If the thought of going back to work after maternity leave is getting you down; I get it.
You might be worrying about missing your child. You might be worrying about how you’re going to cope with the tiredness if you’re still up in the night. You might be thinking the logistics of getting to work on time are going to be a nightmare.
BUT (I bet you knew a but was coming) – there are some up-sides to going back to work after you have a baby. I’ve tried to summarise some of the positives for you here:
- The money
Let’s face it, most of us go back to work after having kids because we have no other choice financially. Bills need paying, and in the UK statutory maternity pay only gets you so far before it runs out. Typically towards the end of your maternity leave, money can feel more than a little bit tight.
Once you go back to work after having kids, you’ll suddenly remember what it’s like to have a wage again, and it’s pretty nice not having to worry that treating yourself to a little lunchtime latte is going to break the bank anymore. I also got a kick out of knowing that I was playing my part to support my family.
- Adult conversation
Of course we love our little ones. But sometimes conversing with them all day is a little bit brain-melty. Certainly I know that my current morning chatter involves a lot of “be careful”, “don’t touch that”, and “watch where you’re going” on an almost infinite loop. I get bored of my own voice.
Depending on where you work, hopefully when you arrive at your office / log on to a video call you’ll be greeted by adult humans who want to have more complex dialogue than ‘peek-a-boo’, and that can be so refreshing!
- Having a hot drink that is still hot
One of the things nobody warns you about when you have a baby is that all your teas and coffees will go cold before you have a chance to drink them. I think more needs to be done to raise awareness of this issue.
You’ll either be trapped breastfeeding on the sofa and unable to reach said hot drink, or due to baby-brain you’ll completely forget that you’ve made one anyway. Or, your napping child will hear your final stir of the teaspoon and of course, wake up.
Gloriously, when you go back to work, you’ll find that you have the ability to make a hot drink and also drink it. This was a revelation let me tell you. So much so that I burnt my tongue on quite a few occasions during my first couple of weeks back.
- Uninterrupted eating
When you have young children, eating your own food is never a smooth ride. You’ll probably be trying to eat while they climb all over you, you’ll probably be ‘sharing’ with them, and the average meal takes forever with frequent pauses for making sure your toddler doesn’t injure themselves in some way.
After maternity leave – you should find that you can eat in peace at work. If someone does climb over you on your lunch break I’m quite sure you can raise a case with HR.
- Uninterrupted toileting
When you have young children, going to the toilet is never a smooth ride. (Wait a minute, we’ve been here before…) You’ll have to time it at just the right part of Peppa Pig so that they’ll be distracted long enough for you to go, and as soon as they realise you’re out of the room it’s game over. Plus you spend the whole time in there worrying about which object they’re going to swallow/electrocute themselves with in the short space of time that you’re gone.
After maternity leave, at work you can go into the toilet, shut that cubicle door, and it will remain shut until you’ve finished. In your own sweet time. It’s a tiny but also massive difference.
- No bag!
A spare set of clothes, nappies, nappy sacks, wipes (ALL THE WIPES), snacks in various packets and pots, a water bottle, a toy, some tissues, a bin bag (for wet clothes), some plasters, and a wrench. These are the contents of every parent’s bag when out and about with their child. (Ok, so I was kidding about the wrench but the rest is true.) That bag is always packed and it is bulky!
Picture yourself on lunch break at work when you return from maternity leave. You can walk around ….drumroll please…with only your phone in your pocket. It feels at first like you have forgotten something every five minutes but you soon get used to the freedom of it and it is fabulous.
- Wearing nice clothes
I’m not talking about rocking up to the office in a tuxedo or ball gown here (although I’m here for it and if you do – PLEASE send me a pic) – I’m really just talking about wearing outfits that haven’t been heavily accessorised by dribble or puke. Personally, I like my accessories to be earrings instead.
- Their little face when they see you again after work
I’ve saved the best until last here. There’s no feeling that quite compares to when you’re done with work for the day, your child’s eyes lock on to yours, and, with their wide smile, they instantly and wholeheartedly beam into you all their love.
If you’ve already done returning to work after maternity leave – what would you add to the list? Drop me a comment and let me know!
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