This is a topic most mothers don’t like chatting about…going back to work after your mat leave…..sniff sniff. After being home with your little one for up to a year it can be so tough for many moms to return back to work. We get into nice routines and have endless amounts of snuggles and time to bond. However, going back to work can be very exciting for moms. Getting out, using our brains, interacting with adults, wearing our work clothes and pushing aside the sweats and hey, let’s face it- daycare is great for little ones social skills! They also learn so much and have tons of fun!
Many moms call WeeSleep© a couple months before going back to work in a panic. They have no idea what to do as their child is still getting up 1,2,3 or more times a night and rarely sleeps during the day. How will their child be able to handle a daycare setting unrested or if they need to be breastfed to sleep? How will they get through a day of meetings without falling asleep? …the list goes on…
The truth is, your baby can sleep through the whole night and so can you! When you put your head on that pillow at night, you will know that your baby is sleeping soundly until around 6:30-7 am and you can, too! That is when we can get our best sleeps! When we are relaxed and secure to let ourselves go into dreamland knowing our little one is getting a fabulous healthy sleep!
When a child knows how to sleep and has fabulous independent sleep skills they can go to daycare and sleep as they would at home getting those proper naps and then a proper nights sleep to prepare them for the big day ahead. Moms can relax and go on with their day getting back into the hustle and bustle of being back to work knowing their child is getting the rest he or she needs and having a blast too!
For many moms it makes a HUGE difference in how they feel and their spirits when they know their child is rested and they are rested too. If you are a mom and going back to work and putting your child into some sort of daycare facility, here are a few things to ask them:
Will they provide 2 naps for children under 15 months?
If they only have 1 nap a day at a set time, what time is it?
What is the sleep environment like?
If your provider enforces a 1 nap policy, it will most likely be around 12 noon. If that is the case and your child is still taking 2 naps a day (which most are and should be at that age), then my suggestion is to establish proper sleep and give yourself at least 4 weeks to transition down to 1 nap in order to make it a smooth transition.
If your provider will provide a morning and afternoon nap- PERFECT! When your child knows how to fall asleep on their own, all you have to do is tell your caregiver what you do for their little nap routine and ta-daaaaa!- a sleeping baby! Sometimes it takes a couple of weeks for little ones to get used to the army of cribs all lined up in a room but some adapt with no issues!
It’s a big step moms! Go back to work rested and in style!