Collaborative Post¦ The transition from being a new mum to going back to work can be a challenging one. In fact, apart from labour and the first few weeks of your child’s life, it can be the most difficult time. The reason being that your routine and your priorities are forever changed after the birth of your baby. However, there are some tactics that you can use to make going back to work and having a career while you a mum, a lot easier. Keep reading to find out what they are.

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Do remember it’s your choice.

First of all, it’s important to remember that you may not need to go back to work if you don’t want to. Of course, this can be difficult because not only are you likely to have the issues with money, that returning to work can help alleviate, but also the outside expectation of others in your life.

In fact, this can be incredibly strong from both friends and family member that have seen you work hard to achieve success in your career, and can’t quite get their head around when you would wish to stay home full time or reduce your hours.

What it is crucial to remember here is that becoming a mum is a huge life event, and no one apart from you perhaps your partner will know exactly how this is affecting you. What that means is you need to be strong, stand in your own power and do what serves your current situation best regarding your career.

To that end, don’t be afraid to stay home for longer if you want to and you can afford it, or return and do reduced hours if this makes things more manageable. Of course, by the same token don’t be afraid to go back full time if that is what you want. After all, if mama’s happy, there is a much better chance that Baby will be as well.

Don’t forget you can find something that works for your situation.

Next, for many mums, a change of career can be the best move once they have had a baby. This is because they may wish to pick something that better fits in around their family commitments, or they may find that the role they used to have no longer suits.

Of course, the challenge then is finding a job that you will not only be passionate about, but you can work around your family commitments as well. Luckily, there are many different options you can choose from.

One such option is to become a momtrepreneur and start up a business that you can run from your own home. In fact. This is a choice that many mothers go for because it allows them to have a focus that is larger than raising their child, but also spend as much time with them as they need.

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Of course, the great thing about this type of option is that the sky really is the limit, and your single person operation could quickly expand into a more extensive business over time. Something that could set you up nicely for when you Baby is grown.

There are other options that you can choose from as well if you are looking to change your career after your baby has been born. Some mums choose to work in a school either as a teacher, learning support assistant, or even in an office role. The reason being that it means they get all of the same holidays off and usually finish at around 3pm. Something that means they can be back home to spend time with the kids while still holding down a full-time job. School based jobs can be a smart move for mums going back to work. If this appeals to you, a professional resume writer, such as California resume writers, can get your resume ready to apply for a new job while taking away a huge chunk of the stress.

Alternatively, you may wish to consider a career where you can work in the evenings and at the weekends, as then your significant other can take care of your child. Something that means you don’t have to worry so much about the cost and hassle of childcare.

In particular, training to become a fitness class instructor for activities such as yoga and pilates can meet this criterion well. In fact, you can read this post on How to Become a Pilates Instructor: Ultimate Guide to get some more detailed information on the process you need to go through to train. Something that those planning a career change once they start a family may even begin to do before they are pregnant. Then they will be all ready for their new career challenge once Baby arrives.

Do learn to be compassionate with yourself.

Being a mum is hard, and being a working mum can be even harder. With that in mind, when you do make the decision to go back to work it really important that you don’t hold yourself to unrealistic goals.

In fact, you will definitely need to learn to be compassionate with yourself, now and again. After all, that first day when Little One is crying, and your mind is full of doubts that you are doing the right thing, will be tough.

They’ll also be days that you struggle to get to work on time or focus with a client, or when you are in a meeting because you’ve only had a few hours of sleep the night before.

Of course, having some working mummy friends who you can relate your experience, and that will empathise can really help. However, above all else, cutting yourself a little slack when things are hard is crucial. After all, you are doing the best that you can, and beating yourself up unnecessarily isn’t going to do you, your baby, or your work performance much good.

Don’t forget to think about childcare.

Finally, a significant issue for many mums returning to work is child care. That is who will look after their child and for how long each day.

Of course, there is once again a range of option that you can choose from here. The first to consider is asking a trusted family member to take care of your child when you are working. Something that can not only be cheaper but also alleviate some of the anxiety of leaving your little one during the day.

Sadly, not all families are in the position to be able to help with childcare, and in that case, the choice between nursery and a childminder is what presents itself.

In particular, nurseries can work well because they tend to have excellent facilities, as well as the option to pick your child up when it is convenient for you. In fact, if your place of work has a nursery or creche facilities available, this can work even better. The reason being that you can pop down in your lunch break and spend some time with your little one, as well as be on hand to tend to them if they are unwell.

Alternatively, employing a childminder to take care of your baby while you return to work can be helpful. This is because they usually have fewer children under their care and that means each child is likely to get more one on one attention. This being something that can be particularly beneficial for their development and wellbeing.

Then there is the matter of cost, and as childminding is done out of the home, it is usually the less expensive option. Something that can make a big difference when returning to work as a mum, because it means you end up with a more substantial proportion of your pay packet.

Summary

In summary, it is crucial to consider all the options available to you and pick the one that not only suits your family best when you return to work after having a baby but also work for you as an individual as well.

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.