5 tips on returning to work with a newborn
There’s no doubt about it, returning to work with a newborn can be hard, but if your maternity leave is coming to an end or you’ve been head-hunted by job agencies like CCJM and have decided to restart your career early. Here are five ways to make the transition easier:
1. Make childcare arrangements you’re happy with
First and perhaps foremost, it’s essential to make childcare arrangements you feel comfortable and happy with. If you know your little one is being well cared for during the day it will make going back to work far less daunting. There are many great nurseries out there, which take babies from a very young age or you could find a registered childminder instead.
2. Make use of your KIT days
If you’ve been on maternity leave for a while it can be easy to feel out of the loop when you go back to work. One way to avoid this is to make use of the ten ‘Keeping in Touch (KIT)’ days available to employees. These will allow you to make extra money without affecting your Statuary Pay and ease your eventual return to work after a period away.
3. Ask for a flexible working pattern
Don’t want to go back to work full-time? Then you might want to consider a part-time position or job share to allow for a more flexible working pattern. If you’ve worked for your employer for 26 weeks (including maternity leave) you have the right to request this and while your employer doesn’t have to grant your wishes it’s certainly worth asking if you’re worried about leaving your baby for long periods of time.
4. Know your rights when it comes to breastfeeding
If you’ve decided to breastfeed, you might worry that going back to work will interfere with your routine. The good news is there are plenty of things you can do which will enable you to carry on breastfeeding while being a working mum such as expressing milk into a bottle and leaving it with your child’s caregiver or putting you baby into a nursery close to your workplace so you can pop out to feed.
Employers are expected to provide a quiet, safe place for women to feed/express including somewhere to lie down and an adequate place for milk to be stored. Women should also be able to take reasonable time off to feed/express.
5. Be super organised
Being a working mother is far from easy and requires superb organisational skills – not only in the office but at home too.Freezing meals for the week ahead is one way to save time and energy in the evenings and you might decide to invest in a dishwasher in a bid to cut down chores. Similarly, keeping on top of the washing is a must – though perhaps you can be a little pickier over what needs ironing.
Going back to work after having a baby can be extremely difficult and while some mothers enjoy the return to normality others struggle. It’s normal to feel worried and concerned but also relieved that you don’t have to be at home all day with a feeding monster, so take the emotions as they come and try to settle into your new way of life post-maternity leave.
1 Comments
Zena Goldman
May 26, 2015 at 8:45 pm
Going back to work is so hard, and if I'm honest not enough is done to support women with the transition. These are great tips, but be prepared for a difficult road ahead