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Original poster

Applying for ‘work from home’ work experience with a newborn?

38 replies

ArranMumma · 11/09/2021 22:04

Hello everyone! This is my first post!

I am 31 weeks pregnant with my first baby, due on Nov 10th :) very scared and excited to say the least.

Anyway, I’d like to do some volunteer work with a charity during my maternity leave - some kind of admin role which I can do from home. I want to do this so that I can gain some new skills and also just keep in touch with the big wide world, rather than just become entirely engulfed with peppa pig and nappy changes!

I have seen a couple of charities that I’d like to work for and was considering emailing them and saying that I would be available from mid January (when my baby will be about 10 weeks old) to volunteer 15 hours a week, working from home, between the hours of 2-5pm Monday to Friday. I thought this still gives me plenty of time to do baby classes and play time with baby.

Being a first time Mum though, I’m not sure if I am being daft. Is this realistically achievable? I don’t have experience of looking after a baby all day. Would be great to hear your thoughts people :)

OP posts:

FortunesFave · 11/09/2021 22:08

I honestly wouldn't. I run my own business and had to work from home when I had my first baby and it was terrible. My baby wasn't a particularly hard baby either.

You just won't want to do it....or you'll be absolutely knackered...plus your brain doesn't work as neatly when you're post partum.

Give it a bit longer...wait till the baby is here and then if you do feel ok, volunteer at 10 weeks or so.

00100001 · 11/09/2021 22:08

Who's looking after your baby when you're doing this work?

Also, check the terms of your maternity leave, you might not be able to take in a new role without it affecting your pay.

WLAH · 11/09/2021 22:11

What happens if baby due a feed at say 3pm

Original poster

ArranMumma · 11/09/2021 22:11

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! Were you working full time with your newborn? And did you have childcare while you were working or just juggled the two?

OP posts:

KihoBebiluPute · 11/09/2021 22:11

"Work from home" is not something you do at the same time as childcare. Looking after a baby is a full time job. Even as a volunteer, you need to be focused on what the organisation needs of you if you are working for them. It's great to want to work but you need to have childcare in place before you can do such a thing.

minipie · 11/09/2021 22:13

I had a difficult baby and could barely find time or energy to eat or wash never mind work. Difficult babies are not that rare, especially in the first 3/4 months.

I wouldn’t commit to anything yet.

Didiusfalco · 11/09/2021 22:14

I too agree with hanging on until baby is here. I didn’t know what had hit me. I also had some health problems after the birth. Just managing to eat, wash (sometimes) and look after baby felt like an achievement to me for a while.

BikeRunSki · 11/09/2021 22:19

At ten weeks old you could be feeding your baby for half an hour 8 times a day. And even though babies spend most of the rest of their time asleep, for dd it never seemed to be more than 1.5 hours at once. Looking after babies is a full time occupation! WFH is not a substitute for childcare.

mynameiscalypso · 11/09/2021 22:23

I don't think doing 15 hours a week work is necessarily unachievable with a newborn but I think it would be nearly impossible to commit to regular days/hours. I started doing a Masters at a similar stage because I was bored but I could fit it in whenever I had time - if I had a bad night with the baby, I could just nap during the day instead of studying and make up for it another time.

FortunesFave · 11/09/2021 22:27

@ArranMumma

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! Were you working full time with your newborn? And did you have childcare while you were working or just juggled the two?

I wasn't working full time...it was my own business and I was trying to work about two-three hours per day. I had no childcare as DH was out at work and nobody to ask. I wouldn't have left a newborn with someone else either.

FortunesFave · 11/09/2021 22:28

I remember sitting, trying to rock her whilst typing with one hand. Horrible! And my work was terrible. Half the quality it would usually be.

notanotherjacketpotato · 11/09/2021 22:30

Very gently, yes you're being daft. I think most new mums picture charity work, learning a new language, etc. Whilst on maternity leave but it rarely happens.

Pregnantpeppa · 11/09/2021 22:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bubblebath62636 · 11/09/2021 22:36

Don't do it op!

DD is 12 weeks, a rather placid baby but I still don't have time to do a lot!

