Working moms check-in 9/8

[Widget123]

Now that a bunch more people started work again this week, I thought I'd get this going.

1.  How long have you been back to work?  Full time or part time?  In the "office" or at home?

2.  What childcare arrangement do you have set up?  How has LO been doing with this arrangement so far?

3.  How are you feeling being back to work (happy, sad, etc.)? 

4.  Anything you want to vent about?  (Piles of work on your desk?  Wild students?  Pumping issues?)

[Widget123]

1. I've been back to work since 8/17, but 2/3 of those weeks I was working part time since DH was out of town. My work schedule is back to normal full time this week. I work in the office 99% of the time.

2. LO goes to DD's daycare center. There are 10 infant/pre-toddler rooms at this center; 9 kids between 2 months and 18 months and 2-3 teachers in each room. LO is in a different room with different lead teachers than DD had, but they all pretty much know DD. LO hasn't adjusted to sleeping at daycare yet, but he has been eating okay.

3. I am generally happy to be back at work, but towards the end of the work week I have been getting sad, because I've only been getting about 4 hours of awake time with LO per day and during most of that awake time I am still running around trying to get things done. But I have been making the most of our time together on the weekends.

4. Things have been unusually slow at work and I am not used to it, mostly because of the time of the year and that we are significantly understaffed. I'm also anxious about my boss's upcoming retirement and the person who is replacing him. But nothing too exciting.

[ashbash]

Sept 8, 2015 14:58:51 GMT -5 budders said:

1. I had two teacher days last week, but I kind of count today as my first day back full-time (the students started today). I teach, so I'm in school. I wish there was a way to do my job from home.

2. We are sending V to a home daycare in my husband's school district. The woman is wonderful, and it's the perfect set up for us. The only issue is the fact that H drives him back-and-forth every day. Today was technically the first day, and he sent me a video of the baby screaming and said we need to figure this out because he can't do this every day. I just started sobbing because there is nothing I can do about it. My district is in the opposite direction, so I can't bring him. I get that it's stressful, but I feel like it was really unfair of him to send me that video.

3. I don't want to be at work, but I had a pretty decent day today, until the video incident with my husband. My job is very busy, so there's a lot of distractions to help me forget that I'm not with my baby.

4. H just got home and told me that the beef stroganoff that I was making in the crockpot is ruined. Apparently the liquid all evaporated, and it's just the meat. Now I'm exhausted, stressed about the baby getting to daycare, and I have to worry about figuring out something else for dinner.

Hugs! Pick up pizza and sit that hubby down and let him know that this transition is hard enough without him adding to it. Everyone will fall into a routine but it takes time

[Widget123]

budders, your DH usually sounds like a very supportive guy. It was completely unfair of him to send you that video. When one of us drops off LO he is usually full and well rested. If you've checked those two boxes, there isn't much more to do. He has to man up. Can you order take-out for dinner?

[amber311]

budders that sucks! Hugs to you! I'm sure it will all work out. I am not back to work yet (I had lo at the end of june) but I am terrified to leave her. My mom is taking her 2 days per week thwn we have an in home lady set up the other days. I'm going to be a blubbering mess.

[erbear]

hugs, budders! That's rough.

1. I had my first full day of work back substituting part time today. I've turned down a few long term jobs this year to just work part time.

2. H will watch her on the two days he's off and my sister will fill in if needed. Today h had a meeting he couldn't get out of, so LO went to my sister's and she had a great time. Took an hour nap, too!

3. its mixed. I subbed for a good class today and I had missed teaching. I missed the school I was in. I missed adult conversation. I really missed LO, though. I made a good decision to mostly be home with her.

4. I was initially asked to pump in a bathroom today. :/ I wound up drawing a curtain around a bed in the nurse's office. She made a comment to me about how the beds are going to be used more at lunch time but, hey, what am I supposed to do?

[dmoney]

ow that a bunch more people started work again this week, I thought I'd get this going.

