Motherhood is a pretty common theme around the office women. Lots of them sooner or later start planning a family and decide to plan their maternity leave. Depending on the country you live in, you have a period of time when you are staying at home and taking care of your newborn baby.

Even though that period is very hard, especially for women who had their first child, it is said that it’s even harder to come back to work after those months. Lot’s of women feel pressure and stress before coming back to the office. That is why you need to know a couple of tricks that will help you to ease yourself back into work after maternity leave.

Yes, it is a thing. All new-moms usually find a nanny in advance, but rarely think about a backup nanny. What for you may ask? There will be days when you will have a very important meeting that you simply can not cancel, your partner will be out of town and (God forbid) your nanny will get sick. What will you do then? That is why you simply MUST have a backup nanny. A trustful person who could take care of your baby in a crisis. Maybe it is your mom or husband's parents? Sister, a friend or another nanny that is always on hold?

Yes, it may sound stupid, but it is hard to manage your new morning routine when you are no longer responsible only for yourself. A trial run will give you time to work out any problems that may appear unexpectedly, you need to know all the tricks that you could use. How to prepare your baby bag, how to deal with a baby when he/she starts to cry non-stop, how to deal with unexpected traffic, how to say good bye properly.

After long months in sweatpants, you have to get back in the game. Do a deep dive into your closet and try your old work clothes - maybe you won’t be able to fit into a super tight pencil skirt, so don’t push yourself too hard. Try loose silhouette dresses, maybe a shirt dress until you get back in your usual shape. You have to feel confident and comfortable.

Put the clothes that are still suitable for work in a visible spot in your closet to make your mornings easier; if necessary, purchase new outfits.

If your child is in daycare it is inevitable that he/she will get sick. Plan how you’ll handle things when daycare calls you to pick up your sick child. Plan ahead as much as possible, who will pick your baby: you or your partner, or maybe a nanny?

If your manager seems difficult to work with now that you’re a working mom plan ahead the conversation or maybe you could write a letter in advance?

Say that you want to handle the situation before it happens, let him/her know as soon as possible if you need to leave. Trust your boss that if you take care of your baby ar home, you still will be able to do all your tasks on time.

Yes, it is VERY important. Usually, between work hours and baby care moms forget to find time for themselves. They give all the energy and time to others and as a consequence, they are not productive, they can not concentrate, they feel tired and it could lead to a mental breakdown. Remember, that being a working mom is TRULY hard.

Before you get into hot water, make a self-care plan to follow.

Setting clear expectations with your partner about responsibilities especially when you have a baby is a crucial point. Sharing household chores and planning ahead who will be responsible for what will make your life so much easier.

Same for work - you have to learn to delegate tasks. Let your co-workers know that you want to start slow, ask for help if you can’t seem to keep up with a rhythm of the office.

You are a new-mom? Or already been through this experience and can give some useful advice for our readers that are planning to become moms? We are always happy to hear it!