I heard from so many of you – people who own their own businesses, those who work from home for a larger company, fellow bloggers and more! Thank you for taking the time to share your words of wisdom with me!
I’ve been told time and time again that working from home and raising a child can make you feel like you’re doing a bunch of different things, but nothing well and this concerns me, but it’s also helpful to have realistic expectations in place. After our baby arrives, I am not sure what life will be like and loved the insight you guys provided to me. (And believe me, I understand that all moms have to work very hard to find balance in their lives – whether you work full-time out of the house, work from home or raise your kids as a stay at home mom – but today’s post is simply focusing on work-from-home moms as that’s currently at the top of my mind!)
I am planning to work from home and hopefully resume teaching at the gym once I am approved to exercise again, though this logistically may be a little rough at first since my gym doesn’t offer childcare until a baby can sit up (around 6 months). In the meantime I’m soaking up your advice as I begin to plan and prepare for the coming months with a new baby by my side.
Here are the top tips I received from work-from-home moms, organized into categories that seemed to pop up over and over again!
Advice from Work-From-Home Moms
Find Your Time of Productivity
- Nap time and after bed are the most ideal times for me to get work done. It may mean getting up before the baby to get ready for the day or neglecting a little housework but it really is the best time to get stuff done. – Cristina H.
- I get up typically an hour or so earlier than the wee ones and try to get in a good hour of working! I work when they nap. I work when they go to sleep at night. Again for another 1-2 hours. So these things all my seem small, but it ends up being at least 7-8 hours a day of actual work, just not all together like a normal nine to fiver. – Briana
- Maximize naptime! – Caroline A.
- I found that having a set work routine really helps. Even if it wasn’t the same time each day, I counted on working for an hour or two before my daughter woke up, during naptime and after she went to bed. It’s also important to schedule some down time each day or you can feel like you’re working from when you wake up until you go to bed. I like to know when I “clock out” each night so I have time to unplug and catch up with my husband. – Gina H.
Accept/Hire Help
- I think it definitely helps if you can find a part-time nanny few days a week just so you can find a good balance. I also did a lot of my work after bed time or during quiet time. – Angela
- We have an amazing nanny who comes two days a week for six hours a day, so I can work without worrying about what our little girl is doing. We adore our nanny, and she comes to our house, which is priceless. – Caroline A.
- Utilize your husband or partner! When Cory gets home from work, I really like it to be “family time” but sometimes there are deadlines that need to be met and/or tasks that you didn’t get to while your baby was crying all day. Once you become a mom, it’s INSANE how quickly you can do almost anything. Things that used to take me an hour to do, I can now do in half the time. Hand the baby over to Ryan (which he’ll love!) for an hour or so, and get your bigger things done then. – Colleen N.
- I do think it’s important to point out that if you work full time or part time for a company from home then you really need reliable childcare just as you would if you were going to work. Your company is paying you to work and taking care of an infant is a full-time job. It’s really challenging to successfully do both. My job was very flexible and many times I’d wake up early do get a few hours in and take a much longer lunch break to nurse and cuddle but we still has a full time nanny. Working from home with a baby is challenging. – Erin
- I suggest looking into a Moms Morning Out program (some churches offer them). Once my daughter was around 10 months old, that’s when it got REALLY TOUGH to work with her at home, because she was craving more stimulation when she was awake. She didn’t start preschool until 16.5 months old, that was a HUGE relief to us, even though she was only going 2 mornings a week for 3.5 hours at a time. We never did daycare, but part-time preschool is such a blessing. The kids love it because they make their little friends and the parents love it because it gets you a break. They’re usually very affordable, too. Also church preschools and MMO programs might not be as well-advertised online since they don’t spend as much on marketing as the big chain daycares/childhood development centers, so you might just find out about them through word of mouth. – Kim
- I would recommend hiring a mother’s helper for a few hours a week to help out while you work on your blog or do other things. My neighbor does this (after trying to work from home without help for a while) and it works well for her. Good luck! – Rachel P.
