There are estimated to be over 30 million mothers in the United States who work outside the home. If you’ve recently found out that you are expecting a baby, then you’ll want to go ahead and think about preparing for the time when you have to be out on maternity leave. The last thing you want is to be worried about preparing for your maternity leave when you should be worrying about nurse bras, pump bras, and the best Sealy mattress for reclining to breastfeed your new baby and get a good night’s sleep when your little one is finally also asleep.
In this article, you’ll find a few of the best ways to prepare for maternity leave, so you’re not stressed, with your mind on work, but instead looking forward to having your new bundle of joy.
1. Tell your employer early on so they can prepare.
While it can make you nervous when it comes time to tell your employer you’re expecting and will have to go out on maternity leave, you need to let them know as soon as possible. This will give your employer time to get used to the idea and give you time to help train whoever will be replacing you while you’re on maternity leave.
While you’re training someone to take your place, go ahead and start getting the things together, you need to make breastfeeding easier for you once the baby is born and when your maternity leave is over, and you’re back at work. If you’re going to be breastfeeding your newborn, then you’re going to need to pump milk for when you’re at work, and your baby is with the sitter.
Many good pumping bras on the market will let you pump hands-free so that you can go about your daily life and not have your hands tied down at the same time. These breast pumps work well for any mama who is super busy and needs to multitask and do hands-free pumping at the same time.
2. Prepare financially for being out of work.
The last trimester of pregnancy is tough enough to get through; the last thing you want is to be worried about how you’re going to pay the bills while on maternity leave. It’s also no secret that having a baby and buying all the things the little one will need can be quite expensive. As soon as you find out you’re pregnant, start saving for baby stuff. If you know that you’re planning to get pregnant, go ahead and start saving right away.
For example, if your bed is in horrible shape, the mattress is lumpy, it sags in the middle, and you haven’t had a good night’s sleep on it in months, start saving the money now to get a Sealy mattress, box springs, bed frame and all the accessories you need for equal monthly payments and the best night’s sleep you’ve had in years. Ensure that you start saving money for the baby for everything from the nursery to the first month of diapers, so you’re not stressed about money when your maternity leave starts.
3. Check into childcare options early on.
Any mother who has already done it will tell you that leaving your baby in childcare to go back to work is the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do. It will never be easy, but checking into childcare options before your maternity leave even begins will make it a whole lot easier to leave your little one once you have to go back to work.
These are just a few ways that you can prepare for maternity leave with your job and the childcare you’re going to need when you go back to work. Remember, the more you do, the less stressed you’ll be, and that’s always a good thing for a new mom.
