Table of contents:
- Should you return to work after having a baby?
- Some things to watch out for if you work again after having a baby
- Who cares for your baby?
- Can you still breastfeed?
- How can you take care of your homework?
- How can you spend time with your baby?
- What if the baby is sick?
After the baby is born, your life and your husband will immediately change. From now on, the top priority is definitely your little one. If you previously worked, the dilemma arises in deciding whether to need to work again or stop to focus on taking care of your baby. For a mother, especially a new mother, the decision to work again after having a baby may be a difficult one. Of course, there is a lot to consider. Are you capable?
Should you return to work after having a baby?
This is a difficult decision, maybe the answer is true only to each of you. Yes, it all depends on you. It is true, optimal care is needed by babies in the early stages of life, even this can affect their health and intelligence in adulthood. But on the one hand, you may still have to work to make ends meet your little one.
According to Jenny Stuart, a family psychoanalyst, as quoted by WebMD, the decision to work again after having a baby depends on several factors, such as the availability and quality of external support, financial constraints, and emotional readiness to stay home to take care of your baby or work again and leave your baby.
If the answer you believe is to take care of the baby at home and not return to work, this is not a wrong decision. You can actually better monitor every growth and development of your baby. After all, if you force work but you don't focus on working, it can interfere with your work and be bad for your baby, right?
Meanwhile, if your answer is that you still want to work, it means that you have to have extra energy to be able to monitor and ensure the needs of your baby, and to stay focused on your work.
Some things to watch out for if you work again after having a baby
Being a new mother and having to go back to work is not an easy job. You are required to still be able to care for your baby and focus on your work. When you leave your baby to work, you have to make sure your baby gets what he needs even if you are not there.
Some of the things you should pay attention to are:
Who cares for your baby?
This is very important, you have to find someone to be able to take good care of your baby while you are working. To entrust someone else to care for and care for your baby is not an easy thing. It will be very helpful if your parents or your mother-in-law can help in caring for your baby. This may be a great relief and comfort to you at work. Or if not, you can hire a trustworthy babysitter.
Can you still breastfeed?
Of course you can, even you can still exclusively breastfeed the baby. However, you must be diligent in pumping breast milk for your baby's supply at home. You may have to pump your milk several times at the office. And while at home, take some time to breastfeed your baby, before going to bed for example. The more often you pump and breastfeed your baby, the smoother the milk will come out.
How can you take care of your homework?
Apart from office matters and taking care of babies, household matters should also be considered. You can work with your husband for various household chores. Or, you can also hire a household assistant to help you.
How can you spend time with your baby?
Remember, however, that a caregiver cannot replace the role of the mother. So, the togetherness of you and your baby is very important. Spending quality time with your baby (even if only for a moment) is invaluable time. There are many ways to get it, for example before the baby goes to sleep, before you work, or on the weekend.
What if the baby is sick?
It's a good idea to have a good relationship with your boss and co-workers from the start. So, if at any time you need to care for your sick baby at home, you can leave your job temporarily. However, assure your boss that you can manage your time between work and personal matters, and can get your job done well.
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