Back to work after MAT leave... HELP!

[christmascrazyalways]

I am returning to work FT after maternity leave ends later on this year.. my DD will be 12 months and will be in full time care (I am toying with 5 days nursery, or 3/4 days nursery and remaining days with a child minder) - and I need tips on how you all got organised and into a new routine?

At the moment the thought of being at work on time with a clean baby dropped at nursery and myself looking somewhat presentable is terrifying me!

Does anyone have any must have/must do?

Food prep companies - i.e. Hello Fresh/Gusto - recommend or no?

Any help appreciated...!

Myself, DD and DP at home!

What time do you leave in the morning and is your DP around?

Slow cooker or meals that can be made the night before are good here.

Make sure all of your clothes/bag are ready the night before.

I had a big wardrobe sort-out before going back to work and donated everything that didn't fit or didn't feel good anymore, which meant I have basically half a dozen almost identical work outfits. Having a 'uniform' means I can get ready much faster; I keep work shoes in the office and wear trainers for the commute.

Get a bundle of secondhand clothes from ebay for nursery so it doesn't matter if they do messy play. 5 x t-shirts and leggings is fine and reduces thinking time in the mornings.

Have a master grocery list on the fridge/an app so you and DH both know what basics the household can't run out of (milk/loo roll etc). Haven't tried meal delivery services, but we do a flexible mealplan before we do a shop, so we know roughly what we're going to be eating.

Be prepared for your child to get sick a lot in the first few months of nursery. DH needs to be prepared to take time off too.

It's surprisingly quick to get into a routine, you will be fine!

I used to set my alarm to be up super early so that I could shower and do hair/makeup before the baby was up.

Batch cook meals, and use dinner leftovers for your lunch so that you don't have anything else to prep.

On mornings when you are running a bit late, the nursery won't mind the baby still being in pj's! Clean nappy obviously but other than that it's fine!

I used an IKEA shoe storage thingy that hung in the wardrobe, and at the start of each week I'd put a set into each shoe slot of everything he would need for a day at nursery, so clothes, spare clothes, nappies, etc. Each morning then, it's easier to just grab what you need and there's no worry about not having clean clothes.

In my mind, it would be easier to do all nursery, instead of nursery and childminder, just do that you have the consistency of same routine each day, but that's just my preference!

It's really daunting but you will get used to it really quickly! And you will love the first cuppa you have each morning at work - no interruptions, just a HOT drink to savour. You'll even get to eat your lunch with 2 hands, every single day. It's magical 😂

Paragraph fail, sorry!

If your work policies allow it, one of you goes in later, and deals with all the morning routine stuff. And one of you goes in as early as possible, so you can be home earlier, and deal with the evening stuff.

I too got up earlier to sort myself out before baby was up. I would shower and blow dry my hair last thing at night before bed, so that in the morning I just needed to straighten and style it.

Leave clothes out and pack bags the night before.

Will your child get breakfast at nursery? That made things easier for me, I just used to get her up, change nappy, dress her, wash and brush her teeth then straight into the car.

Ahh such helpful ideas already!!

DP works and doesn’t need to be out of the door until 7.45 which is good - but typically he works in the opposite direction of nursery!

I am field based so I leave at various times but I’m going to attempt to leave at 8 everyday

I did have a family member watching DD one day a week and that has fallen through - so I hoping if I can make my mornings/evenings as less chaotic as possible perhaps I won’t feel too guilty about DD being in nursery full time has to be done!

Love the app idea! We do have Cozi but I need to train DP how to use it!

I think it all comes down to being organised the night before... that is my downfall but hopefully the fact we no longer have a choice will help kick us into gear

Thank you!

I did this and found the following essential

• have your and dc’s bags ready to go and by the front door before you go to bed.
• Dc clothes for the next day, ready on the kitchen radiator
• get up, showered & dressed yourself, before waking dc
• keep an “emergency pack” in the boot of your car - nappies, wipes, clothes, water, dried snacks. Getting stuck in a 4 hour motorway snarl up with no provisions for dc is miserable.
• always keep your dc’s coat in the car.
• Mobile phone charger in the car.
• set “delayed pickup” process in stone. - who will collect dc if you are delayed. Provide all numbers/email addresses to nursery.

Good luck, you’ll be fine

I think it will be easier for you and your baby to have one childcare setting, rather than a mix of nursery/childminder.

If you can find a nursery you like and feel good about your baby going to, I’d go with that.

I have DD’s nursery bag packed the night before. It should only need spare clothes, milk (if your baby is still having a bottle before the nap) and a comforter (if your baby has one). You can take nappies in a pack at a time so that is one less thing to think about every day.

I am lucky to receive hand-me-downs from friends so DD has a coat, hat, wellies and all-in-one rainsuit that just live at nursery and a drawer in her chest of drawers at home with comfortable, non-precious clothes for nursery. When putting clean laundry away I roll together a vest, knickers, socks, leggings and a long sleeved top so that I can just pick a complete outfit out of the drawer rather than looking for all the bits in the morning.

In the mornings DD doesn’t come downstairs until it’s time to get in the car. This was suggested by nursery to help with settling in as it gives them the message that today isn’t a home day. So I just get DD up, we have cuddles/read in my bed then get her dressed and it’s straight into the car.

I know it isn’t what you’ve asked about, but why are you wanting to split childcare over two settings? I think it is probably easier to settle a child in at just one place (I’m a childminder and have definitely found this to be true). Some dc will settle anywhere, but some will take longer, especially babies.

The most successful families I’ve found are those who are really organised. Deal with all paperwork as soon as it comes in, make a note of all dates, child events etc on a shared calender and make sure dh is equally responsible for family organisation. Don’t let the washing build up! Even if it means putting a load on before bed and throwing it in the tumble dryer as soon as you wake up. Far easier than saving it all up till the weekend. Lower your standards and buy clothes that don’t need ironing. And batch cook. Make double of everything you do cook and either reheat for tomorrow’s meal or freeze for another time.

I promise you will get into a routine very quickly and it will become easy.

For us, my husband does drop off so I can go to work early, then I do pick up. We have a cleaner, and dinners are easy (soup or a ready meal or batch cooking). I have outfits planned for the week on Sunday so I can get ready easily.

I know other people will think that this is manky, but when I put my DD to bed she’s in the top that she will wear the next day. She’s only 2 and does so much messy play at nursery that she normally ends up with at least one change anyway during the day.

For DD outfits we buy 5 packs of little toddler jeggings, so that all tops match and you aren’t frantically digging out matching clothes in the morning.

We make her five overnight oats for her breakfasts on a Sunday, these have her vitamins in so ticks that off as well.

I would personally only go for one childcare setting so your little one is really comfortable, continuity of care and knows the other children really well.