Going back to work, mixed emotions

[DressedAs]

DD is 11 months old and I'm going to back to work part time, she is going into nursery three days a week.

I feel really good about getting back to work and getting a bit of balance in my life, time to eat lunch, have a coffee in peace etc. It feels really luxurious to be honest. However I do miss her whilst I'm away from her.

The thing I'm mainly struggling with is the guilt I feel for wanting this break and wanted to know honestly how other mums felt about returning to work? I love my daughter more than anything in the world but haven't loved being at home with a baby all day. Some mothers I know were gutted when their maternity leave ended - am I weird for not feeling like this?

Today is my first day back of my working week and it always feels like a rest and is nice not to be 'mummy'. I think a lot of it depends on your maternity leave, I never stayed in so didn't get that 'at home with baby' feeling I know a lot of new mums get during mat leave. I was lucky that I had a retired mum and family who were also on mat leave/worked part time, I did NCT too so managed to fill my week alongside a baby music group too.

The guilt will subside and sometimes will come back too, nursery is SO good for their development, our DD has had to go to two nurseries as we moved house a few months after I went back to work, she survived!

Enjoy your time at work, it is a brilliant balance working for 3 days, I promise :-)

Hated going back- my mat leave was great, relatively easy baby and relatives near by so didnt get lonely. At first I went back part time, and now back full time. I can say part time really was the best of both worlds...I hate full time, sadly I have no choice. Enjoy being back and enjoy being with your LO. I will also say 1-2years of age was the most exhausting time, actually a little work down time will be a blessing

Lose the guilt, it's a useless emotion. Throw it uselessly overboard. You'd rather work than be a SAHM. So would I. That's fine, and normal, and common. I'm a good parent and I love my kids; I'm a better pare t for having balance and external challenge in my life and I love my time with them more because it isn't constant.

ruthlessly overboard, that is!

I felt like you - I love my baby but a year of baby classes, walks, bit of Netflix during naps, seeing NCT friends once a week was enough. Especially as the weather started to turn in September. I work 2.5 days a week and 14 month old DS loves nursery.