How I’m Managing Work/ My Schedule

We’re beginning the third week of me being back at work and I’m slowly getting back into the swing of things. As promised on Instagram I’m going to share with you how I’m managing being back to work full time and what my schedule currently looks like!

But first, picture this: a glass of wine on the night stand, a movie on the TV I cannot hear because of the sound machine, a sleeping babe in her bassinet and an over tired mom literally typing this blog under the covers because she’s afraid the typing on the keyboard will wake her baby that she already soothed to sleep 3 times… that’s my current status. So with that said, this blog post will be short, sweet and to the point!
(PS: I always said I’d never be quiet around my sleeping baby and that I’d never rock her to sleep…. hahahaha)

One of the most FAQ in my Instagram DMs is what I do for a living, and I guess it’s because I really don’t share that particular part of my life. I am a Sale Rep for Cintas and I cover Monmouth & Ocean County (hit me up if you need uniforms!). Sales job schedules differ between companies, but at Cintas I have to be in the office Mondays and Wednesdays (sometimes Fridays) at 7am. My office is about an hour and 15 minutes away thanks to Jersey traffic. I’m there from 7am-12pm. Outside of office hours I work around appointments and work from my car. I’m going to outline below a typical week for me; luckily with Christian having very different hours than me and having family so close [I believe] we have found a schedule that works and is flexible, should I need to work earlier or later than usual.

Mondays/Wednesdays: Up at 3am to feed Tieghan, Pump, back to bed, then up at 4:45/5:00 to pump, get ready for work and then out the door by 6, and up at the office by 7:15. I’m in the office making phone calls and setting appointments until about 12pm. I pump twice while at the office, sometimes three times if I can’t do it at home beforehand. Christian gets up with Tieghan, gets her ready for the day and brings her to daycare. After the office I’ll cold call and get to my appointments, then I pick T up around 5, sometimes later depending on my appointments. After work I’m all hers! We play, talk, eat, read books, do everything together. Once she’s asleep I’ll pack up my pumping bag for the following day, wash her bottles and make her bottles for the next day and do any additional work before heading to bed.

Tuesdays/Thursdays/Fridays: Usually I am able to get up with Tieghan, give her her morning feeding, get ready while Christian has her and then bring her where ever she needs to be. These days are split between his mom, my mom and daycare. There is, however, the occasional early appointment where I am out the door before T wakes up. Like I said earlier, we are very lucky Christian’s hours are so different than mine that way he can help get her ready for the day/ bring her wherever she needs to be. Pumping on the road is TOUGH. I try to find secluded spots in parking lots where I can sit in my back seat to pump. I don’t pump as often as I should while on the road just yet, simply because I still am not used to it and am a tad uncomfortable. Luckily I pumped while on maternity leave so I have extra BM if I need it!

The one thing I would love to do is help T get on a schedule. It’s a little difficult right now because she is in so many different places throughout the week and it’s all so new for all of us. But I’m hoping once I get the hang of being a working mom I’ll be able to help her caregivers stick to a schedule I want her to be on. This life isn’t for the faint of heart, it’s demanding, exhausting and not many people understand it. There are no words to describe what I feel when I leave Tieghan for the day.. My goal is to make her feel just how much I love her when I’m with her. Those moments she has all of me. I, by no means, have my shit together (excuse my language). I learn something new every day, whether it be a better way to manage my time or something I should never do again.

My advice to any new mom who’s going back to work is this:

Start your baby on bottles EARLY and often. Yes, most doctors and nurses say wait 4 weeks, I however don’t recommend that. Start as early as you’re comfortable with and do it multiple times a day; your baby will always come back to the boob!
Trial run your baby’s schedule while you are still on maternity leave so you can be there at the drop of a hat and so she can get used to being with other people and at different places. Have her go to day care, your moms, where ever she will be so she gets used to it. Do this at least 2 weeks before you go back to work.
Surround yourself with people who appreciate what you’re doing. You cannot do this alone and you will need all the emotional support you can get. Confide in your love ones, reach out to friends who have done this before, reach out to the moms on IG, and heck, reach out to ME!! You will need the support and talking with people who know what you’re going through can make a world of a difference. In the same respect, work for a company who understands you’re new to this and will be supportive of your transition back into the workplace.
Give yourself some grace. You just birthed a child, got to spend endless hours loving her, taking care of her and cuddling her and are now you’re going to be leaving that newborn bubble. Your life is going to do ANOTHER 180. You are an amazing woman for doing what you’re doing and your little one is going to look up to you and be a better person because of it.
Get a portable Breast Pump! Yes, they are expensive but I got the one through the insurance and to be honest I dreading pumping because it was loud and had a million pieces. Christian got me the Medela Freestyle after I left some of the part to the insurance one at work and it is LIFE CHANGING. Treat yourself to this LOL.

Click the image to shopI have to say, if you’re going back to work, I feel you, I understand you and I am here for you. You are NOT alone, you are doing the right thing and you CAN do this! I think I just fell asleep three times while revising this LOL so it’s time for me to sign off.