Little D will be 5 months old next week, unbelievable how fast time is flying. What people say is true, it's all too fast and it makes me want more babies! I went back to work over a month ago (16 week maternity leave) and day 1 was not so bad. There are a few things that are the most difficult.
Pumping! It's not fun, I had my first run in with peeling skin last Friday, not fun to pump with raw skin. Then there is the fact the maternity room is used by multiple women...so you are likely to go to the room and have to come back over and over again. I've actually had women bang on my door and yell if I was done yet...talk about ruining the flow, wink wink. On the flip side, you get some candy crush time, watch downloaded videos, catch up on text messages, phone calls, clean out your purse. There's plenty to be done. Or you can just relax which I don't do very well unless its bed time.
The long work day. Yes, it was long enough to begin with...remember the days when it was 8 hours including your lunch?? Maybe out in the middle of no where the still exists but in the DMV, almost unheard of. Then add in the commute...1.5 hours at minimum. Drive to the metro, find parking for 10 minutes, wait for the train, arrive at your station and walk for 10-15 minutes to your final destination (all while carrying around ice packs and pumping supplies galore plus the water you need to continue producing milk). Did I mention your pumping breaks are not paid? Some companies don't discount your pumping time, but most do and you're lucky if your company is big enough to have a law that makes them provide you with a pumping room and allow unpaid breaks. Again, some companies do have pumping rooms even if the law doesn't make them (I've come across plenty), they're setting an example and preventing a lot of women from giving up Breastfeeding after returning to work. So what do I do about the unpaid breaks? I stay at work longer and get in earlier which means less time with my baby. If I don't arrive early to work I then have to stay late and miss my babies bath time then run to my house to nurse him to sleep. I've been able to get away with just two breaks in a work day if he nurses a lot in the morning and in that case I use my lunch hour to pump and I have 20 minutes in paid breaks. But I don't like doing that bc I'm prone to plugged ducts. Have you ever had mastitis? If you have, then no explanation needed for the horror of it all.
For the sake of not making a blog post the length of a book...final part. Missing your babies milestones, this is pretty huge! Baby D rolled over twice last week while I was at work but hr made up for it by doing it at night for me! He struggled getting it done but he did it!
I'll leave you with one positive of being the kind of working mom that leaves her baby for a specific amount of time to work (SAHM's included!). The joy I feel the moment I get home, the moment I see his pouty face and knowing only I can soothe him and nothing else will do for him (at least I'd like to think so)! It's a feeling I have never felt and I wouldn't trade it for a trip around the world.
That's all for today. I'll be sure to write more now that I have redownloaded this nifty blogging app and I have a ton of time on the train to just write (unless I don't get a seat). Until next time, God bless you all.
Wait, you thought I'd do a blog post without a few pictures?? Pahaha
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Location:L St NW,Washington D.C.,United States