1. How long have you been back to work? Full time or part time? In the "office" or at home? Been back for 3 weeks now. 100% full time in the office, with taking work home with me.

2. What childcare arrangement do you have set up? How has LO been doing with this arrangement so far? Monday Afternoons , and FRiday Mornings LO is in Daycare. Tuesdays she is with Bubby (Grandmother in Hebrew) and Wednesday and Thursdays and the other half days on Monday and Fridays she is with daddy

3. How are you feeling being back to work (happy, sad, etc.)? Hate it... hate it with a pashion

4. Anything you want to vent about? (Piles of work on your desk? Wild students? Pumping issues?) I work 8-4:30 but that doesnt meant at 4:30 i get to leave. DH hates that there are nights i cane leave on time. Like today. I have to run a very imporatant reportfor invoices and it has to be done before I leave today since tomorrow is our financial close. Hes going to have to deal witht he fact that I might not be home for dinner.

[mrsmonogrammed]

1. How long have you been back to work? Full time or part time? In the "office" or at home?
First day back today, full time (37.5hrs) in 4 days/wk (Mon-Thu)

2. What childcare arrangement do you have set up? How has LO been doing with this arrangement so far?
DD is being watched by my grandma. She'll be splitting time between our house some days and grandma's house others.

3. How are you feeling being back to work (happy, sad, etc.)?
I effing hate it. Could be that it's just because it's my first day, but I really thought I'd like going back to work. WRONG. I'm seriously trying to figure out how I can SAH or drop down to part time....

4. Anything you want to vent about? (Piles of work on your desk? Wild students? Pumping issues?)
I'm only pumping exactly what she needs for the day so I'm worried that I won't be able to keep up. I'm going to start fenugreek tomorrow. Wish I lived in Canada where I had a year off!

[mrsdee1982]

1. How long have you been back to work? Full time or part time? In the "office" or at home?

I started back last Tuesday (9/1). I am doing 32 hour weeks (6:30am - 3:00pm M-Th)

2. What childcare arrangement do you have set up? How has LO been doing with this arrangement so far?

DH is home with her Tuesdays and Wednesdays, she goes to my best friends house Mondays and Thursdays and Fridays I am home with her.

3. How are you feeling being back to work (happy, sad, etc.)?

I hate it. I just want to be home with my babe.

4. Anything you want to vent about? (Piles of work on your desk? Wild students? Pumping issues?)

Charlotte has not taken the change to her routine well. She was on a nursing strike all weekend. She refused to nap unless I was holding her. Nobody else. Just me. And my supply seems to be dropping.

I do a dream feed and then pump at 4:45 am
I double pump for 20-25 minutes at 8 am, 11 am and 2 pm
I nurse her the rest of the day/evening
I double pump one more time before I go to bed

With my 5 pumping sessions a day I am lucky to get 10-12 ounces. That is not enough for her for the next day. At this rate I am going to very quickly deplete my frozen stock.

[billyhorrible]

budders - It's not even the video that bugs me, it's the fact that he's looking for an alternative. What does he think the alternative is? You get to deal with a screaming baby on the drive? He has to figure out his own way to deal with it.

1. How long have you been back to work? Full time or part time? In the "office" or at home? I worked from home a little bit last month, mostly doing research on for a couple cases and teleconferencing with my boss regarding a mediation, but I officially went back last Tuesday, full time, in the office.

2. What childcare arrangement do you have set up? How has LO been doing with this arrangement so far? BH is at an in-home place which I don't love, but he's doing really well there, and they all adore him. We had a minor issue on Friday when he went through ALL his bottles (including the extra one I send in) and she gave him formula, but *fingers crossed* we got it all worked out and hopefully today he's got more than enough.

3. How are you feeling being back to work (happy, sad, etc.)? EXHAUSTED! I'm up from 5am to 11pm with a wakeup around 4, and working all day - whether at work or at home "working" at getting the boys ready, meals prepped, bedtime, getting myself ready for the next day,etc.

