Returning back to work with a cute little honeycomb now in life could be a tough decision to make. Questions like ‘will the baby do fine without me’, ‘whom shall I trust’, ‘would the transition be smooth’ and whatnot might pop in your head.

But once, you get the grip of this transition, you will find yourself enjoying life even more. The most important step towards this is to prep yourself emotionally that your little cupcake would do just fine without you. Secondly, ensure to make the best arrangements for him or her while you won’t be around.

Here are some tips that will help you go through this transition smoothly:

Get in touch with the management beforehand

Before scheduling your return, get in touch with the Human resource department over a mail, phone call or coffee. The people in HR can help you with the best date to return, give you an insight on what’s going on, required paperwork and other details.

If possible, request for your return date in the middle of the week because a full week of 40+ hours away from your baby can be a shock to you and your little one.

Set clear expectations with your colleagues

To make things work smoothly, communicate with your colleagues about how and when you can work. And, the best way to do this is by setting a schedule. For instance, if you leave at 6 pm daily, your colleagues will not come by your desk anytime around 6.

Explaining your schedule will train your colleagues on what to expect.

Quickly run-through your wardrobe because you need to look and feel good 

Both pregnancy and breastfeeding can add up a few inches here and there. So quickly run-through your wardrobe to check what still fits and makes you feel good.

It roughly takes 6-10 weeks for your uterus to get back to pre-pregnancy size, so don’t be harsh on yourself and if necessary, buy new outfits.

Find trustworthy childcare and start from the week before you go back to work

Having someone you trust taking care of your munchkin will help you focus better at work and also ensure baby’s safety.

If you have a family member who can look after your child then it’d be great. If not, find a trustworthy daycare and start to drop the baby the week before you go back to work. This will take off the pressure and also help you make the required adjustments.

Request for flexibility

Request for flexibility- both in terms of working days or hours and working remotely. But remember to frame your request by demonstrating that this flexibility won’t affect work and by sticking to actual business hours.

Connect with working moms to find support and new ideas 

Support from or just connecting with other working moms can be very helpful. Having real-life advice from people who have been in your situation will help you learn from them and you’ll also have someone to talk to when needed.

Finally, ensure to take everything slowly. Being a mom to a newborn and going back to work could be bumpy as well as a fun ride. Patiently, enjoy it and soon everything will become easy-peasy for you.