Where are my hard-working mamas? When I said working moms, I was not just referring to the moms who clock in and out of a 9-5 shift work or collect an annual salary. I’m talking about all of the moms out there who continually bust their butts for their kids. Are you at home grinding every minute of every day without breaks and a 2 1/2-foot-tall manager who demands goldfish and often naps on the job? Are you the mom who wakes up at the crack of dawn to shower and throw on her uniform, barely able to sneak in so much as a hug and kiss before the kids are off to daycare or school, clocking in and out day after day, coming home absolutely exhausted but picking up every little ounce of energy you can muster up to spend those few little hours of the evening you get with your little one?
Whichever mom you are… you are incredible. Don’t you ever forget that. In this period of life, I fall into the latter category of the 9-5, daycare, clocking in and out, and finding the energy to play with and make memories with our little one at the end of each long day just to snuggle her close and watch her little sleepy smile as she falls asleep, then prepare to do it all again in the morning. The days are long as we sit at our workplaces and think about our babies’ smiling faces (I hope they’re smiling… the mom thoughts often wander throughout the day). Are they having a good day? Are they eating okay? Hoping and praying they don’t catch the daycare virus of the week. (If you know, you know).
What I know is this is just a phase. A phase of life that will pass so quickly before my eyes. A phase that I know I will miss aspects of. As I sit here typing this and have laid our little girl down for the night, she is all I can think of. As my husband and I crawl into bed, she is the main topic of our conversations. Every moment I’m not around her, I miss her! While she has been sleeping through the night for quite some time now, a part of my heart misses those middle-of-the-night cuddles. The big blue dough eyes stare into mine as her tears slowly begin to dry while she lays in my arms and feels the comfort of her mom’s heart beating against her cheek.
Recent studies have shown that the average working mom typically clocks up to 98 hours per week, which is the equivalent of 2.5 full-time jobs. SO, whether you are a stay-at-home mama or a working mama, know your hard work is not going unnoticed. Even if it is just you and your little ones, they will never forget how hard their mom worked to provide for them. With all this being said about working moms, I will never discredit the hard-working dads who also choose to continually provide for their families. God has truly blessed me with a man who constantly works his butt off for our family and sacrifices so much to ensure we are more than comfortable and provided for.
Difficulties of a Working Mama
One aspect I struggled with after having our daughter was the daunting thought of leaving her with a complete stranger while we both went to work. I remember spending days and nights crying (maybe a little mix of postpartum hormones and the thought of leaving our little girl). I was about five months pregnant when I began my days and weeks of research on the best caregiver for our baby. There are many resources for parents to research and find reviews on caregivers and daycares, whether through a facility, in-home, or whatever works best for your family. What advice I can give is to DO YOUR research! Ensure your little one is somewhere you are comfortable with.
To the new mama or soon-to-be mama who will be returning to work after maternity leave, let me give you some words of wisdom… it does get easier. I know, I know, that’s what everyone tells you, but I promise it will. Little ones adapt to changes very well, and it’s often our naturally concerned heart that causes these types of situations to be very difficult. I will never forget the first day I dropped our little one off at daycare. While I had done countless hours of research on our particular daycare and was comfortable with her teachers and staff, my heart broke when I left the room and walked to my car. Not only was it my first time leaving her with someone I did not know, but it was also my first day at a new job. (Talk about overwhelming!!) I sat in my car for what felt like an eternity and cried my eyes out! I thought for sure this would never get easier. Slowly but surely, each drop-off became a little bit easier. I obsessively checked my phone for updates and photos from daycare and felt my heart grow a little stronger when I saw her little smile.
Returning to Work
As an OB/GYN nurse and working mom, one topic I am very passionate about is ensuring moms know and understand their rights as they return to work. If you are returning to work from maternity leave and are breastfeeding and/or pumping, ensure you and your employer are both familiar with your rights to be able to have a private place to pump as well as your right to take breaks for an allotted period of time to allow you to express milk. These laws may differ depending on the size of your employer, and it is essential you specify with whoever is in charge that you have an agreement on these specifics before you return to the workplace. Postpartum is hard enough (that’s a topic for another post); you don’t need to add clogged milk ducts and disagreements on these topics to the mix.
Conclusion
Okay, enough of my mama emotions. I am here to say no matter what stage of life you are in as a working mom, you are seen, and your hard work doesn’t go unnoticed. I know the days seem long, and the nights are short. Your head lies on the pillow, and it seems only seconds go by before your alarm buzzes or the baby cries. One day, we will all look back when these phases of life have passed and miss the small moments, the moments that we may not quite appreciate right now. So, as hard as it may be during these long days of work, daycare drop-offs, tears, and tantrums, try to take a step back and soak in the moments we have with our littles. Each hour I am away from my little one working, I find an even deeper appreciation for each moment I have with her. Keep grinding, mama; you are doing fantastic!
Sincerely,
Kait
