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

Motherhood is a marathon – not a sprint. You have to pick your battles and your worries and learn to let a lot of things go. Your child is on his own journey in this life, and with a Type A personality, there’s going to be a lot you can’t control. Take a deep breath, and instead of trying to control his eating, sleeping, etc. learn to get to know your baby – and the things that make him unique.

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

Fortunately, I am my own boss, so there was no awkward or stressful “I’m pregnant” conversation.

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

I took a full 30 days off and then went back on a part-time basis. I thought I would be full time after 3 months, but the reality is that my baby had some special circumstances. He arrived early because of a scary liver malfunction on my part, and then he developed severe acid reflux and a milk protein allergy that caused him to cry sometimes for 9 hours a day. Those first few months were really rough. I might have been naïve when I was pregnant thinking I would be back full-time after just 3 short months, and while it’s definitely business as usual now, I will say that it’s been much harder than I ever thought. I think women need to be more forgiving of themselves, we need to put away our Super Woman cape and realize that we can do it all – just not all at once. Every day is a balancing act – some days I’m Mommy of the Year, but I’m not a great CEO. Other days, I kick ass in the board room, but can’t be there for my baby as much. And that’s okay. My husband and child will always be my first priority, but some days you just can’t be an all-star at everything – and you need to learn to love yourself anyway.

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

My husband has always been my biggest cheerleader – both in business and in life. He was also my biggest supporter when I started my company five and a half years ago – and encouraged me to follow my dreams and follow my passion for bringing social media management services to luxury hospitality brands.

I actually had the healthiest pregnancy cravings – fresh fruit and Greek yogurt were my go-tos. Or fresh fruit and tart frozen yogurt. Yum!

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

I never expected juggling it all would be so hard and the love I have for my baby would be so much easier!

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