the insider's guide to being a mom

In last month's American Baby magazine, I was interviewed for an article entitled "The Insider's Guide to Being a Mom." Interestingly, the interview was conducted after my return to work with Baby #1, but the article was not published until after Baby #2. To be completely honest, I'd forgotten all about my discussion with the writer, so it was a nice surprise when the article was finally published!

Now, while I do not profess to be an expert of ANY KIND WHATSOEVER in the field of Motherhood, I did want to share my interview in hopes that if you have a friend who's a new mommy returning to work, you'll pass it along. And because American Baby doesn't have an extensive website, you can't find my pearls of wisdom anywhere else but here on this lil' ol' blog.

Without further ado:

Return to Work on a Wednesday
I remember reading this somewhere and I think it's great advice. True story: on my first day back after maternity leave, the elevators parted, I took about four steps into my office and immediately started bawling. Not one of my finer moments, needless to say. My entire system was revolting against the fact that I was back to sitting in front of a computer again when I'd just spent the last 3 months caring for my newborn baby. Starting on a Wednesday gave me a few days to get back into the swing of things, and before I knew it the weekend was here. I'm not actually sure I could have made it through 5 days that first week.

Cut Yourself Some Slack
At first, I felt so insignificant going back to the same mundane tasks I'd done before (my attitude was admittedly not the best at first), but the good news is that managing work and baby gets better. Give yourself some time. Returning to a routine is not going to happen overnight and THAT'S OKAY, mama.

Let it Out
Check in with your working-mommy friends during this period if you need reassurance that, yes, your feelings are natural. And on that note, make time for all your friends (mommy or not) -- find time for a coffee or a glass of vino -- your significant other is there 24/7 (and you couldn't do it without him!) but sometimes there is nothing like a girlfriend to boost morale.

Repeat Your New Mantra
Work makes me a better mom. This is what I truly believe, even though I know it's not going to apply to everyone. In addition, I provide the health insurance for my family. I remind myself how important that is on tough days when I'm missing my girls.

I hope that helps!