Return To Work_Podcast

[00:00:00] Are you a new parent who is returning back to work and have a search of emotions? And you feel so doubtful whether this is the right decision. You are very much confused and you are feeling so emotional about returning back to your work

[00:00:16] Then this podcast is for you. Welcome to The Baby Brain Show, I'm your host Dr. Nalini I'm an early brain development coach and founder of Quality体 of Quality体 universe. In this podcast I'm going to reveal some of the tips which I personally did when I

[00:00:34] didn't back to work after my maternity leave. But also I will be giving you some of the scenarios from which you can relate how you can actually come up with some coping strategies and how you can handle certain situations. Come, let's get started.

[00:00:50] As a new parent, one of the significant milestones you will encounter is the decision to return to work. Whether it's after maternity or paternity leave, or simply transitioning back to your professional life after taking time off to care for your new one.

[00:01:07] This tip can be both exciting and exciting using. It's perfectly natural to have mixed emotions about leaving your child in someone else's care where you head back to the work place. Here we will discuss some tips and strategies for making this transition as smooth as possible.

[00:01:28] First thing, planning ahead, returning to work requires thoughtful planning, start by considering the following things. Number one is child care options. Research and select a child care provider that you trust, whether it's a decar or a family member or a nanny.

[00:01:48] Visit the facility, ask questions and ensure they have experience caring for infants and toddlers. The more you trust on the caregiver, it's going to be easy for you while you concentrate on your other responsibilities. Number two, work arrangements.

[00:02:06] You can talk to your employer about your flexible work arrangements, such as adjusting your habits according to your child's needs, working from home or if there is any part-time options available.

[00:02:20] Open the communicating this with your employer can actually help you to transition to this new phase very easily, rather than stopping yourself from communicating and later regretting for it. Number three, feeding and pumping.

[00:02:36] If you are a breastfeeding parent, plan for a comfortable space at work for pumping and discuss your schedule with your supervisor to ensure you have the necessary breaks. You cannot immediately stop breastfeeding as it may impact your child's emotional well-being and also your own well-being.

[00:02:56] So make sure that you have the enough information knowledge on how to pump and you are also seeking a necessary break to continue your breastfeeding journey even after you started going back to work. So the second thing what I want to mention is about transitioning gradually.

[00:03:17] It is very an emotional decision for you and your child to adapt to the new schedule and new routine. So I would suggest you to consider returning to work gradually. This can help both you and your child to adapt to the change.

[00:03:34] You can start with some part-time work hours and gradually increase them. You can also check if there is any option for it.

[00:03:42] Partial work from home and partial work from office so that the change is slow and gradual for you and your child to adapt to the new change for the new environment for the new CalDiver. We take time. Number 3. Very importantly communicate with your employer.

[00:04:02] Very effective communication with your employer is very crucial. Discurs your needs and any special arrangements you have made for child care. Be clear about your expectations and any flexibility you may require. You won't know whether you are getting help unless until you ask for it.

[00:04:21] Seek support wherever necessary and whenever necessary and communicating your needs with your employer sets tier expectations from your employer as well. Very important segment is coping with emotions.

[00:04:38] It is normal to experience a range of emotions when returning to work, including dirt, separation anxiety and a lot of stress. Remember that these feelings are natural. Lean on your support network whether it is a partner, a family or a friend to share your concerns and seek comfort.

[00:04:59] Don't put your problems or your stressful thoughts within yourself and let it grow. Just seek your guidance and you can see comfort by sharing what do you feel? How do you feel with the people who understand you?

[00:05:17] Just by letting it out you are actually letting it go and you can actually be able to cope with your emotions by admitting and validating how you feel. Number 5. Treating to work while managing the demands of parenting can be very exhausting. Prioritize self care.

[00:05:38] Get enough sleep, eat well and find moments for relaxation. This will help you manage to rest more effectively. We use to keep running all through the day. From the moment we wake up till the time we go to sleep, all other responsibilities are always on our first priority.

[00:05:55] But when we take some time for ourselves, when we are taking out, taking care of our own self, that is when you will be able to pour more for the people around you.

[00:06:07] So make sure that you are forming some self care routine which is helping you to do it every single day and you feel happy about it and that gives you energy.

[00:06:16] It could be something like a simple physical exercise or a simple walk out in a park or a simple, sipping a cup of coffee in the piece, whatever it could be. You define your own things which give you happiness and a lot in a lot of energy

[00:06:35] and try to do that every single day just by dedicating at least five minutes of time for yourselves. The next one is establishing a routine. The routines provide a sense of stability for both you and your child.

[00:06:50] So create a schedule that accommodates your work hours and includes quality bonding time when you are at home. It doesn't mean that if you are spending 24 hours in a day with your child,

[00:07:05] and if you are not spending it with quality, we are not spending it with whole presence. Then there is no point in spending that full time with your child. Instead even if you are spending just 15 minutes to 20 minutes with your child as a quality bonding time,

[00:07:20] where you are not doing anything else and only focusing on it, communicating with your child, that is more than enough for your whole day to work out better because you don't feel guilty of the work that you do. You don't feel disconnected from your child.

