I am 35 weeks pregnant and currently contracting. I had a meeting with my boss and discussed me returning to work. I said I don't want to do this immediately until baby is 6 months old. We discussed the possibility of working from home and only attending 1mtg every week 1 month after baby delivered. My work is only 15 mins away from home so the 1hr meetings once a week are not hard to commit to. Since I've not had children before I wanted advise on whether this is a good idea or not. My work is not demanding and project orientated so I can make the work fit around baby demands etc. My work would provide a laptop & mobile. I was begining to worry about finances as £112 pw is not enough to survive when your used to a full time salary. I'd prefer non-judgmental responses since nothing has been decided and I'm a 1st time mum so no idea what it'll be like to have a baby. So I'll be working f/t from home 1month after delivery.
2007-09-25 00:05:45 · 7 answers · asked by Sarah 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
This is an excellent idea and very doable providing you have someone who can help you look after the baby from time to time. The first few weeks after the birth will be hectic until you get him into a schedule but after that it will be very easy to work around.
Good luck and dont feel bad for wanting to provide for your child.
2007-09-25 00:09:31 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
No one can really answer this question for you as no one knows how you will feel after you have had the baby.
When I was pregnant with my 1st child I agreed to work from home for my boss and still carry out most of my work for him. Then I ended up having a awful birth which resulted in a c-section and my son in special care for 10 days. Initially, I found it very hard to squeeze anything in between the feeds other than just about getting myself bathed and basic household stuff done before feeding started again. Meanwhile, the pile of work that was being sent to my house grew ever higher!!!
This was just what happened to me and I am by no means implying that you will feel the same. Plenty of women cope really well and do manage to juggle jobs immediately after the baby is born. Especially women who run their own businesses or those who have to for desperate financial reasons.
Just keep an open mind. DOnt let your boss force you into anything that you are not sure about and dont what ever you do make any definate commitments.
Perhaps ask if you can discuss it again shortly after your baby is born. That way you will have a better idea of how you are feeling and whether you actually want to do that once you actually have the baby.
Hope that helps. Good Luck xxxx
2007-09-25 03:07:45 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This sounds very like what I did - working from home and just going into the office occasionally. I would say that full time will be very tough, though - and it gets tougher rather than easier as your baby is awake more. I used to manage about 2/3 to 3/4 of full time.
The other thing is that it's very lonely compared with working in an office, and you have to be ruthless with yourself and just leave housework etc. if it's a time of the day when you should be working. Otherwise you can't get the hours done. I found that every so often I had to remind my OH that I was working just like he was, not at home to do housework. And it's hard to keep up with developments in technology etc. unless you're actively using them, because you simply aren't around to hear the conversations any more. And it can be very hard, especially if you need to concentrate on something difficult, you're short on sleep, and your baby's got colic. There's no point trying to pretend to clients that you're not at home working odd hours with a baby in the cot next to you - they'll just think you're unreliable.
What I did eventually was to find a nursery which would take my daughter for two days a week (she was just about one year old at the time). She adored it, and I got to go back in the office and have some proper "adult" time. But working from home was ideal at the time, and I still have it as an option for the school holidays.
2007-09-25 01:15:25 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have just returned to work 3 weeks ago after having my 1st baby she is now 7 months old, I am working 3 full days a week and am even struggling a wee bit with that, but what you are proposing sounds do-able but you'll be busy busy !! At a month old your wee one will still be demanding all of your time and attention.
I hope it all goes well for you, good luck !
2007-09-25 00:20:22 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I found it incredibly tough going back to work - it was handing over the baby to someone else that hurt me though. It lasted a couple of weeks! As to working f/t from home with a little one, very very difficult. They are incredibly demanding to be honest - and when they get to the age mine is now, the lappy is like a magnet to them!! Its really really hard to get any work done!! Good luck - you can but try it and see how it works for you!
2007-09-25 00:10:12 · answer #5 · answered by Sal*UK 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
i dont have any kids of my own, so im no expert of the subject... but i thought every woman was entitled to paid maternity leave - this means not going to work, not even for a one hour meeting a week. If i were you i'd tell your boss no, you will come back when maternity leave finished.
2007-09-25 00:09:53 · answer #6 · answered by L 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
you are entitled to 9 months maternity leave? we cant tell you what is best it is up to you but my generation done it that when you had a child you didn't work again until the child was at school? £112pw isn't bad I dont get much more than that for a full time wage.
2007-09-25 00:18:38 · answer #7 · answered by Jackie M 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