It's working for Lauren H
Charlotte, North Carolina
2 children
"When I adopted my first son, I was fortunate to have a great manager who enthusiastically helped me take leave on a few hours notice when I learned that we had been matched and needed to depart within a few hours to meet our child in another city."
What is one piece of advice you wish you could offer your former expectant self?
Allow yourself permission to change your mind about what works for you. You may feel one way when you are getting ready to go on leave and entirely different when it is time to return.
How much leave did you take, and how comfortable were you taking it?
I took 12 weeks paid leave with each child. I feel very blessed that my company offers great benefits, and I have had managers who were very supportive.
How easy was it to put a childcare arrangement together and did it work for your family?
We tried out a few different options until we found an arrangement that works for us. We finally landed on using an au pair, which provides us with tremendous flexibility while giving our children a strong support system.
What was your biggest challenge going back to work?
My biggest challenge is finding the “mental bandwidth” to manage all of the details of childcare, homework, sports etc. while still going on full cylinders at the office.