Samantha

Mom to Amelia

Events Manager

Length of Maternity Leave: 3 months

Childcare: Daycare and Grandma

What did you struggle with most about returning to work after having your kids?

I struggled with the guilt of leaving my three month old at daycare with people who are spending a lot more time with her then I was. I worried about the fact that I would miss milestones or that she wouldn’t be as connected to me when I went back to work.

What do you find difficult about being a working parent?

The struggle after a long day of work all you want to do is cuddle and hold your baby. But, you only have two hours to make dinner, play with your babe, get everything ready for daycare, and then it’s bedtime for the baby. All I want is more time in the day to snuggle my little girl a little long.

What do you enjoy about being a working parent?

The feeling of balance. I love what I do and I love being a mom. The fact that I can have both worlds is everything to me. I hope that our little girl grows up knowing her parents worked super hard to give her the absolute best life possible.

After being back at work for some time, have your views about career and family changed?

My views on having both a career and family has definitely changed. I’ll never forget the moment when I was 5 months pregnant that it hit me that my daughter would be in daycare full time. I cried of the thought that a stranger would have more time with my daughter then me. If it wasn’t for our outstanding daycare, I would still feel the same. Having a support system and teachers that truly care about your child makes my heart so full. Rather then looking at it as a stranger is spending more time with Amelia, I look at it as Amelia is just SO loved by so many people.

Knowing what you know now, what’s one thing you wish you could go back in time and tell yourself as you were preparing to return to work or getting ramped up in your role?

You will adapt. When you think you’ve been handed too much, you learn to adapt. A baby changes every aspect of your world but, you adapt. Becoming a mom changes you but, for the better.

What did you choose for childcare, and how has it been for your family?

Daycare and Grandma

Pros: my daughter is exposed to a lot more then I would even think to teach her. She has people that love her. I can go to work everyday knowing she is having a fun filled day (the pictures I get sent make me feel so much better). I get to see every aspect of her day via an app.

Cons: she’s always sick. She’s had every single sickness you can think of and then passes it on to us.

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To all the mamas going back to work: you got this. Take a deep breath and just remember how proud your child will be when they hear not only do you conquer the world as a mama but you conquer it at work too.