Everything you want to know about resuming work after delivery: AMA Session insights

Ask me anything (AMA ) sessions in Momly Is all about demystifying myths that surround the world of motherhood and parenting, engage in healthy conversations with expert AMA session with our Expert Deepali. Navigating motherhood becomes even more difficult when you are planning to resume work after childbirth. The growing concerns about raising your child, meeting project deadlines and finding that illusory balance will make you sleepless and adds to your anxiety levels. In this seemingly never-settling turmoil that brews inside every working mom, lets work around with expert and note down her doable tips and in the process reduce the burden that comes in the wake of postpartum. As we discuss, there popped many legitimate questions from our community mothers. Listing out a few questions which concerns most of the mothers today when they are starting the journey of motherhood along with their career.

You might have amazing ecosystem and wonderful support system to help you but sometimes you are not mentally ready. How to prepare yourself mentally when you are planning to join workforce back after maternity leave?

Take small steps. Do not plan big. Plan for 6 months and review periodically so that you know if you are on track with your set goals. Your house is also like an organisation which requires a proper planning, constant review and conflict management mechanisms etc. So use your professional skills in your motherhood and household chores.

While starting work after delivery, do mothers need to be over ambitious to suit the professional requirements or she can go slow? If she is not over ambitious, will it impact her career growth?

There is no one size fits all approach here. You can choose to go slow in your career or be over focussed. Also you can come back and revisit your decision anytime. Just that set a right expectation in your workplace. Before setting right expectations, think and introspect what do you want at that moment. What do you prioritise? Your clarity will help you set the right expectations from others. Some may want to be there for every milestone of their babies and then go big on their career and some may want to concentrate entirely on their career. There is no right or wrong. Only thing is be more mindful on what you are getting into.

How to balance work and motherhood?

There is no particular formula to balance both. Right now moms are taking everything to themselves. It gets very taxing on them so it is very important to put some structure in place where you have some support system who can handle things in your absence. Moms put all their energy to feel understood. Do not spend energy on making others understand. Cut this expectation right away. Moms are focussed these days and they want to do whole gamut of things for their babies. It is wonderful to take active part in everything but to keep your sanity in check, it is necessary that you take help from others. Ask help from your ecosystem. They might not understand what you are going through but it is no shame in asking for help.

Agree. There is no one-size-fits-all to maintain a balance between career and motherhood. You may have to prioritise something and deprioritise something periodically to keep the balance going. Social media has made us believe that juggling the hustle of motherhood and career is easy and that is how it should be for all the women. Do not get trapped into the mumbo-jumbo of social media or mould your life to look great in the insta grid. Do what you feel is right at that time and go with your motherhood instinct. Take all the help that comes in your way because an extra pair of hands will only make your lives easier.