Going back to work

[BlueThursday]

My maternity finishes in January and I'm slightly panicking about how I'll actually make it on time of a morning!

Starting November I'm going to get into a routine so hopefully I'll have cracked it by then.

Pre DD I always woke at 6 and was out the door for about 730-745. I'll still need to leave at the same time so how do I manage getting myself and DD ready (plus DD a bottle and fed)?!

How is it done? I'm going to have to get up at 4 arent I

Take your shower and make your lunch the night before? Low maintenance hair cut and minimal/no make up. DD's and your clothes laid out the night before. If you don't have one get a perfect prep machine to get the bottle ready in 2 mins. Practice it all a few times before you need to go back.

Hair will definitely be done of an evening and just tied up. Unfortunately no make up is not really an option :(

I won't need to make lunch as I will just get that during the day

Good plan with clothes

And I'm a bad mother I make a bottle the night before and keep it in the fridge (DD drinks cold so that's fine)

I'm hoping starting my routine in a few weeks I'll have it perfected. I might even drive and dump the car outside DDs nursery that will probably save a bit of time then I can get the bus from there

Am I overthinking this? I do have a tendency to do that!!

Before I went back to work I could string out our morning routine for hours - we would both be loafing in PJs for hours and I wondered how we would ever manage to get out of the house in time for work.

For the most part I just do stuff quickly - no faffing. And lowered my standards a bit - Pre baby I would muck about trying on different outfits and accessories, these days I just throw on some clothes.

Multi-task as much as possible - I make myself coffee and toast whilst warming milk, then shower whilst he sits on the bathroom floor drinking it.

Organisation at night makes things easier but often I can't be bothered and prefer to whizz round in the morning instead.

Dad just takes so long to have her milk and eat that's going to be the sticking point I think

If your taking her to nursery can she not have breakfast there instead

Take milk in the car if necessary

Take milk in the car if necessary

I have no experience with nurseries do you think they'll do that? If so, fab.

We are due to visit it soon so it will be on my list of questions!

Of course at least the nursery my dc went too certainly gave them a breakfast of cereal and fruit in the morning. I'd wake my dc up wash teeth dressed drink then straight to nursery for breakfast. It might be easier if you get up before your dd get yourself sorted then wake dd up as late as possible to get out the door in time

My DS is a slow mover in the mornings, so I found it made life easier if I got up early (5am) and then I had time for things to go wrong (refusals to brush teeth, get dressed etc). It also meant I had time to chat with him whilst we had breakfast before leaving at 7:30. Bit of a killer, though (and I only worked part-time, so only did it 3 times a week). Agree with the hair - wash/straighten or whatever the night before, then tidy it up in the morning. Lay clothes out at night, pack nursery & work bags etc, don't leave anything to do in the morning (if poss... such as household stuff like putting out bins).

Dress DD while she drinks the bottle, saves clothes refusing shenanigans. Nursery should do breakfast, if not, find one that does or you're doomed ideally get up and dressed before DD but otherwise stick CBeebies on while you're getting ready.

Make sure nursery bag is packed night before, all bags in fact, so you can grab and go.

Thanks all - at the moment she's a 6am riser, so hopefully withe the clock change that will be 7 so should give me a bit of time to get myself organised.

Failing that CBeebies will be my new best friend

Umm you do realise that the clock change will make it 5am not 7am!

Can I ask why it took you 1.5hours to get out the door before? I have an 18 month old. Mornings consist of 645- I get up, hop in shower. 7am DH has shower, while I get dressed/dry hair. Usually we have to wake DD at 715, get her changed and dressed. We have breakfast at 730, although DD usually runs about like a lunatic instead, and has her breakfast at nursery. DH and DD leave at 745. I usually then have til 8 to put on some make-up, turn on slow cooker (meal prepared night before usually) and leave at 8. Nursery bag packed Sunday night with several changes, we check it periodically and top up if needed. Definitely would just do milk in morning, and find a nursery which does breakfast.

Didn't mean to sound accusatory, just trying to think of time saving ideas! I used to take ages to get ready pre baby, but much time was spent inefficieny.

Aw man 5?! I never understand the clock change haha!

An hour and a half was needed to get a shower, do hair, make up, dressed, make bed, usually a washing and that literally is all.

I always ate at work as I never had time at home

I get up and get ready before my DS, he gets up at 7 and is dressed, washed and in the car within 30 minutes. He has breakfast at nursery, I have mine at work. Job done.

I am pg with #2 though and the mind is boggling how I will do two!!