Tips on Facilitating Your Return to Work After Maternity Leave
Keep in Touch
After having a baby, the longer you stay out of work the harder it becomes to return. Ask your employer/manager to let you do Keep in Touch days. Where you can either dial into your usual team meeting and catch up with your team. You can also opt to go in for a face to face and meet your team/manager to discuss on any changes that have taken place while you have ben on leave. This will indicate that you are still very interested in your job and the organisation.
Meet Friends from Work
Make plans to meet your friends from work. They will give you updates on what has been happening at work, so you do not feel left out.
Get Mentors at Work
Get a mentor at work who can relate to you being on maternity leave and returning to work. These mentors will guide you on how to manage both work and family life. The mentors will encourage you on how to drive your career goals while being a mum.
Plan Ahead
Can’t emphasise this enough. This will take away a lot of pressure off your day to day and enable you have a structured life. For example,
Childcare
Look at childcare early. This will help you know your options and you can plan around what works for you and your family.
Dry Run:
Do a dry run of how your mornings are going to be like once you resume work. This will help you have an idea of how long it will take to get yourself and the kids ready.
Look Beautiful
Looking good builds your confidence and goes a long way to take away any nervousness during the first days when you return.
Be Nice to Yourself.
Its easy for us mothers to be too hard on ourselves. It takes a while for everything to stabilise or go back to normal. So, time is the most essential element. Just relax, trusting that all will fall in PLACE!
Ask for Help
This is very important as most of us mums shy away from asking for help. If you are getting too exhausted and no time to rest, ask a family member or friend if they can have your little one for an hour or two for you to have a nap. Outsource where you can e.g get a cleaner or an ironing lady when you can.