Cut Yourself Some Slack and Be Flexible
- In the beginning, forget a schedule. I know that goes against any and all work-from-home advice, but your baby won’t fall into a real rhythm for months so if you say “I’m going to write from 10 to 11 a.m.” you’re most likely setting yourself up for failure because it surely won’t happen that way. Your baby’s schedule is your schedule, and that’s that. Unless, of course, you have someone coming over to help you during the day. – Colleen N.
- The biggest advice I’d give is be prepared to be flexible and never leave anything until the last minute because the silliest things will disrupt a baby’s schedule and mess up your plans. – Dottie
- Do not be too hard on yourself if you don’t feel like you think you’re “supposed to” feel or find yourself missing your regular work schedule/interactions with people. The first two or three months is up and down and exhausting and I really missed my routine at the beginning! I feel like people don’t really talk about that, but I think it’s very normal and expected. Just don’t be hard on yourself for any and all feelings. – Casey T.
- My biggest advice for moms working at home with little ones is to go easy on yourself! You are only one person and you can only do so much! It’s so easy for me to get into bed at night and feel like I failed at both being a mom and not getting enough work done but that is silly. I’m doing the best I can at juggling both worlds and that is all I can do. When we focus on what we are doing well we will be happier than if we are to constantly get down on ourselves for not doing enough! You are doing great! Make sure you take care of yourself (exercising, eating well and sleeping) so that you can take care of everyone else! – Janae J.
- The house isn’t going to be perfect all the time, the laundry will pile up and you will feel overwhelmed. Just know that your children will remember the example you set by working hard for them, and the time you spend with them, not how clean the house is! – Cristina H.
- I am still figuring it out and there are days I want to work a lot more than others, but I had to drop any expectations I had of myself or labels I had put on myself and find what was right for me, our baby and our family in that given time. Whatever is right for YOU guys is all that matters! – Jessica V.
- My advice is to be flexible… some days you will get it all accomplished and some days you won’t. You will NEVER look back on this time and say “I wish I would have worked more”, but you might look back and say “I wish I would have worked less.” – Hollie
- You have to recognize that as a stay at home mom who also works, you CANNOT do it all. You can’t work a full time job and also take care of kids full time and expect it all to flow seamlessly. As kids get older there is less napping, more chaos and also a lot more fun. But the pockets of time to work are less and less. Prioritize the work that matters and consider scaling back on things that are less important (or less lucrative). Remember that taking care of kids is a job in itself! – Emily M.
When You’re Working, Work – When You’re With Your Kids, Be with Your Kids
- Some people really can work and be with their kids at the same time, but I just can’t. Don’t try to do both at the same time. I thought at first I could at least check emails when I was nursing, but my emails stress me out sometimes and I didn’t want that energy when nursing. So I found awesome books that made me happy and did emails during nap times. As my daughter got older, she would grab for my phone or computer or would just plain need my attention. I found I was answering emails poorly and not giving my daughter what she needed. I finally decided when I was with her I would ONLY be with her, and then when I worked that is all I did. It made everything go more smoothly. – Jessica V.
Take Time Off In The Beginning
- My best advice is to take as much time off when baby first comes as you possibly can. Don’t check e-mails during your maternity leave either. It really can all wait. They are so needy at first and you are figuring out your new life all while you are lactating and going through the postpartum healing and emotions. Try to step away (I know it’s hard) and enjoy those first few weeks. You’ll never regret taking that time off, and things fall back into place when you return. – Christina
- At the beginning definitely take off as much time as you need–don’t be hard on yourself and give yourself permission to have that time away from ‘normal life’ so you can soak up that newborn time! – Annette
- My biggest advice would be to take your time to figure out your baby’s natural routine and start to build your own routine around that (nap times, feedings, etc). Don’t be too worried or anxious to start a strict routine, you will be stressed enough trying to figure out the whole new motherhood thing! Go easy on yourself – The happier and less stressed you are, the happier your baby will be! If your work from home job allows, take the time to soak up the snuggles. The infant stage is SO fleeting and enjoy every moment you can. The laundry, the dishes, and everything else… It will all get done, I promise! Focus on your sweet new baby boy, follow your instincts and you will do great! – Danielle
- The most important thing is to give yourself a BREAK after the baby comes! Jumping directly back into work is tempting since newborns sleep a lot and you are so excited to share all the details of this new amazing life. But it catches up quickly, and the pressure and workload can feel overwhelming when all those crazy new mama hormones start going. Take care of yourself and your baby. – Emily M.
