Re: Working moms and moms-to-be.....

Yes, we both work..and basically have no choice but to make it work. This is our life...in order to afford a home in NY I will continue to work. It can be done. We both make sacrifices, but they are all worth it.

He works nights so he's home with her during the day. He doesn't sleep much, so he takes the brunt of the exhaustion. That doesn't mean I'm not tired. After dealing with 26 6-year olds, the minute I walk in the door, I'm on. So basically I'm on all day. Lucikly, Isabella is a fantastic sleeper, she's out by 7-7:30. So I get what I need done then.

She wakes up at 7am, so I try to feed/change her before I leave. She's a catnapper...so Dh really doesn't rest throughout the day. But he does it for her. They have such a close bond already. I love hearing for DH what she did that day. It works for us for now.

Would I change anything?
Sure, in a perfect world I would be home with no financial worries, and work a couple of days a week. I'm working on that goal..so we shall see.

Re: Working moms and moms-to-be.....

I am a FT working mommy and I couldn't have it any other way. I also work from 10-6 or 7 or later even and I just try to balance the days I can get home early with the ones that I can't. Bella is up between 6 and 7 am in the morning and it's just her and I. That is my favorite time of the day...I drop her off at a daycare where they adore her and vice versa, half the times she doesn't look up when I leave...
DH picks her up at 3:45 usually (they are open until 7 pm) and they hang out until I get home, or he feeds, bathes, and puts her to bed by himself.

I get home some days at 6, some days after 7, and some days I don't get home until well after midnight. But I love the career I chose and knew that when I had a baby that this was going to be the deal. There will even be times when I have to travel a lot...I make every, single second count with my daughter. I didn't have a mother for most of my life and when I did she was a really LOUSY SAHM...

It's definitely NOT impossible and I have to say, now that she is a little over a year we have such a great routine down. I love my weekends with her and I never thought I would miss my sleeping in on Sundays, but I don't...
Do I miss her like crazy sometimes, yep. But I know that her little smile is only a little bit away...and because I work we will be able to give her all the things I didn't have growing up and more...

Message edited 11/10/2006 8:35:42 PM.

Re: Working moms and moms-to-be.....

I work days and DH works nights. I get up at 5:45 and leave by 7am the latest. On most days my daughter is still sleeping so I don't get to see her. DH is home with her until 12:30. Then she either goes to daycare or my Mom comes and watches her. I am home by around 4:30pm. Then it is just her and I. I play with her, read to her,feed her and bath her and give her tons of love!!! My time with her is so precious and purposeful. I make the most of the time I have with her.

Is it hard that after working all day I come home to take care of my daughter all by myself until she goes to bed. Yes, but I don't care because it's all about my daughter!!!

Re: Working moms and moms-to-be.....

I work, have a private practice, take care of the house and all bills, food shopping etc, and have 3 kids- CHAOS!!! But I love it!!!

Re: Working moms and moms-to-be.....

I am going back to work in 2 weeks...I will be working a compressed work week so i have Fridays off ... which means i make up Friday hours during the week. My MIL and cousin will be babysitting the other 4 days for the boys. My cousin can only do it for 6 months and then the boys will go into daycare for 2-3 days. DH and I want that as we think daycare is great for children for socialization purposes. I just didn't want to put them in there as newborns.

I will have to be the one who gets up with them and feeds them at 5AM each morning. But like another mother said i am going to like that as that will be my alone time with them before the craziness of the day begins.

Re: Working moms and moms-to-be.....

Re: Working moms and moms-to-be.....

I'm a mommy to be and as of now our plan is this..
I will stay at my FT job through the end of December. I will work my PT job until I am totally not comfy anymore (PT job is a "Desk Job", so, Im hoping to "stick with it for a week or 2 in Jan).
After the baby comes I will either
A. Return to my FT job with my mom helping out.
B. Return to my FT job but see if there is a PT position available.
I definitley have to return to work somewhere. I cannot be a SAHM. Im so thankful my mom can help out, but, she hasn't been feeling good this year (she's getting better)and I don't want to "push it". Im going to work around her schedule and most likely work PT.

Re: Working moms and moms-to-be.....

I will continue to work after is here.

I teach and DH is a professor. His schedule is great. He only has to be on campus three days a week (though they are long), and since I leave at 5:45, he will drop her off at daycare and I will pick her up. Then he will be home with the baby two days. Since we both bring work home, we'll have to figure something out- probably after she goes to bed we'll do any work we have to do.

We are also crossing our fingers that DH gets a sabbatical for next fall- then we would not need daycare till the baby is 10 months. He will have to do research, so hopefully the baby will be a napper. If not, when I get home, I will take over and he will do his work, then I'll do my work after she goes to sleep.

We are NOT organized people so this is going to be a challenge!

Re: Working moms and moms-to-be.....

Hats off to working moms and dads. No way could I do it. I barely manage and I only work PT. I guess if I had to I would figure it out but I would feel like I was on the verge of a breakdown every single day.

Re: Working moms and moms-to-be.....

Re: Working moms and moms-to-be.....

Dh and I will both be working after the baby is born. I will work from home 3 days a week and in the office 2 days a week. When I'm in the office my mother will be watching the baby. We have no choice we both have to work, so we have to make the situation work.

Re: Working moms and moms-to-be.....

This is one topic that my DH and I have been discussing for the past few weeks. I will be going back to work, and when we do have a child. We will have no family members to watch the baby. Everyone works!
How do all of you moms here like day care? I hear mixed things about daycare. If you don't mind sharing, how pricey is it? Do they charge by the hour or by the day? How early does daycare usually open? I leave my house for work at 6:30am and home by 3:30. This is one thing that makes me really nervous.

Re: Working moms and moms-to-be.....

Re: Working moms and moms-to-be.....

Well, we do it. I go to work all day (I'm a teacher) and JT stays with Ava, then when I get home, JT goes to work from 4pm-midnight (he works in television). So, essentially, both JT and I feel like single parents during the week. We only see each other on the weekends. It's a huge sacrifice and it's very hard, but it's that important to us for Ava to have one of us home with her. It's not forever and it's the best solution for our family right now.

Re: Working moms and moms-to-be.....

Message edited 11/12/2006 1:42:34 AM.