Naturally, the more time you spend bonding with your newborn baby the better. Unfortunately the United States doesn’t much support maternity leave for parents, and so you and Baby may not quite be ready for the imminent separation.

Returning to work is often a lot less of a load than being with Baby 24/7, regardless of your occupation. But there is usually an innate level of guilt that will accompany you’re absence, that is very hard to shake. For years!

To find a balance between mothering and being a part of the work force is a skill that requires a huge commitment to a new way of thinking. You are no longer the worker bee you once were, you are a Queen Bee who has brilliantly procreated, and there is no bigger distraction. Be gentle with yourself and your expectations toward work and parenting. You cannot commit 100% to two separate simultaneous entities unless you reframe what your commitment looks like. By being 100% present with your Baby when you are not working is key. By being 100% present with work when you are not with Baby will be very rewarding. You simply have to trust that you are capable of bifurcating your two disparate worlds and succeeding.

There will always be pieces of you remaining in one space, when you are in another, and that’s understandable, forgivable and a necessary function so you don’t quit work altogether, or leave Baby at Day Care indefinitely.

The Rethink Baby Day Care Centers will be opening in the near future, where our Pikler trained caregivers are an exceptional surrogate for your mothering. If you follow the Rethink Baby approach, Baby will merge beautifully with a complimentary, seamless transition to day care where you can rest assured that Baby’s environment will mimic home life beautifully.