- Initially, be sure to get some rest and cut yourself some slack. I had a conference call the day after I had Liv, and really wish I would have waited to jump back into things because I felt overwhelmed as a first-time parent and trying to work from home. – Gina H.
Plan
- Make a to-do list. At this point, I find this more helpful than setting a schedule because if Jack happens to fall asleep, or is content for a few minutes on his play mat, I’ll consult the to-do list and see what I can get done (it’s also helpful because your brain stops working after you give birth and you forget everything, so you need to write shit down). – Colleen N.
- Set up your week with you partner in advance. My husband and I usually chat Sunday nights about what is happening during the week. Important calls or appointments we each have, activities with our daughter and then any social activities. If I have some major conference calls or taping I need to do, I’ll block it during a time he can be with our daughter and vice versa. It helps us so much to know and respect the other person’s priorities and to know ahead of time if we need to be the one on nap time duty. Then when we have family time, we are each 100% present and aren’t thinking of anything else! – Jessica V.
Question of the Afternoon
- What advice do you have for first-time parents who are worried about adjusting to life with a newborn? Do you have any tips or tricks to share that made life a little easier? Or things you’d do differently?
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As a new mom who works from home, the best advice I could give is to go with the flow. I wanted to jump back into work, but taking time to readjust and soak in as much of my little guy turned out to be way more important. Just know everything is going to change, and that is ok. Enjoy the time for what it is – work will always be there.
The best advice that I think I could give and that I wish someone had said to me (over and over and over again) is this: Follow your instincts, trust your gut and know that you can do this. When you need help, ask for it, but never doubt your abilities as a mommy. You are strong enough. You got this!
I love that! And thanks so much for sharing advice to include in this post, Danielle!
First of all, this is a fantastic post! I’m in advice getting mode from people in a wide variety of relationships right now (engagement allows me to ask for advice left and right 🙂 ) and there’s one topic that keeps coming up related to becoming a parent and creating a strong relationship in general:
Make time for you and Ryan to connect without your little one, as well as enjoying family time. Relationships can so quickly focus purely on children or just the everyday “go-go-go,” but it’s important to remember that you’re a TEAM and you need that time for just you two to help bring the whole family together.
Can’t wait to see the little guy!
Great advice! Saving this post for the future!
As someone mentioned, working from home for yourself and working from home for someone else (such as a large corporation, as I do) are very very different. I work from home but hired help very early on. My company is paying me to work, not to care for my kids. And once they are mobile (crawling and walking) forget it. It’s almost impossible. It does make it easier that I have a flexible job and can come out and have lunch with my kids, but otherwise I’m locked in my office all day, 40 hours a week.
Some great advice! Saving this for future reference (way down the road)!
Well this is a gem. I loved reading all of this advice. I’m not a parent yet, but will absolutely come back to this one. Looks like the number one thing is to go easy on yourself! Don’t expect perfection. 🙂 You’ll be great, Julie!
Love this! I think the number one thing for ANY mom or dad is to be easy on yourself because parenting is HARD, and you’re doing just fine. Everyone understands that a parent has new priorities and that baby comes first. If someone onet get that, take them out of your life!
I love this! I work from home and these are all such good tips for even me– someone without a kid! 🙂
THANK YOU for doing this post!! I’m nearing the point where I have to nail down a schedule with my boss for when I come back from maternity leave (baby’s due in November, so we’re talking Januaryish), and I really want to work from home at least part time. It’s really nice/comforting to hear it can be done!
Congratulations to you!! 🙂 I hope you are able to find a way to work from home that works well for you!
I’m so glad you posted this today! I read every single word of advice. My daughter is almost 20 months old, and finding a blogging/mom life balance can be challenging at times. It’s so worth it though. I’ve honestly never been happier; I feel like I have everything I’ve ever wanted. A hobby/part-time job that I’m passionate about as well as a little sidekick that I get to spend every day with! You are going to be the most wonderful mom!
