While every mom does work, there are unique challenges, stress and emotions that come with working away from home and having to be physically apart from your child[ren] for most of the day.
Heading back to work from maternity leave is no easy feat. Many moms struggle. I know I did. I felt like I was having a panic/ anxiety attack leading up to my first return to work after realizing how soon that would be and calculating how many hours I’d be apart from my son.
It felt so unfair. I carried him for 40 weeks, I cared for him for 14 more, and then I was just suddenly supposed to feel okay about being apart from him for 40+ hours a week? Well, the truth is I wasn’t okay. I SOBBED that first morning, hyperventilating from crying so much, and I cried on the subway.
If you, too, have felt this way, I want to tell you that you’re in the good company of fellow moms. We know what it’s like and how much it can hurt. We also know it gets a bit easier (though never fully so), and that continuing on our career paths gives us an outlet and a sense of pride.
Personally, it took me some time to get used to my new working mom routine but it went better than I actually thought. Recently, my second return was not nearly as difficult as the first, though some new circumstances have contributed to that.
Leading up to my first return, I came up with a back-to-work plan of sorts — a few mantras, which I reminded myself of and which helped me.
I thought they might help some of you, too, as we continue the work week:
