Going back to work on Monday and dreading leaving DS

[Gangle]

He is only 7 months old and I am going to miss him SO much. We have a nanny share and he seems to like her a lot so happy about that but I am just dreading walking out the door and leaving him for a whole day. I need to go back for financial and other reasons but I just feel I should be there with him looking after him every day. The guilt is just awful. Keep wishing we had planned this better and saved up more so that I could take a full year AND that my job allowed it. He is EBF as well and not mad on the bottle which makes things harder as I am always worrying if he's taking enough milk. Anyone else feel like this?

He'll be fine. Honestly . Going back at a year would be even worse as they are in the thick of separation anxiety, so find it much harder to adapt.

He'll also make up for any lack of milk in the day in the evening/night/morning.

Oh Gangle I know how you feel! I went back this week after being off for 13.5 months and I have found it sooooooo hard. I cried all the way to work on teh first day and felt so awful as DS wailed at nursey when I walked away. He is only there 2 days a week but he has been quite clingy since being there, he kept hugging and kissing me when he saw me after work which was lovely but I do feel so guilty for not being with him every day.

I miss him dearly when I'm not with him, so much so that I can't concentrate at work and I was / am thinking of a career change so I can stay at home LOL. I think I just need time to adjust...

I feel for you, yes it will probably be hard but i'm sure it will get better. It's great that he knows and likes his nanny too.

Some advice, take lots of tissues with you to work on your first day!

Honestly, it will be fine. I had to go back when dd was 6 months. It was horrible at first, but once we clicked into a routine, it became just normal and I actually started enjoying work. She's 2.4 now, enjoying nursery hugely, and I've forgotten all about the initial anguish.

I went back to work when ds was 6 months old & it was really hard but it gets easier. Try & think about how lovely it will be when you get home to a big smile from him rather than how horrible it will be to leave him.

Agree with above posts. TBH it really is better to go back now rather than when your child is a year old as they tend to be clingier at that age.

Thinking about it is difficult. The reality won't be so bad. In fact you may be pleasantly surprised at how much you enjoy it once you're back

I've done a couple of keeping in touch half days and have to say I really enjoyed them and found it SO much less gruelling than looking after a baby! I keep wondering though, will he feel abandoned and wonder why his mummy isn't looking after him? I know I shouldn't torture myself but I'm sure they know more than we think. I thought he would settle with his nanny immediately but it did take a week or so for him to be happy. I thought at 6/7 months they didn't really mind who looked after them. I keep telling myself that he will have great fun with the nanny and that they will do lots of fun things that I don't find time for because I always have a million and one other things to do whereas she is paid to just look after him.

I tell myself that if I was related to my cm then I wouldn't feel guilty about leaving ds. Work is much easier than child wrangling.

I'm going back on Monday and ds2 is bang in the middle of separation anxiety so cue lots of mummy trauma!! I've done this before and thought it might be easier this time around, but it really isn't.