I am not a parent but my friends mom and dad told me how they made their relationship work with a newborn and I found it really interesting and something I will try to do myself!(Mary and Bill)… Bill said that right when he walked in from work Mary would throw the kids at him because she had been home with them all day and needed a break. However, Bill would get overwhelmed because he had just spent 8-10hrs working and needed some time to unwind before taking on baby duties. They both said that for a while they were both SO overwhelmed and no one was happy because no one was getting the alone time they really needed. What they winded up doing was when Bill got home from work, Mary would hang out with the baby(ies) for an extra hour or so while Bill just layed in bed and unwound. After about an hour he was more than willing to spend as much time as he could with the kid(s), but he just needed that hour or so to relax and recoup! Their system saved their marriage because it allowed them to both have alone time and baby time! Definitely advice that I hope to use once I am a mama 🙂
I am a work-at-home mom and I have a 1.5 year old, and you just kind of find a new normal. I obviously have a completely different routine now than I did before I had my daughter, but I made it work. I work before she wakes up in the mornings, during naps, and after she goes to bed. It definitely isn’t easy, but I love being able to stay at home with her 🙂
Even just planning this post…I feel like you’re going to do great!!! Just enjoy being a mommy!
All of these are excellent advice! Loved seeing some comments from other mamas I know, love, and respect. I think my biggest piece of advice is to always remember that it’s all temporary! As a mother, you go through ups and downs with your little one, and it changes constantly. If you’re having a rough patch, don’t get discouraged, remind yourself that it won’t last forever. At the same time, recognize that when things are going seamlessly, they likely won’t stay like that forever either, so try your best to go with the flow. Motherhood has definitely challenged my Type A personality, but in the best way!
First, adjusting to life with a newborn isn’t so bad;-) They sleep, eat, poop–don’t schedule anything else except soaking up the snuggle time (along with eating and sleeping yourself).
Second, ask for help and accept it!
Let the house get messy. I reallly wish I would have eased up on having a ‘cleanish’ house….it is never going to be clean. I have 3 kids (5, 18 months and 2 months) and I have come to accept and live with it. It has made life so much more enjoyable and fun. I actually get to enjoy being home with my kids (yes, I do still clean, but it does not come before having fun with my kids)
Once the baby gets a normal sleep schedule, I do start getting up 1-2 hours earlier than the kids. However, I can’t stress enough the importance of sleep! I will nap in the afternoon if I am tired–and I no longer feel guilty about it.
Do not try to do it all! Some days nothing on my to-do list gets done and that is ok. It will get done…eventually.
You’re going to be such a good mama! I think you’re sense of humor is going to be you’re greatest asset– just laughing it off when the little things don’t go right.
Also, a friend of mine shared this link on Facebook today and I thought the stuff was so cute and reminded me of your nursery! http://mejmej.com
I think this is great advice for anyone trying to find balance in their life. Letting go of things being perfect and being in the moment whatever you may be doing. Sounds like the right idea to me!
Go with the flow. Certainly do not plan anything early on, because newborns have no schedules and are all over the place. Nap when he naps, take this time to rest, you will need it. Establish bedtime routine from the day one and be consistant. I sleep trained my daughter when she was 5 months, should have done it at 4. She now has no pacifier, sleeps through the night, falls asleep on her own and has regular nap times. it is a blessing, hands down THE BEST thing we have ever done for our sanity and her better mood.
– Never turn down a meal.
– It’s ok to say “not right now” to visitors – I found myself scheduling feedings around visits so she would be a happy baby, so much unneeded pressure.
– It is normal to be weepy. I felt like I should be so happy and thankful, I mean all over Instagram new moms are talking about how this is “heaven on earth.” Your life has drastically changed and your hormones are trying to find their new normal. Find someone who you can talk to.
– Implement some “routine” with your husband each day. Despite the chaos we found a devotional to do together. Sometimes it happened at 7pm and others 2am – this stability helped us feel normal despite so many changes.
– Your baby does not need to be on a schedule right away. I put so much pressure on myself to have this down. The reality is that it takes time.
– Ask for help but remember that the final decision is up to you. You will know what’s best for your family.
– I heard that it takes 4 hours of continuous sleep for memories to form. So if you find yourself struggling to remember what happened yesterday that’s ok 🙂
– Everyone will tell you to treasure this time but it can sometimes be difficult. So give yourself grace.
As I reflect on life as a first time mom, I wish I would have been able to relax more and truly embrace the time with my daughter because your son will be 2 before you know it. Soak up those snuggles, even in the wee-hours of the night.
At the beginning, I found myself engrossed with having to get my daughter on a schedule and exhausting my efforts to make sure she was the BEST baby in the group. WRONG. The baby will be who he is going to be, sleep when he is going to sleep, and eat when he wants to eat. GO WITH THE FLOW. It will become more predictable…I promise.
I also suffered from Postpartum Depression. It’s totally real, but sometimes swept under the rug. Advocate for yourself. Husbands don’t always understand what you’re going through.
Don’t feel like a slacker asking for help. I also live in a town a good distance away from the rest of my family. Be proactive about securing a support system who can help with the house, dog, and baby. Having a pool of reliable babysitter allowed date nights eventually snuck back into our lives and helped my husband and I reconnect.
You’re going to be an amazing mom!
My little girl is only 4 months old, so by no means am I an expert, but I would second the commenters who have already said not to stress too much about getting your baby on a schedule. I am super Type A and started trying to follow an “eat/play/sleep” type schedule very early. While I do think the general principle helped, around 2 months my baby started taking short naps and I would get SO stressed out that her short naps would make her get off-track with the schedule. I felt like there was something wrong with me because I couldn’t get her to do what the books said! Now that she is 4 months things have started to even out a bit on their own, and while I do still try to stick to a general routine/flow of events during the day, I have learned to be much less rigid. As a result, I am much more relaxed. If I have another baby, I will definitely stress less about scheduling and follow the baby’s lead more. I do think it’s okay and sanity saving to gently guide your little one into a somewhat predictable routine, but getting too fixated on what the baby “should” be doing at a certain time is more stress than it’s worth!
I also think it’s important to realize that you don’t need to feel bad if you don’t LOVE the newborn stage all the time. I felt like the first couple of weeks were actually way easier than I expected, but then after that the next few months felt like they just CRAWLED by. At 4 months in, I am just starting to feel like time is speeding up. It helps to have mom friends that you can be totally honest with, because they probably had similar struggles when their littles were newborn, and it really helps to realize you are not alone!
Thanks for writing this, it is so true! The internet is filled with new moms talking about love at first sight (which is great, if that’s how it happened for them). I found reaching out to friends and letting them know there wasn’t an instant connection for me, and I felt like I was just going through the motions really helped. It turns out, all of them have experienced this or know someone who has. Once my son started responding to me more (smiling, etc.), I found myself bonding slowly over time.
It’s normal for a baby not to have “a schedule” until he/she is MANY months old! don’t force it! I remember someone asking me if my three week old was on a schedule…. WHAT?! Theyre just tiny lumps of sweetness that need to eat and sleep all the time… No schedule is normal and healthy!
While it sounds great to work during naptime, bear in mind that not all babies (even newborns) sleep for long periods and they may not sleep alone in their cot at all. Until about 4 months, my daughter would only nap in my arms, in a moving pram or car seat, and would wake up when I put her down, stopped pushing the pram or switched off the car engine. She also usually only napped for 40 minutes at a time. If your baby is particularly alert and sensitive (aka clingy), it may be easiest to get a wrap so you can wear him and let him nurse / nap while you have your hands free to work.
I love this post!
Don’t over think it! With a newborn you have to just go with the flow. Sometimes you won’t leave the house, sometimes you will; it will depend on the baby. My baby is only 3.5 months, but since he was born we just go with the flow. He’s happier, I’m happier, my husband is happier. We have naturally fallen into a routine that works well for our family. I am pretty strict about starting his bedtime routine the same time every night, but other than that we don’t strictly adhere to any schedule. Oh and read “Happiest Baby on the Block!” I wish I had read it sooner! It offers a lot of insight into those first 3 months.
Love this! I’m not a mom, and probably won’t be for a while but these tips are all super helpful 🙂 GREAT roundup!
