Anyone else a full time mum with a young baby?

[sarahloula]

Evening everyone. My DD is nearly 5 months old and I return to work full time on Thursday (teacher). I love my job and I know DD will be fine at home with either DH or my mum when DH is a work. However as my return gets nearer I'm starting to wonder whether I'm going to miss out on so much by not being there. I know I'm going to miss her terribly.

Am feeling exactly the same. My DD will be 13 weeks when I go back FT and I am feeling very sad about leaving her. Like you, I love my job and am fortunate to have good childcare but I know just how you are feeling about 'missing out'. I don't know if it helps but i am trying to focus on how to maximise the weekends and weekday time with her. It's tough because there just aren't enough hours in the day but as she wakes really early, am going to dedicate the first hour as her and me time so that we cam feed, play etc and we always have that to look forward to. Also trying to tell myself that there are weekends and annual leave days that can made special. Best of luck - really hope your return to work goes well.

I sympathise with you both and know how you feel, although my DS was older when i went back FT recently. He's 9 months and i shed many, many tears in the days before i went back. Hope it's some consolation, but my return wasn't as bad as i thought it would be and it was actually good to have some adult conversation and get my head back in gear again. I do miss him terribly of course, but usually the time flies by at work because i'm so busy and then when i have a bad day i have my gorgeous little boy to look forward to seeing.

A tip for you: book a day or two off on annual leave (or whatever you can afford to take) within a few weeks of going back so you have something to look forward to. A colleague of mine suggested booking something once a month or every 6 weeks so you always have some time off with your LO to look forward to. And always do something together on those days so you've had proper, quality time together.

They adapt wonderfully, it's us who don't!

Good luck and thinking of you.
x

just realised that teaching might be a bit different re. annual leave... but regardless i assume you'll have half terms etc?

Thank you both, it's just reassuring to know I'm not the only one who feels like that. Thank you also for your best wishes. I will definitely get up with her in the morning, do first feed, have a play etc... and I am planning on leaving when the school day finishes and will do any work I need to when she's gone to bed...who needs sleep :-)