Mum’s The Word: Top Reasons To Take Charge Of Your Post-Baby Return To Work
Becoming a mum is the most important job in the world. Suddenly, you have an entire life to grow, nurture, and love, and the ability to take time off of work to do precisely that is a blessing that no new mum would sniff at.
Unfortunately for many mothers, this all-important period is also plagued with one pressing question – when should I get back to work? After all, modern mums are now expected to juggle work and motherhood with the ease of an adept circus performer.
From pushy employers to continual questions about when they intend to ‘get back to it’, these mums can often find themselves forced back into work before they’re truly ready. Equally, mums who go back to work earlier than societal norms may face increased scrutiny, and questions about their parental commitments.
The impact of either issue can be far-reaching and severe for both mother and baby, highlighting how important it is for mums to always make informed self-led decisions about their return to work.
Don’t believe us? Keep on reading to find out just a few reasons why no one should ever tell you the ‘right’ time to step back into working waters.
# 1 – Every Baby’s Journey is Different
Baby’s journeys aren’t linear, which means that forcing mums back into work after a set time simply doesn’t work. This is especially true for parents of premature babies, or babies who have been in intensive care for some time after birth.
These setbacks can result in significant developmental delays that mean babies may need more focused nurturing for longer. Mums in these cases may also be keen to make up for potentially months of lost time while their new baby wasn’t at home, which they would inevitably miss out on if they went straight back to work when other people felt they were ‘supposed’ to.
Even for breastfeeding mums, it can be harder to leave a baby from an early age, as that baby will still be reliant on mum’s proximity for regular feeds. Obviously, breast pumps are a great option here, but many mums may need to take additional time helping their babies adjust to these bottle feeds.
Some breastfed babies can be particularly resistant to rubber teats, for instance. Equally, some women have something known as high lipase milk, which can create a soapy, metallic taste in any milk they express that prevents the baby from feeding.
Rather than jumping straight back into work at an early stage, such mothers need to take additional time to find solutions to this problem, including trying out different pumps, or simply waiting until their baby is predominantly eating solids. All of which can mean that a return date before nine months to a year simply isn’t an option.
# 2 – Mum’s Mental Health Matters
Roughly one in five women develop some kind of mental illness during the first year after birth. We most often assume that this happens due to the intense hormonal changes that women experience during this period, but there’s more to it than that.
In truth, issues like postnatal depression (PND) have a range of different causes, including isolation, and a sense of unreality. Not only do new mums suddenly have the responsibility of a baby to care for, but they’re also often living a life that they don’t recognise, away from the things that they usually do to stay happy.
While returning to work is by no means a solution to something like PND, many women may feel reassured by the option of returning to work earlier than they initially planned. Rather than showing that they’re struggling, this can allow them to find much-needed mental balance during what may otherwise feel like an uncertain period.
On the flip side of that, mothers who do experience an ongoing issue like postnatal depression can often find the idea of returning to work incredibly distressing. PND can last anywhere from months to years depending on things like how early symptoms are recognised. Forcing a premature return to work despite this could increase the risk of issues like intrusive thoughts and low feelings of self-worth.
The best way to avoid that is to simply choose a return at a time when you feel mentally ready to tackle workplace challenges on top of your parenting responsibilities.
# 3 – Physical Recovery Isn’t Linear
Physical recovery from birth looks different for every woman and could range across ailments including painful stitches, c-section scars, and even long-lasting complications like prolapse. Even if a woman looks physically ready to return to the workplace, there’s no guarantee that she can do so without further damage.
What’s more, postnatal recovery isn’t linear. Certainly, things like stitches should be healed within the first month after birth, but some issues won’t even have made themselves known by then. For instance, while prolapse can happen in the first months after birth, it can often lead to urinary incontinence a year or even more after having a baby.
Other health issues reported by women up to 12 months after birth include severe migraines, bowel issues, and even ongoing cardiovascular problems. Any number of these setbacks could lead to ongoing medical interventions, and an inability to return to the workplace even past standard maternity leave dates.
Instead of allowing yourself to feel pressured, you should feel confident to discuss these issues openly with any employer or to factor ongoing physical problems before even considering a new job search.
Takeaway
It can seem like the whole world has an opinion on what you should do when you become a parent, and you’ll likely find that your return to work is much the same. There will always be someone telling you that it’s either too late or too early but remember – none of them know better than you do.
You owe it to yourself and your baby to choose a return date that’s 100% suited to you and your baby’s well-being, situation, and preferences. Get that right, and your return to work is sure to run a whole lot more smoothly.
