Wisdom for New Moms Going Back to Work

One of the members of the Catholic Working Mothers Facebook group, Elise at Oh Contraire, posted the following in the group this past Friday. I loved it so much that I asked her if I could post it to the blog, and she graciously assented. Thank you for your words of wisdom, Elise!

Dear New Mom Going Back to Work:

I remember vividly the day I went back to work after maternity leave for my first one. I was crying like a baby in the Parisian Metro; my husband was holding my sweet 4 month-old, who was my whole world. Then an older woman came to me with a very gentle smile and she said: “Everything will be okay. YOU will be okay.”

As new moms, we’re often overwhelmed by a roller coaster of emotions just before going back to work full time. So many emotions: fear, anticipation, sadness, joy, anger! They worry that our child will lose his/her close bond with us, the thought that maybe we’re neglecting the baby by returning to work. Are these feelings normal?

Yes, our feelings are 100% valid! But more than that, as a mom of 4 I can now testify that moms guilt WAS indeed useful to me. It helped me to stay 100% focused on my children when I got back home each night, it helped me tremendously to prioritize my tasks during the day so I could come home and be completely present for them.

The transition is tough, though. So this is the piece of wisdom I want to share with you: find your tribe, build a strong support team around you: your husband, your close family, a neighbour, a friend! You’ll need all the support you can get for this life-changing transition as a new and working mom.

May God bless you abundantly today!