4. Anything you want to vent about? (Piles of work on your desk? Wild students? Pumping issues?) My boss saved all the stuff he hates to do for when I got back, so I've been thrown right into the muck from day 1. I've been putting out fires and dealing with angry people since I've been here and I don't think there's an end in sight until November!

[tjanca22]

budders lots of hugs, hopefully things get better as the routine works itself out.
1. I was officially back last Monday, but worked from home to get back into things. Today was my first day back in the office.
2. We're sending E to a home daycare M-Th. DH is in charge of drop-offs and I do pick-ups. E was there 2 days last week to get used to things and so far things have been awesome! She's been sending updates and pictures throughout the day so I know he's in good hands. Her two daughters are already in love and tell me everything he did that day when I pick him up!
3. Work has been crazy so the distraction is nice. I need to relearn how to eat slowly because I actually can take my time and eat with 2 hands at lunch.
4. Nothing to vent about today, but there's always tomorrow.

[gigi3126]

1. I've been back FT at work for a month. I'm a teacher, so there's not really a work from home option.
2. Jude is at the district daycare. He's been doing great! He's always happy when I drop him off and pick him up. I don't know if it would have happened anyway, but I feel like he started hitting milestones really fast after he started going. Like, his ability to grab stuff has dramatically improved and he's been napping and sleeping way better.
3. Meh. I used to really love my job. I don't know if it's because I'm at a new school (I moved to he closer to home and daycare) or because I want to be home, but I'm really not feeling it like I used to. I really hope that changes by the end of the year, but I'll probably look into something different if it doesn't.
4. My only vent is that I HATE pumping. It's such a pain and I'm constantly worried that someone will walk in. Also, H packed my bag last night (so sweet and helpful) but he forgot the power cord and we had to scramble this morning to meet halfway so he could bring it to me.

[gigi3126]

budders I hope it gets better.

[carolyngrace]

Thanks for starting Widget123...

1. How long have you been back to work? Full time or part time? In the "office" or at home?

This is my second week, part time (2 days/week). I work in an elementary school. I'm also cleaning 1 day/week and babysitting 1 day/week, so really it's almost "full time", but only 2 days away from DB.

2. What childcare arrangement do you have set up? How has LO been doing with this arrangement so far?

I have a friend one day, and my mom the second day. I bring LO with when I clean (working so far, since he sleeps so much still). It's really ideal.

3. How are you feeling being back to work (happy, sad, etc.)?

Overall, really glad. It's nice to have something stimulating to think about, and I feel like I'm making a difference.

4. Anything you want to vent about? (Piles of work on your desk? Wild students? Pumping issues?)

The logistics SUCK. Pumping is annoying (I almost always forget something I need) and time consuming. I can't get out the door in the morning. I hate waking DB up from his morning nap. I'm SO tired at the end of the day. Yeah, it's pretty stressful.

[stinybean]

budders I totally agree I wish I could teach from home!

1. Today was a PD day and my students come in tomorrow. I went in last week to setup my classroom. I'll be working full-time in my kindergarten classroom.

2.DH is being Mr. Mom. I'm totally jealous of this, but he's not working so it just makes sense. He's loving it. LO really makes him happy.
3. I'm tired! Not getting my naps in sucks!

4. The only thing I can vent about is that normally we have a half day with our kindergarteners, where they leave at 11:15. Tomorrow there's going to be a lot of crying because they are only getting out an hour earlier than regular dismissal. So the poor little dumplings have to stay until 1:15.

[baytosa2013]

Sept 8, 2015 14:47:34 GMT -5 Widget123 said:

Now that a bunch more people started work again this week, I thought I'd get this going.

1.  How long have you been back to work?  Full time or part time?  In the "office" or at home?

2.  What childcare arrangement do you have set up?  How has LO been doing with this arrangement so far?

3.  How are you feeling being back to work (happy, sad, etc.)? 

4.  Anything you want to vent about?  (Piles of work on your desk?  Wild students?  Pumping issues?)

l

1. I've been back since August 10th so about a month. I work full time 40 hours in an office.

2. Charlotte is in a center just down the street from our development. It's convenient for both of us. DH drops and I pick up since I can usually leave work as soon as it hits 4:30. When DH travels it sucks though doing drop off. I cry every time. She does great there and seems to always be happy! I rally like her teacher and she lives around the corner from me.

