When to go back work... after having a baby by Corvet Williams

When is the right time for a mom to go back to work after giving birth?
There isn’t one answer and there isn’t a wrong answer. To my surprise, after a random conversation on this very topic, I found there were many answers. The answers do vary based on it being your first child, single parent, and career position, just to name a few. 


I haven’t done a formal poll but I have had this conversation multiple times over. For starters, first-time mothers, who were ready or planned for their first child generally slowed their career down quite a bit to not working at all. The main reason, they wanted to enjoy this long-awaited gift. Now the same first-time mothers who didn’t necessarily plan on having a child went back to work generally within the first 6 months. Some of the main reasons were because they were not ready to slow down, give up their social life or some were single so they had no other choice.


Then there are the repeat mothers - laughing out loud. Unless she was a stay at home mom or otherwise, to begin with, she was more willing to “get back out there.” Her first-time mother jitters were over. She basically felt more comfortable leaving her new baby knowing the baby would be fine. Also just knowing the baby will be fine versus feeling like you are the only one capable of caring for your child. Trust me I’ve been there. Again this too has variations. Some women needed to go back because her household needed two incomes, some again were single, others had worked hard to climb the social ladder and could potentially lose their positions if they didn’t return to work soon. 


All of that being said, there isn’t a right or wrong. You don’t have to feel guilty about what you choose. You can choose what you want because it’s best for you and baby. No matter what you decide you can still look back 15-20 years from now and wish you had chosen differently. Like another woman who said she wished she would have spent more time with her children when they were young and just allowed her husband to work more or take on a new job.


Whatever you decide, know you are an amazing mom and woman doing the best you can. Beyoncé said it best “we’re strong enough to make the children and get back to business.”

Find out more about Corvet at www.corvetwilliams.com Twitter: @CorVet

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