Return to work after maternity leave

[TheRealCinderella]

Hi all, just wanted to ask if returning to work is as scary as I've built it up to be in my head I'm a first time mum, very close connection with my daughter, she's almost 10 months old and hasn't yet left my side, my partner works out of town Monday to Friday so it's just us two a lot of the time. LO is still breastfeeding on demand as well as BLW. She feeds to sleep for naps so I'm worried about how she will cope without me. I did work full time but my boss has asked if I want to ease into returning by doing 5 hours 2/3 days a week starting in March (I'm due back 2nd May) he has also agreed I can return part time (5 hours 4 days a week) for the first three months and we will review and go from there. My sister has agreed to look after LO until she returns to work next year so LO will be with someone who she knows and who loves her. I'm just so scared about how we are both going to cope with the change.

[mindutopia]

For me, no, it wasn't scary at all. I think it's what you make of it. I never had any intentions of being a SAHP so always knew I'd ease back in after a year. I was very ready to be back to doing a bit of something besides parenting full-time and it was so refreshing to have a bit of a break. I started back 2 mornings a week and then 3 and then 3 full days after about 2-3 months. For me, it was a lovely balance. I didn't find it stressful or upsetting. We chose a wonderful nursery and I really trusted them. My dd had only ever stayed with my mum once or twice for maybe a couple hours at that point. She was worn and held to sleep and pretty much only napped on us, though I wasn't bf at that point. They were wonderful and really helped us to gently ease her in to being there. Someone sat and held her to sleep and let her sleep on their chest for about the first 2 months while she adjusted. We did blw as well and they took all that on board. We even had a suspected allergy (which seemed to go away after 1, so was fine), but they were really accommodating and reassuring with her diet. But honestly, it really wasn't a big deal. I think it's what you make of it. For me, I loved being at home with her that first year, but I also loved what I did and going back to work was finding the balance between the two and I was actually much happier that way. It was a really positive change and she adapted really well. I think it's definitely worth going slowly and easing into it and working part-time if you are able. I stayed part-time until she was 2.5 and I'm really grateful for that.