When did you go back to work?

I went back to work 8 weeks after Saffron was born. I was quite proud of myself for this achievement as I did have a ceasarean. I am quite lucky as my partner Adrian is a stay at home dad so there's alot less pressure because i have to worry only half as much of the practical things like housework and day to day child-rearing activities etc.
My workplace is unreal. I was about to request an extra month off but I was encouraged to come back early as my boss said that i could bring Saffron in with me (and I really needed the money). I work in an office environment so I can feed while I am on the computer or the telephone without much difficulty. This arrangement wont last forever though, I imagine 6 months at the most.

So I can feed Saffron at work and have not had to worry about expressing yet. I must admit though I would be tempted to give up the breastfeeding and introduce a few supplementary formula feeds if I needed to establish the whole expressing routine.

[Tobily]

I went back full time when she was almost six months old.
It sucked, I hated every second for the first week and spent most of my time for the next month trying to find ways I could quit work.
It did get easier, at least she was home with her dad so I didn't have the childcare guilt to contend with as well...
This time I get 12 months paid leave and I dont' know what I'll be doing after that. I'm going to use the time to decide. DH needs to get back into the workforce full time, it concerns us if he is "out" too long (future employablility etc...)

Hey there...
I returned to work 5 days (20 hours per week) when DS was 9 months old and i have found it pretty hard, DS goes to daycare 2 days then granmas then to his godmother the other day.. I sometimes feel like he thinks i dont want to look after him anymore or something, ive got the guilts i suppose but it is passing.

[neeny]

HI

I'm returning end of October when Aleise will be 4 months old but as I just secured day care for one day a week this early I've had to take it or I may not get it next month! Am lucky DH gets every 2nd Friday off so he can look after her then and we can ask our mums to help out the other Friday.

I think it will be harder for me when she starts next week - separation anxiety for me I think will be the problem.

Well will update you once it gets rolling. In this day and age one wage just isn't enough so we shouldn't feel guilty about using daycare at all!

[EllyBoo72]

I am back just after the 12 Month Maternity leave, Just doing a couple of evenings from 5.00pm to 10.30pm. These hours suit me as DH comes home to look after DS, then i leave. I felt more obliged to go back to work, as they were snowed under. Although the money is good, It is very tiring, and they are trying to get me to come back thru the day. And that is just not going to happen!!! I find it harder being a stay at home mum, BUT i love it, and it is much more rewarding than sitting in an office stressing over deadlines!!! Wont be going back after no 2, until they are at school age.

[Tannis]

This will be my 3rd week back at work.....Jayden is just over 5mths old. Possibly if I didn't go shopping so much while I was on leave I could have stayed home a little longer LOL. I am part time ATM just 4 hrs a day 5 days a week......I am meant to be going full time by Dec but I think if DP gets work during the off season (he works seasonal) I might stay part time.......I am lucky that I have an understanding boss who is willing to accommodate to what I want to do

[Jacci PG]

I went back to work at 3 months - I take charlie with me and only do it 8 hours a week,.
I like having the time to talk to people my own age. i love talking to charlie but i reakky need some people time

I went back to work when DD was 10 months old - but I had been away for 12 months. I left at 34 weeks pg and then she was born at 42 weeks.

After DD2, I didn't go back to work. I don't earn enough in the Bank to pay for 2 X childcare - so then we've decided I won't go back 'till all the kids are at school.

[babycoolz]

Hi
I applied for a full time position at 36 weeks. I was pretty much guaranteed the job, but things happened internally and they needed someone straight away. My work knew I had hospital and doctor commitments, so they told me to contact them after Andrew was born.
Andrew was a week late and I had to stay in hospital for an agonising 4 more days (I cried my way out of hospital a day early to be in familiar surroundings). I checked my email and found my employer wanted me for a part time position and were happy for me to do the hours however way I wanted.
My employers are very family friendly - they let me take home a laptop to do extra work at home when I look after baby and are happy for me to sneak off every now and again to express. I went back to work both for necessity as well as to keep my sanity (I love having a career and I want to set an example for my kids - especially any future girls that God may bless me with - that mum's can have a flourishing career and be a mum too!).
All this at the same wage as my previous full time job when I wasn't pregnant! God can really answer those prayers when you're desperate!

[~shazz~]

i started back full time when my eldest was 6 months then i went back to wrok full time when my 2nd was 2 weeks old and i went back part time when ryan was 4 months it is working for us atm though i may have to look at going full time maybe june /july 2007

[mel_thekiwimum]

hi everyone
I am going back to work in Jan 08 and I only have to go back partime prob 2 days a week at this stage - my DS will be 6 months old then and I am already dreading it! I'll miss him terribly - I am trying to get him into the child care centre which is onsite at the hospital I work at but have been told that I probably won't get a place for him until he's 12mths old - so my DH will prob change his work days which are flexible thank god and my mum will fill in the others THANK GOODNESS FOR GRANDMAS
any tips or suggestions on how to survive those 1st days back at work?

[Mum2OneSweetBun]

Hi Everyone,

Unfortunately my work place only offers minimal maternity leave (12 months unpaid) and seeing that I have a large mortgage, I have no choice but to go back to work after 3 - 4 months.

I wish i could stay with my baby for at least a year and to he/her grow, but i cant =(

I'm 15 weeks pregnant and I havent told my manager yet as I dont think he will be as sympathic as I would like a manager to be.

SCARY!

[mum1984]

I go back to work part time on Monday. *sob*

I was meant to be back already but i chickened out and took until the beginning of the month. My boss has just had bub number two in two years so he knows how hard it is and has been very understanding. Im still BF so I will have to express and go to my carers in my lunch break. I'm terrifed of leaving him but excited to be going back to something i really love.

I have him being watched by my mum for three days, in FDC one day and the rest of the time at hme with me. Its going to be hectic but as a single mum i cant afford not to go back to work. Hopefully I will manage otherwise i might have to cut back my hours even more.

It scarey, i dont know what to expect.

[mommybing]

Let me share my story...
It's not that interesting though. I had to go back to work after a month of delivery. That was dictated by our university law. the reason for that was I was quite new on that position. If my pregnancy has been delayed for about a year,, I'd get 2 months maternty leave...

[KirstenFleur]

I went back exactly one year after I went on leave, after having 6 months paid leave and 6 months unpaid. Unfortunately, I'd stopped work at 36 weeks (TAFE policy) and then gone to 41 weeks pregnant; so my daughter was just shy of 11 months.
I was very lucky in that I secured a 3day per week position at the campus closest to my house (I'd left a fulltime position at the campus 1 hour away) and the manager was happy for Laura to come in once a day for a breastfeed. (She still does that now and she's 2 years 1 month old!)
Childcare- Mum & Dad moved their caravan up to our house and Mum lives in it for the three days I work, as neither of them liked the idea of Laura in ABC childcare.

For the next child, the policy has changed- I have the choice of either taking 1 year again, and a guaranteed return to the job I left, or taking 2 years and returning to whichever job is available at whichever campus. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, I suppose.

[paradise lost]

It'll be 4 years in February since i last went out to work. I am really happy with my choice so far.

Bx

[Myboys]

With DS1 i went back to work when he was 8 months old only 2 days a week. It was for financial reasons.

I worked for 15 months and then was on leave again to have DS2. By the time i go back to work next year (still only 2 days a week) i will have had 12 months off. The decision to go back to work is part financial and part wanting to keep myself employed.

I am expecting it to be quite different from when i went back with only one child so if it doesn't work out we will reasess.