How should I prepare myself, my husband, and my daughter for my return to work?

Question

I was laid off shortly after having our daughter. I have never been so happy to be laid off from work because I found that I love being home with her. She is almost 5 months old. I did work for about three weeks when she was 6 weeks old and it was the worst 3 weeks ever. It sounds like I will be recalled to work in the next couple weeks. I am very nervous about leaving her. I would love any advise on easing myself back to work. What are the things I should be doing to prepare myself, my husband, and my daughter for this return to work?

Answer 1

I am sorry that you will have to work. It will be as hard on you as it is on the kid. It is also good that you are thinking about it now.

Day Care
This needs to get figured out quickly, because much depends on the day care you select.

Schedule
Figure out what your morning schedule will look like, and move toward it immediately. You may need to adjust the feeding schedule and nightly routine accordingly. The day care you select will also have a schedule, which you should move toward during the day.

Other kids
Make sure that your child gets used to being around other kids. Make more trips to the playground. Perhaps the day care you choose will allow you to have some shorter visits prior to actually starting the full schedule.

Nursing and Breast Feeding
If you are breast feeding, get the pump and supplies immediately and get comfortable pumping . Get your child comfortable feeding from a bottle, and feeding from people other than you.

Napping
It is likely that the lighting and noise level are different than your home. Get you child used to napping in a setting similar to the day care nap setting. You could use a TV or radio to simulate the day care situation, or have the child nap in the living room instead of the nursery.

Separation
You need to get (you and) the child used to being separated. Try and ease into it .. starting with only an hour, gradually increasing to however long necessary. The day care may be helpful, allowing you to leave the child for a few shorter stretches to acclimate.