GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR MATERNITY LEAVE

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Motherhood is demanding, and you should be prepared for all the emotions, hormonal changes and weight gain which comes with it. Maternity leave is given so you can have time to safely deliver and take care of your newborn baby. It is common, as a first-time mother, to feel overwhelming joy one moment and feel worried the next so don’t be too hard on yourself.

It is a time to learn and bond with your baby before you resume work. You can scour the internet for sites like parent guide which provide the useful tips and information to new and experienced mothers alike.

To get the most out of your maternity leave, you need to spend the most time with your baby, training him or her into a routine and also the caregiver with whom you’ll leave them when you return to work.

Take it easy

After a successful delivery, it is easy to get overjoyed and excited with your bundle of joy and start organizing for visitation plans with friends and family and sending notes of gratitude to those who were with you in the hospital. This is more so if it is your first time.

Instead, relax and take it easy. Have some alone time with your baby. Friends and family can wait. Take the time to recover from labor and get to know and bond with your baby. If it was a caesarian delivery, give yourself time to convalesce until your wounds heal.

Then when you are ready, invite people in and have some company.

Do not carry office work home

Your newborn baby needs all your time. Your maternity is well deserved, and is a deserved break from work. Unless you have a full-year power maternity leave, you maternity break will end before you realize it.

Delegate your duties before you go on maternity leave so that you don’t get work-related calls while you are on a break. Taking care of a newborn baby is already hard as it is, what with the sleepless nights. Do not add work-related stress on to it.

If there are pressing work or business issues that require your input, clear them quickly, so they don’t interfere with the quality time between you and your baby. Even those who are self-employed can squeeze in a short maternity leave.

Ask for help and get support

It is okay to feel overwhelmed with the baby care responsibilities. It is also okay to ask and accept help with your baby, so you can take some much-needed rest. Ask your partner to take turns feeding the baby at night so you can catch some sleep. Look for a nanny to help with laundry and cooking. It is fine if you can’t do it all by yourself.

Seek the support of fellow mothers who can provide moral and psychosocial support. There is a lot you can learn from shared motherhood experiences. Make friends with mothers in your neighborhood.