Tips For Working Mums

Before you have your baby you may be able to plan your return to your job with some emotional detachment. Parenting can be a challenging task. However, after you have held your baby you may wish to reconsider your carefully laid plans.
Here are a few points to help you plan the transition from home back into the work force.

•Consider your current position at work and assess if it is possible to return to your job in its current form. For example, if your job involves long hours or frequent trips away from home, you may consider this undesirable when you are a mum. If the answer is no, perhaps you could talk to your boss in advance or use your time while on parental leave to look for a more suitable position.

•Working from home is becoming a more tolerable work practice today. There are many benefits to home based employment for both you and your employer. These include increased efficiency, flexible working hours, reduced absenteeism, and the ability to retain a well-trained work force. You will save on time away from the home by cutting out transit time.

•If you plan to breastfeed your baby you do not have to stop this before you go back to work if this is your choice. Recently the Sex Discrimination Act has been amended to include reference to breastfeeding at work. The amendment was designed to ensure that women who choose to return to work while breastfeeding or are expressing milk can’t be discriminated against.

•It is worth considering your childcare choices before you finish work. Take some time to investigate your options for childcare. They include a Child Care Centre, Family Day Care and a Nanny in your home. Childcare places are limited and stretched waiting lists are common. Consider placing your name at numerous centres. When thinking about the location of childcare, consider if it would be better to have the childcare near your work or home, who will be most likely to drop off and pick up your child.

Returning to your job might be difficult, but it is important nevertheless for working mums.

By: Sarah Pietrzak

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Sarah Pietrzak is a freelance writer and one of Australia’s best known parenting bloggers. She regularly blogs for Huggies.com.au – a first class pregnancy and baby information resource that includes a great baby names tool as well. She is a mother to three small and extremely noisy children, and wife to a tragically neglected husband