My 10 Highlights Of Returning To Work After Maternity Leave

Since being back at work and reflecting on my maternity leave, I have also realised that work isn’t all that bad! In fact I enjoy it.

I am really lucky to have a job which I do like and I know not everyone is fortunate to be in that position.

I have decided to share with you my experiences of life back in the office with the 10 things I love about returning to work.

1 – Being able to go to the bathroom on my own. The small things mean a lot once you return to work! Please note this list is not in any particular order!

2 – Enjoying a warm cup of coffee. And being able to hold that cuppa without having the stress of having to put it down at any given moment to deal with an upset toddler, flying toy, sickness etc.

3 – Having a baby-free commute. I’m not saying travelling to work at rush hour is a breeze – far from it! But I do enjoy being in the car without constantly checking the rear view mirror to time naps or singing loudly with the radio to help appease an upset toddler fed up of being strapped into their car seat.

4 – Feeling less awkward asking the awkward questions! Although this is quite job specific I’m sure the scenario crops up in lots of positions. As a journalist, I can be faced with a variety of uncomfortable situations in the course of a day trying to get to the bottom of a story, but having been used to cleaning up someone else’s poo and whipping a boob out to feed regardless of who is in the room, I don’t get embarrassed or as uptight as I used to when faced with a challenge!

5 – Letting my girl see other things and spend time with other people. Before I went back to work I kept saying to my husband ‘I think she’s getting bored of me!’. Although he would brush this off, I still think I was right and believe she gets so much out of seeing other people, family or friends whether with Grandma or at nursery.

6 – Looking forward to seeing my daughter and hearing about her day. It always puts a smile on my face to hear ‘she’s been great today’ whether it be from the nursery nurses or my mother-in-law. Hearing her shout ‘mama, mama’ and seeing her holding out her arms for me melts my heart.

7 – Catching up with work friends and listening to their conversation. Let’s face it when you are keeping an eye out for your child, you’re concentration isn’t quite at its maximum. When back at work, It’s nice to be able to listen to what’s going on in your work friends’ lives without your attention being drawn elsewhere.

8 – Being more efficient. I’m not the most organised person in the world but when it came to going back to work I knew I had to be sorted when it with dinners and outfits for the following day. I now feel more efficient as being back at work has forced me to be. Whether it’s batch cooking at the weekend, loading the washing machine first thing in the morning or spending an extra five minutes in the evening peeling spuds for the next day, it’s worth it!

9 – Making more of the time spent with my daughter. When it comes to weekends, I feel like I invest more in her because I know I don’t have all week to spend with her. I use the majority of the time to do things she would want to do and prioritise trying to meet her needs as much as possible. We have definitely made a point of getting out of the house more in free time since I have been back at work.

10 – Realising It’s just a job. Regardless of all the positives, being back at work once you have a child makes you remember if you have a rubbish day, brush it off and start again the next day. Life is much more important than going to work but if you enjoy it while you’re there that’s half the battle!