3. I hate being back at work. We are currently figuring out what we need to pay off and what I'd need to make working part time so I can be home more. In torn because its taken me 2 years at this company to get to wher I'm at and I don't wang to take a pay cut but I won't to be with her more.

4. I'm irrationally irritated still that they won't let me work from home 2 days a week. It was my perfect solution...fuckers

[tulips114]

1. I've been back full time for 3 weeks (started back 8/17). Full time for us is 37.5 hours. I work in the admin office of a school district.
2. All 3 kiddos go to the same daycare/preschool. It's going well. I can't complain at all. There is only one other baby in the infant room right now.
3. Sad. I really don't want to work.
4. My co worker is now on maternity leave, had her baby a week ago. So I have piles of work and no motivation. Also just getting over mastitis. Boo.

[Widget123]

baytosa2013 i was wondering what had happened with your work at home proposal. They wont even let you work from home on a trial basis? What did they say?

[baytosa2013]

Sept 9, 2015 4:26:41 GMT -5 Widget123 said:

baytosa2013 i was wondering what had happened with your work at home proposal. They wont even let you work from home on a trial basis? What did they say?

Nope not even a trial basis. My boss met with the 2 owners and HR and she had to come back and tell me that they wouldn't do it because of the possible implications for the rest of the company. Not we don't think your job is a work at home position, we don't think you can do it effectively, etc but based on what everyone else MIGHT think? I give credit to my boss, she looked pained to have to tell me the reason and the answer because she knows now she will likely lose me to a more flexible job. It was HR, she always poo poos everything new and different. God forbid shed have to do actual HR things instead of just party planning!

[Widget123]

Sept 9, 2015 5:51:50 GMT -5 baytosa2013 said:

Sept 9, 2015 4:26:41 GMT -5 Widget123 said:

baytosa2013 i was wondering what had happened with your work at home proposal. They wont even let you work from home on a trial basis? What did they say?

Nope not even a trial basis. My boss met with the 2 owners and HR and she had to come back and tell me that they wouldn't do it because of the possible implications for the rest of the company. Not we don't think your job is a work at home position, we don't think you can do it effectively, etc but based on what everyone else MIGHT think? I give credit to my boss, she looked pained to have to tell me the reason and the answer because she knows now she will likely lose me to a more flexible job. It was HR, she always poo poos everything new and different. God forbid shed have to do actual HR things instead of just party planning!

Yuck. If your boss would be okay with it that should be what really matters.

[clbehenna]

Sept 9, 2015 6:41:52 GMT -5 Kristykristyleelee said:

I'm not back to work yet. Originally I was set to go back 9/21 but I just got something in the mail that said 9/16. So I need to get that figured out. A couple of days earlier than originally thought really shouldn't be a huge deal, but I've been mentally prepping for 9/21 and now I feel panicked that I need to be back a week from today, as opposed to having a full week next week off.

Oh, and also, our babysitting plans have just totally fallen through. We had it all figured out - DW has off some days during the week, my sister will watch DD a couple of days and any other day that we needed MIL was going to do. Well, FIL just got diagnosed with stage 4 lung/liver/brain cancer. So not only do we have that to digest, we now don't have MIL because she needs to take FIL to radiation and chemo daily. Insta-stress.

So sorry for all of this...

[Widget123]

Sept 9, 2015 6:41:52 GMT -5 Kristykristyleelee said:

I'm not back to work yet. Originally I was set to go back 9/21 but I just got something in the mail that said 9/16. So I need to get that figured out. A couple of days earlier than originally thought really shouldn't be a huge deal, but I've been mentally prepping for 9/21 and now I feel panicked that I need to be back a week from today, as opposed to having a full week next week off.

