Working mums, how do you do it?!

miffyhugmuffin

Hi,

It's my last day of maternity leave today. My one year old daughter didn't get to sleep until 2am as she is poorly with a cold. How on earth do people manage to go into work after, say, just a few hours sleep?

I am worried that I will not be able to manage the stress of working and lack of sleep. I am having to go back to a different job with more complex work and more of it. I am wondering whether it might be over-ambitious of me to work (even though it's just part-time) and bring up a child. I don't do stress very well. Help! Any tips or words of wisdom from those who've done it?

Gigglepig

I don't have kids but know many full time working mums who are very very organised, prepared for any eventuality.

It really helps to have a flexible understanding manager and if you have flexible hours, but not everyone is so lucky.

If it is a one-off, you can push yourself through a working day on very little sleep - no different from being sleep deprived from working late to meet a deadline etc. I find caffeinated drinks help...

Didnt want to read and run, it is a big milestone to go back to work and natural to feel stressed out and tired until you have had some time to adjust.

Amanda65

I worked part-time when mine were little, made easier by the fact that my childcare was provided by my Mum so didn't have to worry thankfully if they were ill etc. unless very poorly.

It's all about being organised really and cutting yourself some slack. Packed lunches etc were always made the night before so I was concentrating on DD's and/or DS in the mornings. I am an avid list writer and have everything I need to do on an on-going 'To Do' list to try and make sure I don't forget anything. If the bathroom wasn't cleaned to within an inch of it's life, but was hygenic, same with the kitchen, I learned to live with it. I made sure I factored in activities for the children and I on days I wasn't working, but also made sure I had at least one afternoon a week at home to catch up on paperwork / housework etc.

As for lack of sleep - you just learn to live with it really and if I had had a bad night I tried to get to bed earlier the following night. OH was also great, took his turn at getting up (although not as often as he worked long days full time and I am better at him on coping on less sleep - more of a night owl). It's not easy but if you need or want to do it you will

flutterby_lil

I am on my first day back today (well my first day of being paid, I am taking my 6 weeks leave, so back in March).

I have a 4 year old at school and a 10 month old.....i will be working 4 full days. Dunno how I will cope, but have to. I also have a 3 year old step daughter too!! I will have to be super organised I guess.

Let us know how you get on OP.

tara747

flutterby_lil wrote: »

I am on my first day back today (well my first day of being paid, I am taking my 6 weeks leave, so back in March).

I have a 4 year old at school and a 10 month old.....i will be working 4 full days. Dunno how I will cope, but have to. I also have a 3 year old step daughter too!! I will have to be super organised I guess.

Let us know how you get on OP.

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flashnazia

miffyhugmuffin wrote: »

Hi,

It's my last day of maternity leave today. My one year old daughter didn't get to sleep until 2am as she is poorly with a cold. How on earth do people manage to go into work after, say, just a few hours sleep?

I am worried that I will not be able to manage the stress of working and lack of sleep. I am having to go back to a different job with more complex work and more of it. I am wondering whether it might be over-ambitious of me to work (even though it's just part-time) and bring up a child. I don't do stress very well. Help! Any tips or words of wisdom from those who've done it?

Try not to worry too much at this stage as you might set yourself up to fail. Going back to work after mat leave does seem very daunting and can be fraught with anxiety. Try to let your worries go. You will be able to cope; it just happens.

Clarieloo

I have an 18 month old and have worked 4 days a week since he was 9 months and he didn't consistantly sleep through the night until he was over a year old. I didn't have a choice other than to go back to work so I had to just get on with it. I am tired most of the time and can't remember the last time I stayed up past 10.30 on a work night. My best advice is not to stress too much beforehand because that will lead to you having sleepless nights even when the baby's asleep. You'll cope because you have too - we all do!

Good luck with the return to work x

masonsmum

I have a 6 year old and a 21 month old who still doesnt sleep, I work 3 days a week, I have been ill all weekend too so was up until 2 am being sick then baby got up at 4am, he was shushed back to sleep then wide awake and up for the day at 5.50am!!

I am sitting here at work and my motivation level is a big fat ZERO!! Counting the hours till hometime and it will be early beds all around tonight.

I do think though you just learn to "get on with it" your body goes into a sort of autopilot system, I am constantly tired since my second son was born, I dont ever remember it being as hard with DS1 though, dont know if its a second baby thing or Im older now in my 30's??

momofmonster

I have to say with a lack of sleep you do just get on with (coffee and lots of it helps though)

I am a single parent with a four year old and recently he has been a bit poorly with a cough and cold so has been waking me up at all hours of the night/early morning for drink/tissue/cudlles/etc and it can be hard but you do just get on with it - sometimes in a bit of a zombie mode but you do it nonetheless!!

I do find it helps me to take frequent breaks and just step outside for a minute - the cold air is a definite boost for me when i start to feel sleepy!!

Good luck back at work

onlyroz

You just get on with it and try to be as organised as possible. Hopefully you won't be up until 2am every night, but the times when you have to do this you take an early night the next day to catch up.

Also, I try to get as much as possible done in the hour or so after I get in from work - dinner goes straight on and packed lunches for the next day are made while dinner is cooking. After dinner washing up is done, any laundry is shoved on, and then I get an hour or so to dedicate to the kids (homework, bathtime, stories etc etc). Then, if all goes well, I have a bit of "me" time before bed.

flashnazia

The 'OH' should be helping too. Without that it will be difficult.