Working after baby..full time? part time?

Everyone is different. I thought I'd get bored at home and wanna go back to work but 3 years later I'm still at home. For me it works, I like seeing all the milestones and having just gone through our first winter at daycare (which is instead of kindy) I'm so glad I haven't had to deal with all the sickness before now. He picked up every little thing that went through daycare this winter. 8 bouts in one winter which of course we all got too has made for a miserable winter for all of us. I guess thats something you will need to consider as well. And then how you will deal with broken nights sleep as well as working.

Yes I was worried about the daycare sickness thing too.

I used to work with women who worked full time from when the baby was 3 months old. They used to come into work and say "great, i managed to get my kid into daycare, and they had conjunctivitis - got past the carer". Implying that they knew the kid had conjunctivitis and had to sneak him through otherwise he would have been rejeted for the day and they would have had to take time off! I was horrified if thats the level of some peple sending their kids to daycare!

But if you had a carer that only looked after 1-2 kids at home that would be better...?

thesaff wrote: I was completely honest with my boss about not knowing for sure what I'd do - but we have a good relationship so I wasn't worried that my job was at stake. Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is that everyone is different, plus how you feel might surprise you one way or another (I had one friend who was going to be a SAHM that was desperate to get out of the house after 4 months). So keep an open mind and keep your options open if you can.

Yip, agree with this. I applied for the full year, but discussed with my boss that I thought I'd want to come back after 6 months, but I wanted the option not to. It was easier for me to shorten rather than lengthen my leave, so I did it that way. I've been back 3 days a week since DD was 6 months and it's been good in some ways, crap in others. The sickness she's been getting from daycare has been devastating to the little sleep we were getting and to my ability to be particularly functional at work - I keep having to take time off (I'm not one that will send her sick!!). But yeah, options are a good thing.

I never planned to go back FT but I did always plan to go back PT. That said, I went through a huge process of feeling like I was losing my job and losing my identity and was full of grief about stopping work. Until the fatigue and swelling hit at 35 weeks and I couldn't wait to get out of there! My work wouldn't take me back PT but I came across another PT job that was perfect and started when DS was 7 months. We have him with a HBC that he adores. But he still gets sick and we still have issues with conjunctivitis etc - that's just the way it goes.

You have until you're 6 months to decide how long you want off. I wouldn't rush that decision now. You have no legal obligations before that point. Personally, I'd try and set it up with as much flexibility as you can - don't commit to too much too soon. You may find that you're ready to go back PT at 6 months (I was ready at 7 months) but you won't know till you're there.

So sorry, no answers, but I'd encourage you to not rush into decisions and not make commitments until you need to.

i agree with everyone else, don't make a decision unless you have to, be straight up, apply for the year and tell them you'll be back early if it works out that way.

For me I was supposed to take 6 months, at 6 months ds was interesting and still such a baby I didn't go back to work until 12 months.

I work 4 very intense days a week and I won't be doing this again, the pressure of both DH and I needing to be at work vs sleepless nights from daycare bugs is the hardest time we've ever spent.

But I felt a bit lost not working and it was good for me to do something, I just should have taken something with less pressure.

2 days sounds ideal if you can get it, but you still may not even want to do that until 6-12 months.

Thanks for all the replies and I will give this a lot of thought, especially lengthening the time off sounds good, and shortening it if I want to sounds better than not having enough time and feeling more pressure.

Next question....my partner thinks things are going to be "easy" and that I can return to work after 3 months! He really has no idea about the fact that the baby needs me for food...or even what its going to be like. I dont think hes even thought about it yet, hes been in denial for so long thinking we couldnt have kids (its taken us 3 years).

I think Ill just have to keep talking to him about the reality and have him get in his head that for at least 6 months I should plan not to work then maybe part time after that.

Anyone else have partners that took awhile to get their heads around it?

Its amazing what a few weeks make, I felt much the same as you at the beginning of my pregnancy. Now I'm only a few weeks from delivery I can't wait to stop work.

Our circumstances have changed and I am leaving my current employment with no plans to return at this stage. I'd like to take 12 months off I also want to BF for as long as I can so its easier if I stay home.

I don't plan to return to full time work until our daughter is kindy/school aged. I guess it also depends on your line of work, I do office admin and there seems to be plenty of part-time work that will fit around being home with my girl and have a few more $$ for the household budget.

With your employer I'd fully recommend taking your full 52 weeks entitlement and then if you change your mind and want/need to back to work earlier you can do with sufficient notice. It harder to extend the time than reduce it.

I agree with the others that having as much flexibility as your employers will allow is the way to go.

Personally, I couldn't have returned at three months. It would have been way too much for me.

I'm one who always thought I'd be a stay home mum but went back to work part time (3 days in the office, some hours from home) when DS was 10 months old and LOVE it. It's blimmen hard with daycare bugs, but DS enjoys daycare, I love that he gets interaction wtih other kids, learning, messy play, painting etc there, and we so enjoy our two days together during the week.

For me I've found I'm a better mum working part time, but it's one of those situations where it is really hard to say..

i took 6 months off, but told my employers i was coming back at 4 months for 2 days, and gradually increasing to 3 days, then 4...
when he was 4 months old i was devastated about going back, but I did... and it was great!! DS enjoyed the time with his nanna, and I enjoyed the adult conversation and had more quality time with him when I picked him up in the afternoons.

now, he's 8 months old, and i'm supposed to be starting 4 days a week soon.... but, he doesn't sleep well, i'm up every 2 hours at night and I take a 1/2 day annual leave every week to make up for how late I am every morning.

no advice here, except that if baby is doing what he/she is supposed to do, then part time work really isn't that bad.