJack'sMum, and everyone else who has posted :)

This is why I love BB, what did I ever do without it? :dance:

Will be interested to see how you go re somewhere to express. I know for a fact there is absolutely NOWHERE for me to express, I will have to go home to do it; I only live across the road, but still I worry about how time consuming this might be, not too mention a PITA.

Good luck!

Jasp, give the ABA call on 1800 mum2mum to check, but I'm pretty sure in Qld they have to provide you with somewhere to express by law, as well as allow you lactation breaks. Given that you live so close and will most likely be more comfortable expressing at home anyway, you probably don't want to push the issue about providing a lactation room - however if they question the extra time you take, remind them of their rights (after you've checked on them!) and I'm sure they'd prefer for you to take a little bit longer on your lactation breaks than renovate the office!

yes if you ask them they should provide somewhere for you - my work was very accomodating of this, they let me use the health room which also has a change table, bar fridge, bed to lie down on if you want etc. i do work for a big company but it is male dominated and i found they just needed to know what i needed/wanted if you know what i mean. i have heard of other ladies who have had a meeting room (with no windows LOL) booked out for them at the same time every day - i think this works ok too. but if you are that close to home, personally i would pop home, put you rfeet up, have a cuppa and pump away - just make sure they know how long you need and at what time... the relaxed environment will be better anyway.
the aba will def have info on what your rights are if you do need to remind your worksplace but hopefully it wont come to that and needing to be so formal about it.

Great advice i will definitely give the ABA a call.

It was actually my 35yo female boss who suggested I go home to express (she has 4 kids but couldn't BF) .... I am very lucky I know.... I'm as likely as anyone to stress about the time it takes, feeling like I'm being a problem or whatever kwim? So with that in mind it will be good to know what my rights are, if we can sort that out ahead of time I will feel better :)

Will let you know when I find out!