Becoming new parents brings joy and excitement with an equal share of challenges. For working parents, these challenges can be even more daunting as they try to balance their work responsibilities with caring for their newborn, especially for mothers.
Leaving the baby with caretakers and staying away a whole day possesses hidden guilt in mothers. But when work is also a priority, striking the balance is the only way.
To mitigate the guilt, we can ensure all the necessary supplies for our baby, leaving them in safe hands or sharing responsibilities with partners. Most important is to communicate the needs and concerns to the employer.
However, whatever we do can not cope with motherly love. But with the proper support and a little bit of planning, you can find a balance that works for you and your family. And we are here to help you plan with simple tips.
12 Tips For Managing Time And Responsibilities Between Work And Caring For A Newborn
Working parent’s roles are the most difficult as well as rewarding. You can experience a new journey of parenthood. Also, it will be time to return to work once the post-maternity leave is over.
Now, the real journey begins. Sometimes, it can be overwhelming and frustrating. But outlining all the responsibilities and then stepping ahead with a plan can give you a balance over everything. Initially, it may be tough, but with time, you will definitely find your groove.
Creating A Schedule For Feeding, Sleeping, And Playtime
Right after the birth of your baby, you should try to maintain a routine. By doing this, you can better know your baby’s feeding needs, feeding and sleeping timetable, playtime, bathing time, and others. You also can adjust your timetable according to your baby’s needs.
Now, make a schedule according to the timeline. Following the schedule, you will not miss feeding your baby or any important task. Or if you are about to leave your baby with a caregiver, they can follow the routine. It is also important to maintain consistency with the timetable. Inconsistency can make the infant uncomfortable.
Flexibility In Adapting To The Changing Needs Of The Newborn
Even if you are making routines, be flexible with the changing needs of your newborn. Infants’ habits are unpredictable. For example, children sleep for almost 18 hours for the first three months. The need for sleep decreases as the baby grows and needs sleep training. This is the same for their other habits. So you can not stay fixed with your schedule all the time. Stay mentally prepared for the sudden changes. It will keep you stress-free.
Set Up A Family Calendar
A family calendar keeps records of all the responsibilities of the family members, their commitments, and any upcoming events or weekend plans with other work. Once you have a baby, try to maintain the family calendar. You can update who is going to take care of the child on which day. The caregiver can get to know about any doctor appointments or anything regarding the baby.
This can be a paper calendar or a digital one. Share it with your partner and all other members. You can hang up the calendar in a common space.
Make Your Mornings As Easy As Possible
Morning hours can be the busiest time. This time, you need to leave for the office and also take care of the baby’s needs. Try to be more organized in this period.
Pre-select your clothes and other accessories you are going to wear the next day. Prepare your lunch box or meal at night.
So, in the morning a lot of your extra work will be reduced. Do not forget to feed your baby. Also, if you breastfeed, then pump a bottle of milk. Ensure the proper temperature to store the milk bottle and give instructions to the caregiver.
Try to keep some time in your hand and adore your baby before you leave home.
Keeping Baby Essentials And Nursery Supplies Organized
If you leave your baby at daycare, then pack the bag early at night. Put all the stuff like clothes, diapers, and medicines, if necessary, with other essentials. Organize all the stuff required for your baby in one place. So, you can find all the things whenever needed. This also can help you get a hassle-free morning.
Have Clear Boundaries
The most important criterion is having clear boundaries between work and family time. When you are working, your work should be your top priority. Try to finish all the work in the office. Do not leave the work for later. This will gradually increase your workload.
By maintaining this, you can better focus on your family time. There will be no extra work pressure. Spend most of your free time with your baby to create a strong bond.
Divide The Responsibilities And Conquer
A baby is not the mother’s responsibility only. Here, the father and other family members should contribute and share the responsibilities. If you have a partner and other members, then divide the responsibilities. You can assign someone to feed the baby on time or play with them. Or everyone can do their specific work on their own. Your partner can also share the duties and look after the baby when he is free.
For solo mothers, neighbors, family, or friends can be the best support. Neighbors can babysit each other’s babies.
Have A Backup Babysitter In Place
You can consider hiring nannies or babysitters if no one is there to help you. Hourly-based babysitters are available. Or contact a couple of babysitters so that you can get help immediately in times of emergency. But be careful about the authenticity of the babysitters.
Find Ways In Which Tasks Are Time-Consuming
Learn time management and try to find ways to complete tasks in less time. Divide your time into blocks and dedicate each block to specific tasks. Try to finish the work on time. This way, you can manage all your tasks and keep track of the finished work. Also, ask your family to complete their own work. This can reduce the extra burden of work from your head.
Find New Mom Support Networks
There are many other women around you who have experience handling children and work. It can be your friends or colleagues. You can ask for tips from them. Or arrange a small get-together in your home. They can better help you overcome the tricky challenges.
Get The Support You Need At Work
If you were on maternity leave, your employers know about the new guest well. So, you can personally talk with them about adjustments to your working hours if necessary. Or ask for a home office, or leave. Besides, support from colleagues can reduce stress a lot.
Also, get aware of some laws that say that breastfeeding moms returning to work can breastfeed their babies in the workplace. The company must make the necessary arrangements. So, try to have a good relationship in your workplace.
Simplify Dinner
Preparing meals takes a lot of work and energy. After returning from the office, you can not only spend your time preparing meals. What you can do is simplify your dinner items. Or try to make meals on the weekend for a couple of days. Consider getting help from your partner to make food.
Final Verdict
Parenthood is both pleasing and challenging. For working parents or mothers, managing the newborn and work responsibilities becomes more difficult. We know it is not simple and needs a lot of mental strength. So, we tried to find efficient solutions to manage work responsibilities and the newborn.
You can start making schedules according to the baby’s needs, divide responsibilities with near ones, learn time management, or consider hiring nannies. Most importantly, you will need a lot of mental strength to ensure your little angel’s childhood is comfortable and happy.