Enjoy the moment! I work full-time outside of the home and took 3 months. It was exhausting but so rewarding as I was able to bond with our boy 24/7. It’s crazy how things change and how everything – your patience, sanity, relationships, etc. Next time around I’m going to focus on the moment as opposed to the dishes and laundry piling up. My son would only take short naps so by the time I was done pumping, washing and sterilizing my pump equipment and making bottles for the next round, he was ready to get back up and I felt I never accomplished anything. You don’t have to do it all!
So many great tips! I could not agree more with all of them! Motherhood is the hardest/best job you will ever have. On the other hand, it is so important to make space in your life for you. I am so glad that you are already thinking about ways to balance that because it is so easy to become very overwhelmed in the beginning.
What great tips. I love that this post has brought so many women together to help each other out 🙂
I’m not a Mama yet, but hopefully this will come in handy someday.
This is me in the summer. Sometimes I feel tired during William’s naps and don’t want to be productive… So I don’t. 🙂 like others said, cut yourself some slack and if you need to rest when the baby rests, do it!
Roll with the punches and know that you are not alone! All things will pass and new things will come. Don’t be afraid to ask for help (which I think having your Mom there will be a blessing and you’ll be so happy to have her!).
Also there were times when I would get super upset and emotional…come to find out it was from lack of sleep (sometimes I would be going on 2 hours of sleep). I would ask my husband to take over for 6 or so hours and I woke up a new person, so much happier. I just never knew how important sleep was for me until we had a baby!
My first child was born while I was finishing graduate school. I was writing my dissertation and thus worked from home about 80-90% of the time, which may be similar to your situation. A lifesaver for me (when my daughter was about 4 through 12 months) was having help from friends that were stay-at-home moms. I “hired” two friends of mine, who had recently retired from 9-5 type jobs to stay home with their little ones, to care for my daughter in their homes for 6 hours a day. I dropped my daughter (with a fully stocked diaper bag with diapers, bottles, etc.) at their homes from 9am – 3pm so that I could work without interruption. My friends liked this arrangement since they could earn a little extra income while staying home with their own children, and they felt it was easy since they already had the proper gear (high chair, changing table, etc.). The women alternated every-other-day so that they didn’t feel tied to their homes every day, and I was pretty relaxed about leaving my daughter since I completely trusted my friends as caretakers and the environment she was spending the day in. Once our kids were older babies (e.g., 8-12 months) and crawling/walking around, the women commented that this arrangement actually made their days easier since their child had a “playmate” for amusement. Perhaps you can find a stay-at-home mom friend to help a few days a week? Or perhaps you can trade-off with another mom friend who wants quiet time to work/run errands, etc. for help once your son gets out of the very early newborn stage. You could watch your son and the other mom’s baby for a few hours one day in exchange for the other mom’s help another day. I wouldn’t recommend doing this until you really understand your baby and his needs – likely around 3-4 months of age, but it may be a comfortable arrangement in the earlier baby stages until your son/you are ready for more institutionalized childcare settings.
Really interesting post! Thanks for sharing. I work for a larger company and spend about half my days at home and half in the office, but my daughter goes to daycare everyday. I SO agree with being flexible and not setting expectations too high. Even before I went back to work and was on my maternity leave, I’d decide I was going to workout, shower, and eat lunch while the baby was napping…and then she’d wake up 10 minutes into my workout and I’d have to go feed her while I was all sweaty. I got SO bent out of shape about it sometimes and now looking back I want to tell myself to just chill out, do what I can, and just enjoy this crazy time because some semblance of routine and normalcy will come soon enough! I keep telling myself I am going to enjoy the first few months with baby #2 so much more because I’ll have this perspective (even though I KNEW it the first time, living through it is totally different)! The poor experimental first-borns 😉
There is some great advice here! I especially love the tip about going over your workweek schedule with your partner in advance. I imagine it would be very helpful to have everyone on the same page!
I may be working from home at least one day a week as well, so this was much needed advice! Great roundup!
So glad you shared this post! More and more these days, I’m trying to imagine how our lives will change when this baby arrives, and it’s sometimes difficult to not know what things will be like. I always appreciate hearing the advice of other new moms.
Such a great post Julie! Are you planning on hiring a babysitter to come even just one day a week to help you out? May be worth it 🙂
Not right now, but I will definitely continually evaluate things as time goes on!
