After being back at work for about 6 months now, I’ve been looking forward to sharing my story with the hope of helping others transition back into the workplace! I believe the secret is your preparation before you even have the baby!

This is just my story. My goal is not to pressure anyone to return to work. It’s also not to persuade you to take the exact steps I took – this is just what worked, and what continues to work, for me and my family.

When You Find Out The Big News

Even though I was only about 6 weeks pregnant when a stick told us we were having a baby, there were a few things I did (after the shock wore off).

• Check your company’s maternity leave policy. I’m incredibly blessed; shortly after learning I was pregnant, my company increased maternity leave from 6 weeks to 16 weeks! Read up and contact your Human Resources department with questions.
• Look into your partner’s options. mrJo used to work at the same company as me. Had he stayed, he would have benefited from an increased paternity leave from 2 weeks to 6 weeks! But at his job at the time, he had “unlimited PTO”. He ended up only being able to take 2 weeks off (barely). Anyway, read up on your partners’ policy, too!
• Decide when to tell your boss. Completely up to you and what you’re comfortable with! You’re not obligated to tell anyone. You also don’t have to keep it from anyone. I told my manager at the time almost immediately. I was also really comfortable with her – still am. Telling her helped me have someone at work to get advice from about the process in general because she had just had a baby a couple years back.

When You’re About to Pop

Setting expectations before going on maternity leave also sets the tone for your return. The 2nd trimester is often the most energetic one! So be productive and get these things done before the uncomfortable third trimester gets the best of you.

• Start filling out Human Resources/Leave of Absence forms. Depending on your company and providers there may be various forms or a packet that you need to complete. You may not be able to finish filling them out, but just get started so you know what you need.
• Discuss plans with your manager/team. Get together to review what you’re currently working on/responsible for so that you can both agree on who will take on the responsibilities. Also try to set expectations on what your job will look like when you return. You may go back to business as usual, or there are other projects or responsibilities that you will transition into. Don’t expect your manager to have all the answers. Since my leave was 16 weeks, there really wasn’t a concrete answer as to what I would be working on when I returned. I am not a manager, but if you are, you probably should have a discussion with your reports about who they will work with while you’re gone and set expectations with them as well.
• Provide resources for those picking up your work. It was important for me to make sure all of my work was in a central location so if I suddenly went into labor, anyone could find what I was working on. You may also want to document any processes/procedures you follow. For example if you work in retail, how do you open or close the store? How do you operate the cash register? If you’re a teacher, is there anything about your students your substitute should know?
• Discuss a flexible schedule for the weeks leading up to your due date. It was such a fear of mine that I would go into labor in the middle of a meeting (I know, unlikely). So during my third trimester, I started working from home 2-3 times per week. Once I was full term, I worked from home full time. I realize this may not be an option for everyone, but it doesn’t hurt to have the conversation if you think it may help your situation!
• Set your out of office notifications & define a communication plan. If you have a work email, get your automatic replies ready! Something like, “Thank you for your email. I am out of the office on maternity leave with no access to email. In my absence, please contact Blah Blah at 555-5555.” Also, ask your manager/team how you should notify them when you go into labor. For example, I texted a coworker and she sent an email for me until I was able to activate my out of office notification.

After You Meet Your Baby

You did it! You got to witness the miracle of life and your baby is finally here. And your maternity leave has started.

• Take care of your Leave of Absence requirement/finish all the Human Resources requirements. That’s it, get that done so you can enjoy being a mommy! So. Much. Adulting.
• Start looking into childcare options. Discuss with your partner early on what your preference is and research options in your area for a nanny, daycare, in-home options, etc. If you do it now, it’ll be less of a scramble prior to returning to work.
• Be on maternity leave. Enjoy your baby, take care of yourself, rest, reflect.

Getting Ready to Return

Near the end of your maternity leave, there are a few things you might need to consider so that your transition back to work is [more] successful.

• Make sure you have a wardrobe. After having a baby, your body changes! Try on some clothes and invest in some work outfits that you’re comfortable in, if necessary. I signed up for StitchFix because I’m not a good shopper and it definitely helped me stack my closet with work clothes that I was confident in!
• Get back in your routine. Practice your new routine! I found it helpful to start having babyJo’s nanny come about a month before returning to work (so 75% into my leave). It really helped me get comfortable with her. I also tried my best to get up, get myself ready for the day, and get out of the house. Try timing yourself from start to finish so you know what time you’ll need to wake up in the morning to get to work on time.
• Set expectations with your partner or support system. I found it helpful to communicate with mrJo on what I need from him in order for me to be successful when I returned to work. For me, I was also returning to school. So that meant I needed him to step in on some of the house chores that are normally on my to do list. I also asked him what he needed from me!

When You’re Back in the Office

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for! You’ve done all of the preparation needed from the moment you found out you’re pregnant. So getting back into the swing of things will be easy, right? Well… I’m not making any promises there. But hopefully it helped! All that’s left to do is:

• Figure out how to cope with spending less time with your baby. Your maternity leave gave you a lot of valuable, dedicated bonding time with the little one. You will definitely notice the difference in working versus being with the baby all day – even if you work from home! My way to cope probably won’t work for most (cue the judging). I didn’t have any pictures of babyJo, until just recently, at my desk. I also didn’t want any updates from my nanny (unless it was a question or emergency). Finally, I have a rule that if any milestones happen (crawling, walking, talking, etc.) my nanny cannot tell me – just let me see it when it happens again. I found that my day went by faster and I felt less like I was missing out because of those “rules”.
• Meet with your manager one on one. Set your expectations for a work/life balance up front. Also clarify what your responsibilities are now that you’re back. Don’t overload yourself when you’re first back in the office! Also talk about any schedule needs you have based on child care.
• Update/create goals. In order to set the focus as you get back into the workplace, write down the goals you have and the timelines. Discuss this with your manager as well as your team as needed.
• Get feedback. Make sure your manager and your team are giving you constant, candid feedback on your work. It’s helpful to know where you stand because your performance may differ a little with your baby on your mind, or just because of your lack of sleep!

Every situation is different, but I hope you’re able to take some information away from my experience in order to help with yours! What are some tips that you can share about returning from maternity leave?