The other day I was cleaning out one of the junk drawers when I found the “3 page instruction manual” I wrote up for our sitter when she started watching Noah! By this point he was already 1, but I still felt like there was so much she needed to know! I even wrote down a few of the words he was mumbling so that she could understand him if and when he mumbled one.

Let’s back up some, my maternity leave ended when Noah was just 10 weeks old. It was hard for me. I understand that’s not everyone’s reality, but it was mine. I was recovering from my c-section, getting to know my baby, trying desperately to figure out breastfeeding/pumping, and adjusting to the new me – emotionally and physically speaking. I wasn’t ready to jump back into work and all of the responsibilities that would come with it.

It doesn’t matter how many times you hear it, you just can’t understand how Motherhood will change you until it actually does. After I had Noah, my whole perspective on life changed! When I was pregnant, I knew I was going to love being a Mother, but I had no idea it was going to become the best part of who I was. And that’s how I felt! I felt like this little babe was entrusted to me and I had to do everything I could to protect him, love him, guide him and give him everything under the sun! Unfortunately, the end of my maternity leave put a cramp in my plan to conquer Motherhood. To be honest, I think I could have done better in preparing for my maternity leave to end. Especially when it came to managing expectations.

For every Mama out there who is currently preparing for her maternity leave to end, here are a few things I wish I had known prior to returning to work.

• Everything else will change in your world, but work will expect you to be the same employee you used to be.
• There’s no such thing as a 50/50 split between work and motherhood. Either your child or your job will have to take priority on any given day.
• Grace will get you farther than guilt! Don’t be hard on yourself, you are doing your very best Mama!

After I had Ryan, there was no work I had to “go back to.” I was my own boss so I was setting the schedule and calling the shots. In fact, I was able to keep Ryan home with us for two whole years! I can’t even begin to tell you the world of difference it made this time around. Time freedom, is a luxury that every Mother should have. She should be able to schedule doctor appointments, attend school events in the middle of the day, make it to soccer games, all without feeling guilt from her job or at the very least, like she’s wrangling a bunch of chimpanzees!

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If you’re on the hunt for a tribe of Mamas who can encourage you and empower you into making the decision to become your own boss, I would love to have you join the Making a Mama of Both Worlds Facebook Group! We are a group of Mamas who have either been in your shoes before or are currently wearing the same shoes you are! We’d love to have you join in on the conversation and community!

If you enjoyed reading ‘Preparing for Maternity Leave to End’, then make sure to check out these other great reads:

• How I Balance it All: 5 Key Principles
• Fear has no place in my Future
• That Time I decided to become a ‘Mom Boss’