My #1 peice of advice is, even if you are home all day, get dressed in clothing you would wear outside the house.
SERIOUSLY,
Jammies are great but it’s the mindset you need to set as in “I will be productive today!!!!”
The best advice I can give is just focus on the baby’s needs and don’t be worried about a schedule right away. I kept feeling like I had to get my son on a schedule right away and when I wasn’t getting him on one, it just made me more stressed. You are his mom and trust what you think is best. Don’t worry about the house chores either. Those can wait or have someone else do them. Don’t forget to take care of yourself too:). The first few weeks are tough, but don’t hesitate to reach out for help. That is great your mom will be there to help:)
As a mom of a 6 month old, I have a few tips!
– Buy a comfortable, but pretty, robe! I splurged on one at Anthropologie and lived in it for the first few months.
– When you are feeling overwhelmed, take a long, hot shower (I would bring my baby in the rock n’ play into the bathroom if my husband wasn’t home). Nothing made me feel better!
– Take walks with the stroller as soon as you feel up to it. Getting outside was so restorative for me, even if it was just a 10 minute walk!
– Know that crying a lot if completely normal!! All my girlfriends said the same thing. You’ll cry happy, sad, tired and frustrated tears, and that’s ok!
– Find a mom podcast! I love One Bad Mother, but there are a lot of good ones out there!
Such great thoughts from so many amazing mamas! I’m so excited for you to meet your little man!! Xoxo
Breathe. Let things go. Embrace any and all help. Trust your partner is doing the best he/she can even if it may be different then How you complete the same task. It’s ok to laugh!
Looking back on the early days with my son, this would’ve been helpful. He is 10 months now, but I remember vividly!
Do what works for all three of you. Take all the advice into consideration, but realize that every kid is different, and what worked for someone else may or may not work for you. And remember in those first tough weeks, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
I agree especially with one of your categories: Take Time Off! “Enjoy” the maternity time by focusing on the baby, becoming a mom, the new relationship with your partner and loved ones. Don’t worry about the rest. You will get back to it, it will still be there.
I am still struggling with balance especially at 15 months…I don’t get to the gym hardly at all (but I’m not a fitness blogger so there’s that). I sorta wish I had napped a little more during my time off, but I’m just not that kind of person.
I also have thrown the advice of “get up 1 hour before the baby” out the window. Babies are unpredictable and frankly, I’d rather not have to go to bed at 8pm so that I can wake up before 5am to exercise. Maybe one day my kids will sleep in past 6am, but right now that’s not happening.
Remember that it won’t be like this forever…good or bad. So enjoy the good times and don’t stress too terribly about the difficult times. It will be different in two, three, six months!
When I was nearing the end of my pregnancy I remember worrying so much about losing the life I knew and all the scary things everyone kept telling me about how hard parenting was! My daughter was a handful as a baby and still is at one and a half, but the funny thing is all the things I worried about didn’t matter once my baby was born… I’m not saying it was easy, but it is heaven. So happy for you and your family on this incredible blessing.
Thank you for this!! I have been trying to figure out how if I will be able to juggle baby and working from the house. My husband also works from home, but he works for a company, and has very little flexibility. I think I will be able to get some work done during the day, but plan to get the bulk done in the early am or the evening when he is off.
Some of these tips are great not only for moms but for all those struggling with organization and time management when working from home. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Julie!
Could you do an update post, about the logistics of how you fit work into your day, now that Chase has arrived? Are his nap times reliable? What do you do if they’re not? Do you have to sacrifice time with Ryan to get your work in? How has your work “schedule” changed as Chase has grown?
I have an active five-month-old and was recently presented with a freelance job that could serve as the foundation I need to replace my current gig with full-time freelancing (I currently work a 9-5 job outside the house). It’s something I’ve been working towards since college…but some days the best I can get from the baby is a handful of half-hour naps (we’re in the midst of a horrible sleep stretch) and I worry that I won’t find enough time to work as much as I need to earn the income we need.
I know everyone’s work arrangement is different, and what works for your family may not be what works for ours, but I’d love some inspiration!
Thanks 🙂