The Joy of being a mother is immense. A woman is blessed with the gift of bearing the baby inside her. She knows her baby before it has arrived in this world. The motherly instinct is present in almost every woman on this planet. A mother patiently waits for her baby to grow inside of her. She takes care of the baby without even meeting him/ her. Maybe that is why a mother’s love is blind. But a career-oriented woman might worry about her career change after having a baby. The 9 months of pregnancy is not an easy task. A woman goes through a lot of physical and emotional changes during these 9 months. Her body has to prepare to nurture the little baby and to bring it into this world.
Delivery and childbirth are stressful and very painful. Only a mother’s body can survive through it. Nature has made women so powerful. But in today’s world women have been granted equal rights as men. But there are still a lot of things that are gender defined, for example, pregnancy and childbirth. This is how nature has evolved men and women. Today a woman works in her office even in her early months of pregnancy. She is given maternity leave for about 2 months before the expected delivery date to 6 months after the childbirth. Starting a career after having a baby is now possible. But for a woman to expect a regular and normal life after childbirth is next to impossible. The world around her changes and so does her priorities. It becomes very difficult for a new mother to manage her career.
Career Change After Having A Baby
Why Is It Difficult To Handle Your Career After Childbirth?
- The child demands extra care and attention during the first few months. The mother plays a very important role in it. She has to feed and take care of the baby. She might find it hard to focus on her job after pregnancy.
- No one understands the child better than a mother. She can actually distinguish between the different pitch and the tone of the cry and laughter. She knows if the child is hungry, or needs a diaper change or that he/ she is sleepy.
- It becomes very difficult for the mother to manage a child, her home and her career. It could be very stressful for her, especially if this is her first child. She needs to find a suitable job after having a baby.
- She might be sleep deprived because babies need special attention during the nights as well.
- She might start working after a certain period of time. But it becomes difficult for her to concentrate on her career. This will go on for a while. Starting a career after having a baby is challenging.
- Career graph after childbirth reaches a plateau. Mainly because the mother is tired and cannot think of new ideas. Her energy is consumed in taking care of the infant. It will take some time to get back to your job after having a baby.
- Her body and physical health change drastically during and after pregnancy. It takes time for her physical health to get back to normal.
- The period of pregnancy and the childbirth is an emotional turbulence that every mother faces. She is lactating so she undergoes a lot of physical and emotional changes.
- Some women miss working. Being a new mother could be overwhelming.
- The initial months require you to vaccinate your baby, make sure he/she has a proper eating and sleeping cycle. She has to make sure that her baby does not fall ill.
- Many women start to think about quitting their jobs. They are ready to let go of their career and hard work to raise their babies.
- Some women start thinking that they might get demoted at their workplace. Or that somebody else would get the project that they wanted just because they are on their maternity leave.
Woman's Career After Having A Baby- Many women get envious of their partners who get to be a father as well as having a great career. It seems unfair to them.
- Surely childbirth and motherhood is a complex process. Your baby is the most important thing in this world for you. But you cannot let go of a career that you have put your heart and soul into. Career after childbirth depends entirely on your management skills and your strong will power.
There are a lot of things like emotions at its peak and career change after having a baby. Here we are providing certain points that you can remember during your maternity leave. You can use them for a successful career after childbirth.
How to Have A Successful Career After Child Birth?
Here are the points mentioned below that show a mother can have a successful career after child birth:
1. Plan
If you want to get back to your job after having a baby; plan everything. The baby and pregnancy should not be a surprise to you. Even if it was, plan out in advance how you are going to raise the baby. You might need help from a family member or some external source. Talk to the people in your office. Let them know that you are willing to work again as soon as possible.
2. Get A Nanny
The only way for you to get back to your job after pregnancy is by getting a nanny. Getting a nanny has become a fashion now. New mothers are often excited to go back to their work as soon as possible. But they are miserable because of the baby. A nanny could take care of the baby for you. Of course, you have to make sure that you can trust the nanny. You don’t have to quit your career.
3. Call Your Parents Or In-Laws
If you cannot afford a nanny or if you have trust issues then don’t get a nanny. We understand that you don’t want to leave your child at the supervision of a stranger. Call your parents or In-laws. Elderly people are great with kids. They have raised you and your siblings, they know how to do it.
4. Exercise
Start exercising as soon as it is possible. Consult a doctor. Exercising will help you to channel all the energy in a good direction. Mediate for a while. It will ease the anger and the frustration that you might have developed. This anger is quite natural as your whole life has changed and you are overwhelmed by this sudden change.
5. Time
Give yourself some time. You need to rest and relax. You can always go back to work whenever you feel you are ready. There is no rush. You can look for the best jobs for moms with babies. This is the time that you have got to be with your baby. You are a mother now. The feeling is amazing, embrace it.
6. Work From Home
If it is possible at all work from home. Wait for your baby to be big enough for you to go to the office. Ask your boss if you could work from her. You might attend the important meetings online and get yourself updated on what’s going on in the office. Work from home, managing a team, writing, etc. are a few of the best jobs for moms with babies. Starting a career after having a baby is possible. But only if you know how to balance the office work and your baby.
7. Talk To Your Hubby
Talk to your partner. Make them understand what you are going through. Your partner might be clueless about it. Explain your mood swings to them. Maybe they can take a few weeks off from their work. They can help you to look after the child when you go back to your job.
8. Prioritize
This is the time when you have to prioritize the important things in your life. You might want to switch jobs in a nearby location. Or the one that has less working hours. You might have to adjust your work because your baby needs more attention. This may sound unfair, but it’s okay. You are a strong and independent woman. If you feel you can continue with your old job that is okay as well.
9. Don’t Quit
Thinking of quitting your job because of the baby, is not a wise decision. It may be abruptly made in haste. You can take as much time as you want before you are ready to go back to work. But do it eventually, quitting is not the right option.
10. Make A Time Table
Make a chart or time table. Note down the timings when your baby wakes up or has a meal, when does he/she poop. This will help the nanny or anyone who is in charge of the baby once you are back at work. You might take a sigh of relief when you have organized and planned out everything.
11. Daycare Center
Many cities have a daycare center for infants whose parents are working. Your child will be kept with other children while you are working. They have trained professionals taking care of babies.
Why should your career change after having a baby? Being a mother is new to you and very demanding. But every woman on this planet is capable of doing it. You might be scared, but give it some time it will get alright. And whenever you are tired or sad look at your baby and smile.
Also Read: Why Do Couples Fight After Having A Baby?