Enjoy your baby Op, it flies by the volunteering can wait. You can't get the time back.

Emimummy · 11/09/2021 22:36

It's a really lovely idea and very generous of you but honestly you'd be surprised how much of your time is taken up just by feeding and changing your baby. You'll be lucky to get free time for basic things like a shower, eating, drinking etc. Don't put the pressure on yourself by offering your time elsewhere. Just enjoy your beautiful newborn baby as that first year really flies by.

TheOpportuneMoment · 11/09/2021 22:38

There's just no way on earth that I would have been able to do this. How can you commit to regular hours? You don't know what your baby will be like yet - DS literally wouldn't nap for longer than 20 minutes at a time if he was anywhere that wasn't moving (pram, car, sling, my arms) until he was about 6 months old. When awake he was very high needs - reflux and generally miserable unless he was being actively entertained. Working would have been impossible.

Xyzzzzz · 11/09/2021 22:39

@Pregnantpeppa

Lolz

This

drpet49 · 11/09/2021 22:43

Dreamer, nothing but a dreamer.

PileOfBooks · 11/09/2021 22:43

Please lower your expectations of life with a newborn! You may not sleep more than 2hours at a time for a few months, you may be exhausted. You may be recovering from surgery. You may be feeding every hour for 20mins...

Its so hard to explain how exhausting getting through the day can be - and how wonderfully amazing.

If you return to work you will need childcare while you work but its unlikely you can do this initially. Often mums have these wondeful ideas about maternity leave as if its holiday time. Some babies are easy and sleep lots... but many truly arent!

Moonbabysmum · 11/09/2021 22:49

I think 15hrs a week would be achievable if (and only if) it was on your schedule and totally flexible. So 3hrs a day m-f, but you work it as an when you can (including evenings). I've done similar and that's manageable.

Tes, you might be spending a lot of tine feeding, but if breastfeeding, you'll still have a hand free to type, can still make calls etc (I've been known to do tax returns whilst simultaneously breastfeeding).

But doing a set 2-5 block every day what looking after a baby isn't going to work.

And even my more flexible suggestion is only likely to work for the first 6 months (working at the same time gets harder as they get older).

Crucially though, it's pretty miserable.

I did it because i needed to be working, but also wanted to spend time with my baby. I certainly wouldn't do it to volunteer.

You should be having leisurely lunches with mum friends that turn into coffee and cake, not rushing back to log on. You'll also have very little down time with your baby if you are going to groups in the morning. When are you study thing to get a chance to cook, for example.

yikesanotherbooboo · 11/09/2021 22:49

I think that you could easily do it but unless there is complete flexibility as to when you do your hours you will need childcare unless you will be working when your partner is at home.

LincolnshireLassInLondon · 11/09/2021 22:52

Hi OP, if you have someone else to look after your newborn 2-5pm Monday-Friday then maybe go for it, but make sure it's very flexible. If you're looking after DC then don't commit to volunteering until you're at a point where you can image managing it. That could be 10 weeks (though I doubt it), or it could be a few years. At 10 weeks it was a good day if I managed to do laundry and have a shower!

Original poster

ArranMumma · 11/09/2021 22:52

Thank you for your advice everyone. I will take a step back from making any plans :)

My Mum told me I would be fine to do it from 6 weeks! Can’t help but feel let down by her now.. maybe she has forgotten what it’s like to have a newborn. Won’t be going to her for advice anymore!!

OP posts:

Rainbowshit · 11/09/2021 22:56

Unrealistic. Wait until the baby is here.

Lifeishitsometimes · 11/09/2021 22:57

Totally depends on what kind of baby you get and whether you have family support. Pudding baby and loads of siblings and grandparents you see every day... Maybe.

Or a baby who maybe wakes every 1 or 2 hours at night, stays awake for 3 hours back to sleep for 2 hours, maybe only naps for 30 minute stretches 2 or 3 times during the day, before waking up, screaming, pooing all up their back, not accepting being put down etc etc etc.

I've had one of each.

Wait to see how it all goes. If you've got time on your hands then great. If not, you won't think you're a failure for not achieving all you set out to.

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