10 Top Tips – How to survive your first day back from maternity leave

When you read this I will be at my first day back to work after maternity. Having done this day twice before I know what to expect. Here is my list of things to do to help on your first day back.

10 tips for surviving returning to work from maternity leave

  1. YOU WILL CRY, even if you don’t think you will, you will. Find a cupboard or a quiet toilet cubicle that is near to where you will be working as you may frequent it on more than one occasion over the course of the day, week, month.

  2. Take tissues. See point 1.

  3. Take make up. See point 1.

  4. Avoid ALL conversations about your baby as it is likely to make you have to do point 1.

  5. DO NOT look at the screen saver on your phone or photo’s on your phone unless yes, you guessed it, you want to do point 1 again.

  6. Take some kind of chocolate treat with you so that after doing point 1 numerous times you can try to make yourself feel a bit better.

  7. Get ready to do point 1 again after feeling guilty for realising that it’s quite nice to be able to eat the chocolate treat without a baby trying to grab it and to be able to go to the toilet in peace without having to entertain the baby.

  8. If you are feeding your baby still DO NOT forget the pump. This is embarrassing and uncomfortable.

  9. If you haven’t done point 1 yet, get ready to do it after you realise you haven’t thought about or missed the baby for a while.

  10. DON’T try and join in a normal adult conversations straight away, remember that your brain wont function properly for a while yet, so ease yourself in.

  11. Be prepared to repeat all of these steps for the next few days, weeks, months and whenever the baby cries or is ill when you leave.

31 responses to “10 Top Tips – How to survive your first day back from maternity leave”

  1. Kim Carberry says:

    Aww! Hugs! I hope today goes ok for you! x

  2. Berg says:

    Good Post. It is always sad when you first have that time away from your little one. It’s only a sign that you are a good mum to miss them terribly. Thanks for the link up #pixnmix

    • MummyandMonkeys says:

      Aww thanks, yes it is, thanks for linking up x

  3. kerry norris says:

    I’ve got all this to come again next year. Every point you’ve made it so right. Hope it went well for you! Kerry x
    #PicknMix

    • MummyandMonkeys says:

      Thank you it went ok. I don’t think it gets any easier, the only thing is I was prepared for how I was going to feel x

  4. Chloe says:

    Aww sending so many hugs. I remember how hard this was for me too. Sounds about right. But it does get easier. xx

    • MummyandMonkeys says:

      Thank you, yes it does get easier, eventually! x

  5. Helen says:

    Oh gosh, I’m dreading the return to work so much! I really hope your return has gone well and there weren’t too many tears. #PicknMix

    Helen x

    http://treasureeverymoment01.blogspot.co.uk/

    • MummyandMonkeys says:

      Thank you, I hope your return goes as well as it can. There weren’t too many tears. I actually cried more on the way there and then again when I got home x

  6. haha – point 1 features a lot! best of luck x #pickNmix

  7. Becster says:

    I hope your first day back this time around goes well! It’s very odd but I didn’t have it half as bad when I went back. I think it’s because hubby took over from me. It was harder when Little Miss started creche though – yes I cried A LOT that day! #picknmix

    • MummyandMonkeys says:

      Yes I actually found it was a lot easier leaving her with Daddy then when I left my little boys at nursery. Much easier leaving them with someone that you know loves them x

  8. Excellent timing, I’ll be heading back in a few weeks, albeit just part-time, but I’m guessing that won’t make it any easier on the first full day I leave the little one. I will be sure to pack A LOT of chocolate in my handbag. Speaking of which, I’m quite looking forward to using an adult handbag again rather than a massive baby bag 🙂

    • MummyandMonkeys says:

      The adult handbag is strange mine felt so empty! Good luck for when you go back x

  9. By the time you read this post, your week will be over and you have the weekend to look forward to. Maybe there should be a No. 12 that says ‘Always start back on a Thursday so that there are only 2 days until the weekend’. Congratulations on surviving thus far. Nicky #PicknMix

    • MummyandMonkeys says:

      Thursday would be great! In September I will be starting at Wednesday lunch time so not too bad x

  10. Rachel says:

    I did this 2 years ago and it still seems really hard some days! Hope your first day back was okay #PicknMix x

    • MummyandMonkeys says:

      Thanks Rachel some days are tougher than others aren’t they x

  11. I hope your first day back went ok lovely xx

    Stevie

    • MummyandMonkeys says:

      It wasn’t too bad actually, I was glad to get it over with x

  12. It was my first week back this week and point number 8 happened on Wednesday. I am still feeding my boy a little in the night and on Wednesday afternoon, I glanced at my top and I had leaked!!! How embarrassing. Luckily, I had a cardigan!

    • MummyandMonkeys says:

      Oh No! How embarrassing, glad you had a cardigan xx

  13. Haha, the first day is always the first. I was constantly thinking of my boy. But then the next week I was back to normal, knowing that he was okay. Sabrina xx
    #picknmix

    • MummyandMonkeys says:

      Yeah it’s tough to start then it goes to only being tough when they are ill or upset x

  14. carol says:

    This made me smile, not because of all the crying but because it is so true. I am going back to work soon but remember it so well from my first child.

  15. Hannah says:

    Great tips here. I’m hoping to start volunteer work soon and although mine are older I’m sure il feel a few of these things and need to hear some of these tips in mind! #pickandmixfriday

  16. Julie S says:

    Great post! I think I hid in my cubicle my first few days back. I didn’t cry, but it was stressful and overwhelming for sure. Pumping and looking at my baby on the cam helped a lot.

  17. Maria says:

    Awww I remember having to return to work and both times it was tough!! I then did enjoy actually being able to enjoy my lunch break and go clothes shopping with no baby or buggy in tow!!

    Hope it’s getting a little easier with each day. x #PicknMix

  18. Christine says:

    It’s a long time since I returned to work after maternity but I remember wanting to find any way I could not to return to work. However once I was back it was as if I’d never been away! #picnmix

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