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Original poster

How old/ young was your baby when you went back to work?

38 replies

firstimer30s · 16/10/2013 14:28

Considering going back 4 days a week when baby is 3 months old. Is this evil or has anyone gone back when they are this young? Was it ok??

OP posts:
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theDudesmummy · 16/10/2013 19:28

3 months (no choice, family breadwinner). I continued to breast feed until 15 months though, using a breast pump.

RandomMess · 16/10/2013 19:25

With my eldest she was 9 weeks old as those were the benefit rules

dd2 - 4 months - as that was ML then

TBH I think it's actually easier/advantageous as they don't suffer from seperation anxiety when little and by the time it kicks in they know their carer.

elliepac · 16/10/2013 19:20

5 months with both of them. Through necessity as i am the highest wage earner.

Both went to the same brilliant CM who has been like a mother to them and they still go to her now at 10 and 5.

Find childcare you are happy with is my biggest tip. If you know they are happy and well cared for then you can relax. It has not harmed my dc's in any way or the relationship I have with them now or the relationship i had with them when they were tiny.Smile

NatashaBee · 16/10/2013 19:20

This reply has been deleted

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KingRollo · 16/10/2013 19:19

This reply has been deleted

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NomDeClavier · 16/10/2013 19:15

4 months. Unlike a previous poster we don't have a sleep/night routine - we coslept which meant any night disturbances were minimal, I managed to keep exclusively BFing and we got plenty of cuddle time!

This time I'm likely to have to go back 1 afternoon a week at 3 months but DS's nursery have a space and I trust them.

JauntyHat · 16/10/2013 15:10

1st time round - 2 years
2nd - 5 months, FT plus evening job too.

Both were fine. :)

VerySmallSqueak · 16/10/2013 15:05

One thing I will say is that I would have found it much harder if I hadn't worked really hard on a sleep and night time routine at the first possible opportunity.

VerySmallSqueak · 16/10/2013 15:03

About 4 and a half months with both.
By necessity rather than choice but they were fine and so was I.

I would have found it a bit harder to do it earlier as I found it took them until about that age to sleep reliably through the night from about 7pm .

But you do what you do,and you manage,hopefully and ideally with some support from partner/family/friends.

It's certainly not evil and disregard anyone who tries to put the guilts on you.

LifeofPo · 16/10/2013 15:01

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Potol · 16/10/2013 15:01

I went back full time at 7 months but I fit my work into 4 days. So 4 long days where I am there for breakfast and an hour before bed and I have a day off. I miss my kid but I also have to get everything else done once he is asleep (and with a supportive DH who does cooking, cleaning, pick ups etc). It's hard but possible. The sleep deprivation at 3 months would have made it hard to go back to work but my mother did it with me and survived and we have a super relationship so clearly it is possible.

UriGHOULer · 16/10/2013 14:56

Have you had your baby? You might feel differently when you have known each other for a bit.
3 months is awfully young to be leaving him/her but if you feel you need to...

Blondeshavemorefun · 16/10/2013 14:55

Not Evil at all if YOU are happy with it and with what childcare you have in place

Lots of mums will say I couldn't go back that early blah blah blah

I have had mums go back at 3mths - 4mths - 6mths and after a year. Last mb went back at 8weeks tho worked from home for the first month up in the office - but still worked 9-5

Friends boss went back at 3 weeks as her own company and needed to

There was a thread a while back on aibu to go back to work at ......