Returning to work full time??

guineapig-52196 · Dec 9, 2008 4:59PM

Hi Ladies!
Congratulations on all of your babies. I am 30wks PG and am after some advice.
I have just been chatting with my husband about what we will do when my maternity leave is up and he is adament that I will return to work full time. I work 12 hour shifts days and nights so I argued that I would like to reduce my hours by working 10hours instead which will mean that I will finish a night shift at 5am so can hopefully get home for a couple of hours kip before he goes to work and I have to look after the baby all day before going back out to work that night. It also means that I would finish at 5pm on the day shifts instad of 7pm. I think this is important as it means I can spend a couple of hours with our baby before she goes to bed.
Are any of you going back to working full time and feel you will be missing out on some of your babies development? I was just hoping for some advice and stories of how you cpoe working full time with a baby. Hope you dont mind me crashing from Pg.
xxxxxxxx

Mum_to_1 · Dec 8, 2008 4:20PM

Hi,
Well congratualtions first of all! Being pregnant is great-have to say some of us on here have said how much we miss it! Am in the process of deciding what I'm doing and it is a really hard one.
Could you go back part time for a bit then work up to full time maybe? Doesn't have to be one or the other. Hope you get sorted and whatever you decide works for you and your lo.x

hushpuppy · Dec 8, 2008 4:25PM

I went back full time when Poppy was 7 months old and yes it's hard but it's also nice to get some adult company again and to get the old grey matter working again! I worked 8.30 till 5.30 but had an hours travel each way.
I think if you are going to have to look after your baby during the day you need to finish earlier than 7am otherwise you'll have no energy to cope with the demands of a little baby. You need to have enough sleep yourself as I don't mean to sound patronising but they really are hard work and I know I couldn't look after Poppy all day with only 4 hours sleep a night.
If you are going to be expected to care for lo and work 12 hour nights the best bet would be to get someone to care for your baby for a few hours in the morning so that you can get some sleep. Childminders are very flexible and it needn't be that expensive for a couple of hours a day.
I don't really feel like I missed out on Poppys development at all and if anything I think she has come on massively as she is cared for by a professional woman who also cares for a few other children and she is constantly stimulated and 'educated' - at 14 months old she now speaks better than 2 of my friends children who are 6 months older than her.
Spending time at work away from her just makes me appreciate the time we do have together even more.
Having said all that, I am currently not working as I was made redundant but am looking for another full time job!
Hope that helps!!
xx

sally322 · Dec 8, 2008 4:26PM

i do 12 hour shifts too, im going back 1 day shift and 1 night shift a week, so i dont feel like i am missing loads, plus i can always make up the money with a little overtime, if i really have to. x

hedgie · Dec 8, 2008 4:41PM

I went back to doing 12 hour night shifts and found it hard, really hard. I havent had child care and don't make up the sleep... I'm 24 and look 40 lol. That being said I would ask your partner to wait to have a good discussion about it once the baby is born because life really changes and you may feel completely differently to what you might expect. If I had a choice I wouldn't work, I would much rather just be at home, and not feel like a living dead

Good luck

xx

guineapig-52196 · Dec 9, 2008 4:11PM

thanks for the replies so far. I dont think me going back part time is really an option as we struggle with money now and both work full time! Next year there will be 3 of us surviving on the money we bring in. I would love to have that option but realistically dont think it'll happen unless we won the lotto!! I think the coming off of a 12 hour night shift to look after a baby all day then go back to work all night will be the most difficult thing i'll ever have to do!
xxxx

Louise_N · Dec 9, 2008 4:45PM

I went back to work full time in July when my lo was 9 1/2 months. I did reduce my hours though. I now work 9-4.15 Monday to Friday and it suits me well. It means that I can give Kara her dinner and spend time with her before bed. My in laws watch Kara which is great and I don't feel that I miss out on anything at all especially as I know she is well watched when we are at work. Being back at work is great for adult company.

George35 · Dec 9, 2008 4:59PM

Hi guineapig. Congratulations on your pregnancy. My advice would be not to worry about making that decision just yet, the reality is that you may feel very differently once your baby arrives. I worked full time before having my baby, who is now 11 months old. Financially we never had any money leftover each month but currently without my salary, you do adapt. I'm now going back to work part time. I also work shifts and must be honest, I could not look after a baby after a night shift. We are all different though, I need lots of sleep after a night shift, some people just don't, but you will need lots of energy to look after a baby. GOOD LUCK!!! x

Returning to work full time??

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