[00:07:36] So make sure that you are having a dedicated bonding time with your child. It could be a bedtime routine that you do with your child or a book reading time that you do. Without any other distractions or without any other thoughts running in your mind.

[00:07:52] The next one is stay informed and connected. Make sure you stay informed about your child's daily activities and milestones. Regularly communicate with your child can provide or the care you want to ensure you are involved in your child's development.

[00:08:07] I understand that you may feel that you are disconnected because you are not able to view those amazing milestones that your child is doing,

[00:08:16] but always having in touch and talking about your child's development from the care you can actually give you the sense that you are always involved. And the next one, most importantly, enjoy the quality time with your child.

[00:08:31] Make the most of the time you spend with your child when you are not at work, engage in play, cuddle them and have some meaningful interactions. Quality matters more than quantity.

[00:08:43] So now I'm going to talk to you about few scenarios which you can relate according to with situation that you are going through right now.

[00:08:54] In the situations in these scenarios, I'm also going to give you some of the tips on how you can actually cope up with those kind of scenarios. So I'm going to take up some imaginary names here so that it is more relatable for you while you're hearing me.

[00:09:13] So I'll be first explaining you the scenario as a third person and I'll be giving you some of the solutions or what else you can do for to ease that particular transition.

[00:09:26] So I really want to read your comments on how this whole segment is going to be helpful for you. If you find any of these scenarios relatable and if you find these tips and tricks is something that you want to follow,

[00:09:41] please do drop a comment in the below and also please subscribe to this podcast so that you don't miss out any of the future episodes. Come on let's get started. The first scenario I want to take you through is the first drop off.

[00:09:57] Let's say Shruti is just finished her maternity leave and is about to leave her formant Olsan with a cat diva for the very first time.

[00:10:09] As she hands over her son she feels a wave of emotions like feeling guilty, feeling so anxious and a deep longing to stay with the child. She worries that he will miss her and feel abandoned. So this is the first scenario.

[00:10:29] Now let's first understand that these feelings are entirely natural. To ease the transition what Shruti could have done. Shruti can play shorter initial days so that her son gets used to the caregiver gradually.

[00:10:45] They can also create a good bite of Chival like singing a lullaby or giving a special toy when leaving. Shruti should communicate with a caregiver and ask for the updates during the day to feel more connected. Let's go on to the scenario number 2. Pumping at work.

[00:11:07] Let's see the VIA is returning to work and is concerned about the logistics of pumping breast milk while at the office. She is unsure how her co-workers will react and if she will have a comfortable space for pumping. To address the VIA's content what can we do. Number 1.

[00:11:26] Divya can have an open and honest conversation with her supervisor and the HR department about her needs for a suitable and private pumping space. She can educate her co-workers about the importance of supporting breastfeeding mothers, fostering a more inclusive and understanding workplace.

[00:11:45] Divya can maintain a consistent pumping schedule to ensure she keeps up her milk supply and efficiently manages work responsibility. Let's go to scenario number 3. Juggling multiple roles. Let's see Neha as a new mother who is excited to return to her full-filling job as a marketing manager.

[00:12:06] However she is overwhelmed by the demands of her professional life and the responsibilities of motherhood. She feels like she is always in a hurry and never truly present for a child or her work.

[00:12:19] Now, poor could be the solutions that Neha can do to find a balance between her amazing job and also her amazing family. Neha can practice time management and priorities tasks both at work and home to maximize efficiency.

[00:12:38] She should send boundaries such as not checking work emails or taking calls during designated family time. Neha see support from her partner and discuss how they can share child care and household responsibilities can help ease the load. Let's now go to scenario number 4. Separation and safety.

[00:13:02] Let's say Sukhana is a stay at home mom who has cared for her two-year-old daughter since her birth. Now, she is going back to work and she's worried about how her daughter will cope up with the change. She's afraid she will experience separation on site.

[00:13:20] Now what we can do to help Sukhana through this transition. Now what she can do is Sukhana can practice short separation before she returns to work, leaving her daughter with a trusted gag caregiver or a family member.

[00:13:36] She should provide reassurance by explaining where she is going and when she will be back in simple terms that her daughter can understand. And maintaining a consistent routine and incorporating special bonding moments during non-work hours can help her adjust.

[00:13:56] I hope these scenarios have given you a great insight on how you can transition, returning back to work. Remember, returning to work as a new parent is a significant change and it may take time to adjust.

[00:14:12] It's okay to have mixed feelings and it's essential to be patient with yourself and your child during this transition. As you find a balance between work and family life,

[00:14:24] know that you are doing the best you can to provide for your child and create a full-filling life for your family. If you like this podcast, please share this with other parents who may be benefited because of this, whoever is returning back to work.

[00:14:41] I hope this podcast will be highly helpful to them. Please share it with them and also I would request you to follow me in Instagram and YouTube channels Nalmi Zino, so that you can catch this delicious episode of my life.

[00:14:54] Stay tuned for the next episode on the baby brain show. Thank you so much for subscribing. I'll meet you in the next podcast.