As any mum will tell you, going back to work after maternity leave is not easy.
Even if you love your job (and are looking forward to getting back to 'civilisation'), it’s a transition fraught with challenges.
From feeling a tiredness you never thought possible, to crying in the toilets because you miss your baba, here are the seven very real stages of returning to work after maternity leave:
1. The guilt
Unfortunately for us mums, guilt and motherhood go hand in hand, so the second you arrive at work be prepared to be besieged by the big G. We all go through it: Am I doing the right thing? Should I be with my baby instead of here, listening to Derek in IT? Am I a terrible mother?
Trust us, you’re doing great.
2. The ‘where’s my baby’ panic
You know that panicked feeling you get where you think you’ve forgotten something? That will happen to you in the first few weeks a lot. You’ll be down on your hands and knees searching frantically for your baby, until a kindly colleague reminds you they are being safely cared for and you’re in work.
Whoops.
3. The sniffle fear
Your ears will be pricked for the tiniest sniffle, because if the baby is sick, you have to take the day off work. And if you don't go in, you'll worry that the report you were meant to do won’t be completed on time, you won’t meet the deadline, and the company will lose a huge client. Eventually it will close down leaving hundreds of people out of work.
All because the baby had a cold. Yep, it's amazing the silly things that go through your mind when you're running on three hours of broken sleep.
4. The extreme tiredness
It’s pretty much a given that you’re going to be wrecked. You will start to obsessively look for ways to make your life easier, particularly when it comes to feeding your baby. Well we can give you a head start: Babease is a new baby range that’s getting attention for its healthy, vegetable-led meals, which never use fruit ‘fillers’ that actually could encourage children to crave sweeter foods as they get older. Babease pouches are tasty and savoury, just like homemade baby food.
So when you’re in work you can breathe easy knowing they’re getting veggie-packed, real meals – and not sugary ‘baby food’.
5. The emotional outbursts
It’s only natural that you’ll miss your baby like crazy. Returning to work is hard, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. How could it not be? You’re going from months of bonding with your baby, to being suddenly separated and thrust back into work.
Tearful outbursts in the toilet will happen AND they’re normal.
6. The unidentifiable stains
Before you become wise to it, you’ll only notice when you’ve arrived in work that your top / skirt / trousers are covered in an unidentifiable goo.
And of course it'll be on the day the CEO comes in. Of course.
7. The legging it out the door
The days when you stayed back late are long gone. Now, the second the hand on the clock hits home-time you’re out like a shot.
Hey, you’re picking your battles wisely – you’d rather your boss be annoyed at you than the scary childminder!
What were your experiences when you returned to work after maternity leave? Our mums would love to hear from you, so get sharing!
For more information on Babease baby products and stockists, as well as recipes and advice, pop over to www.babease.co.
