Transitioning back to work
Your first week back at work is a transitional period, but it’s also the culmination of a lot of logistical work, so congratulations! While some setbacks can be expected when so much is changing, there are a few ways to make your return go as smoothly as possible.
Celebrate getting here
This transition can involve a range of emotions. Let yourself feel them, and be as patient as you can be (with yourself and your baby) on however much sleep you’re currently getting.
Also celebrate getting here. Whatever that looks like for you—a night out with a partner or friends, a massage, tea and journaling—try to pause and acknowledge all the work you’ve already put in.
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE
Day one checklist
You’ve done a lot to prepare for this week. If you feel like a lot can go wrong, you’re not alone! Do your best to trust the systems you’ve put in place, and run through a checklist to guide you.
- Keep your gear organized. Your pumping bag should have everything you need, from pump parts to milk bags, sharpies to snacks, all organized whatever way makes sense to you. Try to have a dedicated place to stash it at work, at home, in the car, etc., so it’s always easy to find.
- Leave duplicate supplies at work. If you have the budget to have a dedicated pumping bag at work with some or all the supplies you need, you’ll save time hauling, planning, and looking for those supplies.
- Schedule pumping breaks in your work calendar. This both reminds you to pump when you’re busy, as well as protects your time by letting others know when you’re not available to meet.
- Organize regular support. You don’t have to do this alone! Whether it’s your partner cleaning pump parts or a friend helping with child care pickup, put it on the calendar. This will save you time repeatedly asking for it, and increase the chances that you’ll get the help you need.
Create emergency plans
Things happen, like being separated from your pump when it’s time to pump, so always have a backup nearby; future you will thank you! Start by making a small emergency pumping kit with a hand pump, bottles, and hand sanitizer or pump wipes in case you’re away from running water and soap.
Keep the phone numbers handy of people who can help you out in a jiffy—say, with errands or an emergency day care pickup. These might be friends or other parents or relatives inside or outside the workplace, including anyone who might also be pumping at work and have backup supplies or intel.
Check in with your caregiver
Talk with your caregiver about ways to proactively address your baby’s needs. Share any activities or soothing techniques that your baby responds to with you, and trust that your baby will adjust in time. And if your baby cluster feeds during the hours you’re together, that’s common too.
Expect a few sleep (and other) setbacks
If your baby is sleeping more, hopefully you are too! Because sleep and supply are linked, going longer stretches at night can hit your supply. Sometimes the timing works out well, with your baby’s longer sleep happening as they’re getting additional nourishment through solids. And some moms add a morning pump session to help maintain supply and relieve pressure.
There may be a variety of other setbacks as well, but hopefully they’ll be temporary and largely logistical. Certain curveballs might interact with your supply (like learning to pump or getting your period), and sometimes things come up no matter how well you’ve prepared yourself. (One mom we talked to did a trial run to work, and found herself locked out of the room she’d planned to use for pumping. She felt too uncomfortable to ask her mostly male coworkers for help, but did sort it out for her return.)
It can help to check in with your manager and discuss:
- Your commitment to the company. Research suggests that moms who take longer maternity leaves are viewed as less committed employees, are promoted less often, and make less money1. Consider bringing a list of your specific achievements, and explicitly stating your continued commitment to your company’s growth and mission.
- Any changes that occurred while you were away. Ask your boss to bring you up to speed on any updates. Any personnel changes? Any shifts in priorities for the department? Any new clients or partnerships?
- Your transition plan. If you gave your manager a detailed transition plan before you went on leave, review it together to see how things went and point to any successes.
- Your workload and priorities. Identify together the most important areas of focus, and don’t get bogged down in your overflowing inbox. Spell out precisely what you’re capable of handling at this point in your return, taking into consideration your meeting cadence, travel, and other expectations that may need to shift.
- Any accommodations you may need. Ask for what you need to maintain your performance, like working a few days a week from home. It doesn’t hurt to ask, and more employers are offering flexible arrangements to keep up with their competitors. Also consider your capacity, says Emily Varnam, a midwife assistant and birth and postpartum doula. “People adjust quickly to higher levels of performance, and increasing is easier than decreasing, so start low and go from there.”
Communicate your needs
Once you’ve figured out your work pumping schedule and slotted that into the calendar, be as transparent as possible with necessary workplace personnel about what you need to do to stick to your pumping routine.
During pregnancy, people have a regular visual reminder that you’re going through big changes. When you’re postpartum, some people at work might forget that your life has changed dramatically, while others might lower their expectations of what you can handle now that you’re juggling life with a baby.
Just remember that the sooner you’re able to communicate your needs, the sooner you can get them met—and it can help your coworkers manage their own expectations as well.
References
1 https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/apl-apl0000327.pdf
Additional resources
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