What is one piece of advice you wish you could offer your former expectant self?

Enjoy every moment during your pregnancy and try not to worry about what comes next.

What was your primary motivation for deciding to return (or not) to work? How early did you tell your employer?

My first child was adopted so I was trying desperately to live in the moment and not focus too much on what would happen next. When our son was born, I had every intention of heading back to work in the law firm full time. I was very open with my office and let them in on my plan. As we all know, things can change. After our son was born I decided to work but in a different capacity. I started my own business, Groovy Green Livin, and let my office know this change as soon as I had made a firm decision.

FOR MOMS: If you breastfed, was there a place for you to pump that met your needs and was conducive to your success? If you breastfed, how did you decide to continue? FOR DADS: What, if any, adjustments did you (or your workplace) make to your schedule after having a baby? Was it specific to your manager or larger, whole work culture?

While my children were breastfeeding I was home with them. When I ultimately went back to work all of my children were no longer breastfeeding and I was working from home. I did have to pump on occasion and there was always a sufficient space to do so. Had I remained a partner in my law firm I would have closed my door to pump throughout the day and I don’t think that would have been an issue.

How much leave did you take, and how comfortable were you taking it?

Once my son was born it was my intention to take 3-4 months with him. I ended up not going back to the office and starting a business (Groovy Green Livin) working out of my home.

How easy was it to put a childcare arrangement together and did it work for your family?

When I went back to work, childcare was always an issue. It was challenging to get things accomplished with my children at home, yet I wanted to spend time with them. Ultimately we found a balance with an in-home daycare center. This worked very well for our family.

When did the “new normal” set in for you?

Immediately! Well, I’m not sure I can use “normal” any longer. With children, nothing is normal.

What was your biggest challenge going back to work?

The guilt. When I have deadlines that I need to meet I do my best to accomplish them during the school day so that it doesn’t impact my family time. I still struggle with balancing this.

Who was your biggest source of support in returning to work? What was your biggest pregnancy indulgence?

My husband was and always will be my biggest source of support. My biggest pregnancy indulgence was definitely getting a massage once in awhile (highly recommend this!).

Fill in the blanks: As a working parent, I never expected ____ would be so hard and ____ would be so much easier!

As a working parent, I never expected balancing my work time with my family time would be so hard and saying no when I’m overbooked would be so much easier!

As a working parent, a bad day is when _____ and a good day is when _______.

As a working parent, a bad day is when I’m spending too much time on my laptop and a good day is when we eat dinner together as a family.

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