Oh, and also, our babysitting plans have just totally fallen through. We had it all figured out - DW has off some days during the week, my sister will watch DD a couple of days and any other day that we needed MIL was going to do. Well, FIL just got diagnosed with stage 4 lung/liver/brain cancer. So not only do we have that to digest, we now don't have MIL because she needs to take FIL to radiation and chemo daily. Insta-stress.

So sorry about your FIL!  And good luck getting your babysitting situation figured out. 

[bookninja]

1. This is my second week of "easing back in" at two days a week. Staring in October, I'll bump up to 36 hours per week (basically 3 ten hour days and a 6 hour night shift.) It changes a bit because I have to work every other Saturday. It will allow me to be home on Mondays until DH gets home, then I'll go into work, and I'll be off Friday's. It's confusing, and going to be long days, but we'll only need three days a week of child care, so I hope it works out.

2. LO is with my mom one day a week, and DH's parents 2 days per week. Mostly she's been handling it well, but she's had one meltdown (crying with no apparent cause and hard to calm down) with each of them.

3. I miss my baby. A sleepy feeding in the Am, and a few hours after work isn't enough time!! Also, although I really enjoy my job, I'd forgotten some of the unique personalities here at work. Drama! All the time...

4. Drama! And also my expensive (and secondhand, so no warranty) symphony pump had an error message yesterday and freaked me out. I think I got it working, but I am dreading having to tell DH that I spent $500 on something that quit working a month later. Hopefully I fixed it... Fingers crossed.

[Widget123]

bookninja do you have an instruction manual for your pump? I don't have a symphony but the error messages I get with my pump aren't as bad as they might seem and have been easy enough for me to fix using the manual, thankfully.

[bookninja]

Sept 9, 2015 9:30:26 GMT -5 Widget123 said:

bookninja do you have an instruction manual for your pump? I don't have a symphony but the error messages I get with my pump aren't as bad as they might seem and have been easy enough for me to fix using the manual, thankfully.

Oh, good idea! No, didn't come with the one that I bought on eBay... But I found it on Medela's website. Thanks.

[mcp6286]

1. We've been doing teacher in-service since Aug 10 because our school is a start-up. That was only 9-3, though. Now we're back to full days because the kids are here as of yesterday.

2. LO is happy as a clam with her situation. My MIL watches her twice a week and the other 3 days we have a lovely older nanny who comes to our house. It's great that she's at home and has kept to her schedule well.

3. I'm mostly pissed off....reasons to follow in my vent. I want to work and think I'd be happy if I was at my last school but I don't want to give up being with my baby for this shit show. ]
4. Our admin seemed wonderful when I took the job. We've discovered recently that they are not. Our principal is not only totally incompetent, he's super arrogant too. He wastes our time by calling all these meetings to decide things "as a group" which actually means we all give him ideas for an hour and then he tells us we're just going to do it his way (which has failed in epic proportions every time). He gets really nasty if you challenge him. He has zero respect for our time. There's no air conditioning in our school and the districts around us have closed but he won't....and he also won't allow the kids to wear modified uniforms to compensate for the extreme heat. Yesterday one kid threw up, one passed out, one threw a screaming temper tantrum, and 4 kindergarteners got put on the wrong bus. I'm in hell. Shoot me now.

[Widget123]

mcp6286, do you work at a private school? That sounds completely awful.

[billyhorrible]

Kristykristyleelee, I am so sorry to hear about your FIL.

[mcp6286]

Sept 9, 2015 11:12:12 GMT -5 Widget123 said:

mcp6286, do you work at a private school? That sounds completely awful.

It's a charter school. My last school was a charter too and I had a lovely experience there. I'm praying this gets better or I don't know if I'll make it thru the school year.

[kemdupuis]

Haven't gone back yet (first day back is 9/21), but I am sitting here with B sleeping on my chest, reading all of your responses and crying my eyes out. We're doing a trial run tomorrow with our in-home daycare provider and I am so dreading it. I want all the baby snuggles! I don't want to share!!