Maine Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Working Moms
I still have about 6 1/2 weeks of maternity leave left, but am already dreading daycare. I knew before he was born it would be tough, but now that he's actually here I just really don't know how I'll be able to go back to work and leave him with someone else all day. I keep trying to think of ways we can avoid daycare or at least do part time (like maybe if I could work evenings somewhere or something). however unless I find the ideal part time evening job that pays me enough (long shot) he'll be going to daycare full time. I think about it and I just cry and cry.
I just need some words of encouragement. How do others deal with this?
Re: Working Moms
Everything that has already been said... I cried a lot the few days leading up to my first day back -- and we had a nanny so I didn't have to crop him off or anything, which I thought would make it easier but it wasn't. The first few days are hard, but like some of the girls here reminded me, it does get easier.
Do you work close to the daycare? I often came home at lunch or on my free blocks to see Fe.
I agree with everyone. It is hard but it gets easier as you go along. When I went back to work, I worked half days for the first week (20 hours). My mother in law was with her at my house and that made it easier. My MIL also texted me constantly and sent pictures.
I also only had a 6 week maternity leave. I just tried to enjoy every minute of my leave with her. I didn't start dropping her off at DCP until 10 weeks old, which also helped me a lot. She stayed home with DH after my MIL watched her. It was nice knowing she was at home for the first 10 weeks of her life.
For me, the hardest is when everyone told me how hard it was and my first week back, everyone asked me how hard it was to be away from her. I was really good and never cried at work but lost it at home. I found the best transition for me was having my parents watch her the first week and then she went to daycare.
I looked at my time home as a gift and enjoyed every.single.day. I was out and about and only stayed home a handful of times and never regretted a day of my leave. I didn't really think about going back to work until the end (and as you all know, put off my daycare commitment until then too).
Yes, it's hard, but it's what you have to do. It sucks but your weekends will be awesome. I have my hard days and those are typically the times when she sleeps the entire evening and I don't get to see her smiling face. The weekends are what I live for right now.
Well I feel a little better today. The daycare that was our #1 choice will have a spot available in 6 weeks (they are in the process of hiring an additional person so they can take more infants). I really like this place and I think he will do well there. I didn't feel as good about our second choice of daycare and there wasn't too much else around here to select from.
I still hate that I will be away from him. I still keep thinking that even if I found night/weekend work then that that means I'll have more time with the baby, but less time with DH AND the baby together at the same time.
This is still going to be so hard, but I think he will have a lot of fun at daycare once he's old enough to play with other kids. I think since he's going to be an only child, it will be especially good for him to be out away from us with other kids.
I'm REALLY going to be looking forward to nights and weekends though!! Hopefully that will make work a little more bearable knowing I have my little boy to come home to every day!