Remind me: full time work with 6wk old

amother

Sat, May 11 2019, 10:42 pm

It's been a while since my toddlers birth, when I went back to work at 8wk and then only for a few months before I stopped for the summer.

Considering starting a full time job with an as yet unborn 6wk old. Workplace provides childcare so I'd bring baby with me and back (and arrange break times to coincide with nurse/pump)

Those of you in the thick of it - am I crazy and unrealistic? Remind me pls what it's like.

amother

Cobalt

Sat, May 11 2019, 10:44 pm

Depends how physically demanding the job is, what the work hours would be, and whether you'll have help getting out in the morning and once you get home after work. At least, those would be my main concerns. I've gone back to work earlier than that, but I had enough support to make it manageable.

amother

Red

Sat, May 11 2019, 11:21 pm

The problem is not with you and the newborn.
# 1 issue usually when going back to work after a baby is arranging childcare which you have all worked out.
The real issue is coming home after a full day out and dealing with the rest of the family. Shopping, cooking, errands etc.
If you can have that all worked out then you will be fine.
Personally it took me longer than 6 weeks to feel ready to go back to work. I was always soooo tired. I have a few kids but no babies now and I will never forget that exhausted feeling.
Good luck

amother

Sat, May 11 2019, 11:29 pm

So my alternate plan was to try out the sahm life for a year while doing freelance work. Then this great offer came up.
It does also involve a car commute - which I'm nervous about in terms of baby falling asleep and ruining the sleep schedule?? I can't remember a thing about the reality of having a newborn

amother

Cobalt

Sat, May 11 2019, 11:39 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Babies don't really have much of an established sleep schedule for quite a few months. How long is the commute? Is it stressful in terms of lots of traffic, or pretty smooth? A long commute with a baby would not work for me. None of my babies tolerated being strapped into a car seat, so it would have been extremely stressful listening to them scream.

chocolatecake

Sat, May 11 2019, 11:45 pm

I have three kids and went back to work
at six weeks each time. My commute is 10-15 minutes so that wasn’t a big deal and I found babysitters either near work or home. I work a desk job in a frum office that is bh understanding and that is a huge plus.

amother

Ivory

Sat, May 11 2019, 11:57 pm

The SAHM who has to freelance because you need the income is also stressful and has its own headaches. It's hard to find clients, you have to put in a lot of time and effort before you get hired and then you wait a while to get paid. Also, babies will keep themselves happy for short amounts of time but then they need to be feed and changed and play with. And you never know when you can schedule a call and the baby won't be screaming in the background.

I did it with my first until he was 11 months old and I worked whenever he was sleeping at all hours of the night and day. It definitely couldn't have worked if I had other kids who needed me.