Having a baby is one of the happiest times of your life…until you have to leave them to go back to work. For some of us that day may come sooner rather than later. I wish I could say I had tips for you on how you can stay home longer, but unfortunately I don’t. Instead I have a few things that may help make the transition a little bit easier.

If you can pick the date you go back to work, try to go back on a Wednesday or Thursday instead of a Monday, or pick a short work week (like a holiday weekend). This will help you ease into it, hopefully making your first week back a little more manageable and less overwhelming.

While you are still out on leave, cook all your meals in larger portions. Use the extra food to portion out meals to freeze for a later date. That way you can spend time with your baby after work instead of worrying about food shopping and cooking. Slow cooker meals are also a great idea too. Do all your food shopping on the weekends when you have more time, throw the ingredients in the slow cooker before work, and you have a meal when you get home!

For while you are at work, keep pictures of your baby on your desk or bring a photo album to work so when you miss them you can catch a glimpse anytime. Or even better, try to pick a daycare that has cameras so you can see them anytime you want, or if they are at home, make sure the caregiver has access to a device so you can FaceTime. Not an Apple product user? The app, Tango, does the same thing! I have an iPhone and my husband has an Andriod. So we use the Tango app so him and I can see Joey anytime!

And if you feel guilty for going back to work, remember, you are doing it to provide for your baby and to give them a better life!

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