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Try not to feel pressured to have it
all running smoothly from day one
If you decide not to return to work, or feel it’s
not right for you once you have returned, then
you must give notice to your employer in the
usual way under the terms of your contract.
Depending on your job, you may also want to
talk to your employers about scaling back your
hours, job-sharing or working from home.
Making the transition
Many moms find a series of ‘settling in’ sessions
are a great way to get your baby used to his or
her new childcare. Organise with your childcare
provider that you will be doing this in the week
or two prior to you returning to work, then bring
your baby and start with just an hour. Build the
time up over the course of the week or two, so
that when the day comes, you and your baby
know a little better what to expect.
It’s also a good idea to plan your morning and
evening routines, even if only for the first few
weeks. Jumping out of bed, a quick shower
and out the door to work with breakfast in
hand may have been your pre-baby routine,
but now you will need to factor in getting baby
up and dressed, a morning bottle and perhaps
breakfast, as well as packing both yours and
baby’s bag for the day.
Undoubtedly, this is a time of change for you,
your baby and possibly the family as a whole.
It will take time to adjust to your new daily
routine, so give yourself plenty of time to
acclimatise, and try not to feel pressured to
have it all running smoothly from day one.
For your big parenting adventure