Tips for Returning to Work After Maternity Leave

Tips for Returning to Work After Maternity LeaveTips for Returning to Work After Maternity LeaveWhen you first beginmaternity leave, it may feel like youll have a nearly endless amount of time away from the office. But all too quickly those weeks or months of leave come to an end. Then comes the transition back to the workplace, which can often be a challenge. Tips for Returning to Work After Maternity Leave If youre approaching the end of your maternity leave, here are some tips to help prepare you to return to the workforce. Reconnect with the OfficeIf its been some time since youve thought about work, do yourself a favor ease into workplace culture. Switching abruptly from days spent entirely with the baby to time split between office and parenting is jarring, and likely not good for you either as a parent or an employee. Do some advance work before your first day into the office to make the transition smoother. Email or Call Your Human Resources (HR) DepartmentIf your HR depa rtment hasnt already been in touch, reach out yourself. The people in philanthropisch resources can fill you in on important details such as the best date to return to the office, the location of the lactation room, and other good-to-know details on paperwork and getting back into the swing of a work routine. Schedule Your Return DateAim to go back to the office late in the week. Resist the temptation to make your first day back in the office a Monday a full week back in the office makes for a difficult transition. A Thursday or Friday return date will allow you to have the weekend to recalibrate and fix any potential issues with childcare, scheduling, etc. Reach Out to Your BossIf human resources hasnt already done so, tell your manager your first planned date back in the office. This can be a nice opportunity to share any schedule changes that may occur as a result of childcare, pumping, or anything else. Not sure how to communicate with your manager about post-maternity leave sch edule changes? Seea sample schmelzglas message. Schedule an In-Person Meet-UpHaving a casual lunch or coffee catch-up with your manager or co-workers a few weeks prior to return to work can be helpful. In-person meet-ups give you the opportunity to catch up on work gossip, find out about new projects, and start to feel re-engaged with work. If you cant meet with folks in advance, do be sure to make face-to-face time with them in the office a priority. If you were gone for three months on maternity leave, a lot may have changed. Prepare for Office PumpingWill you be pumping at the office? Make sure youre comfortable pumping before returning to work. Reach out to human resources and co-workers to determine where you can pump at your workplace. (Note that theAffordable Care Actincludes a provision for breastfeeding offices must provide both a non-bathroom location and a reasonable amount of time for moms to express milk.) You may want to block off time on your calendar for pumping as w ell, so you dont wind up having to unexpectedly duck out of meetings. Make Sure You and Your Family Are Ready for Your Return Before you can venture back into the world of work, youll need to make sure youre prepared at home. This means everything from arranging childcare (and backup childcare) to swapping joga pants for suits. Do a Wardrobe CheckDo a deep dive into your closet and pull out your office tops, pants, and skirts. Try clothes on to check they still fit appropriately, since both pregnancy and breastfeeding can change your figure. Put the clothes that are still suitable for work in a prominent spot in your closet to make your mornings easier if necessary, purchase new outfits. Have a Trial RunPrepare yourself for your newmorning routine plan a trial run, complete with setting an alarm, dropping off the baby at childcare, and commuting into the office. Getting ready in the morning with a baby packing a bag for daycare, dropping her off, having a meaningful good-bye, breastfeeding can take more time than your pre-baby morning routine of coffee on the run. A trial run will give you time to work out any childcare kinks and develop your new routine with your baby. Find Childcare and Backup ChildcareIts inevitable that there will be a day possibly on the saatkorn day as an important meeting, deadline, or presentation that your baby will be sick and need you. Prepare for this moment before it occurs. Map out with your significant other who will be the primary contact for daycare or your nanny. If an unexpected pick-up is necessary, who will be responsible? Figure out a strategy for babys sick days, doctor visits, and other events that may require you to leave work unexpectedly. It can also be helpful to develop a list of potential back-up caretakers anyone from in-laws to parents to a babysitter - who can pick up the slack if necessary. Prepare Yourself MentallyJust as those first days with your new baby may have been a challenge, the early day s back at the office may also be tough. You may find yourself full of emotions and thats OK Try to think about ways to ease this transition for yourself. You may, for instance, want to schedule a daily check-in either a call, text, or video chat with your childs caretaker. Or maybe its a matter of packing a photo for the office.