My journey back to work - Part 2

I’ve recently shared my journey back to work after having my first son. My second boy was born in December 2021, and it was a very different experience altogether, from the birth, through the postpartum phase, to eating and sleeping habits. Not better, not worse, just different. Some of it was easier with my first son, some of it was easier the second time round. For me, just the fact that there was another tiny human who depended on me, who had his own needs, was quite overwhelming at first. But with time we did get into a routine that worked for our family, even if it was a rollercoaster right in that first year.

Going back to work was supposed to be easy. That’s what I told myself. I was in the same job that I had started after my first maternity leave, working 30% with a lot of flexibility to work from home. I took 4 months of unpaid leave and was scheduled to start work again in August 2022. My contract was only running until February 2023, so I knew from the beginning that it would be a short period of time, but I was also determined to follow it through to the end.

In theory, it was a simple transition, we had done it before, I was going back to a job that I already know and I also trusted the people who looked after my son while I was working. So I never really took any time to prepare myself to go back to work or even considered that there could be challenges (read here what I wrote about that period of my life).

This time round, letting go of my son was easier as he had already previously spent some time away from me with my mother-in-law. However, mentally, it felt like a much more difficult transition than it had the first time round. Even though I went back to the same job, a part of our team had changed, amongst others the colleague I worked closest with. It took me some time to adjust to new work rhythms, get to know everyone, find my place. I also knew that working 30% was not ideal. I wasn’t around enough to have any responsibilities, but I also did not have enough work at times to fill the hours. Even though constant stress at work is not healthy, I am a person who prefers having really busy, even at times stressful days, rather than not having enough to do. It makes me restless and anxious.

The work situation was less than ideal, especially as I was working from home at the beginning because it was easier with breastfeeding or pumping. Once I started going to the office on a regular basis, it did get a bit easier, because even though the work in itself and the conditions around it were not very challenging, I did enjoy being part of an amazing team and had a very supportive boss.

Those 7 months were a rollercoaster ride for our whole family - not only because for me it felt challenging to work, but not be fully satisfied in what I was doing, but also because of other changes in our lives. I knew soon after I had gone back to work that I wanted to start my own business, so applying for new jobs was not really aligned with my goal. I just wanted to get started with this new part of my career, but at the same time I felt that I was somehow held back - yet quitting early did not make sense from different points of views, amongst others financially. It was one of those situations where you try to make the best out of a less than ideal situation - situations that we often have to deal with as parents of little kids because of all the challenges that come with parenting in our society (but more on that another time).

Returning back to work after the birth of your child? I’d love to offer you a free coaching call to discuss where you are at and what your priorities are at this point in your life. Drop me a mail or book your call here.