Working Parents Roll Call!

[bunkie68]

Stop by, introduce yourself :shakehand , tell us a little bit about your family and what you do for a living! :)

[bunkie68]

I'm Lisa, working mother to almost-18-month-old Julian (soon to be single working mother, as my husband intends to move out). I'm an attorney working in a consulting role for a major insurance company. It's an OK job, and offers some flexibility as far as scheduling appointments - I don't usually have to take a vacation day for things like that. But the commute sure takes a lot of time out of my day, and being as how I'll be the only support for Julian and myself, it would be nice to have a bigger paycheck.

[zennifer]

Hi. :wave:
My name's Jennifer and besides being the Admin of AB. I work outside the home at a University assisting faculty with technology. I am the mother of Seda Isabella who just turned one on Jan. 8th. DH is a full time student who just received his BS in Comuputer Science and started back at school this week persuing his masters in computer science.

Lisa - :bighug:

[HeatherMarie]

Hi! I'm Heather. Right now I'm a SAHM, but I'll be going back to work in about a week or two. My daughter, Krystian, is 7 months old. As much as I don't want to leave her, I have to. I've decided to go back to my old job. It's the most convenient thing for all three of us. It's less than 5 minutes from my house, the daycare is in a church right next door, my husband works right across the street and my parents also live less than 5 minutes away.

I'm a legal secretary. I've been at the same job since Sept. 2001. I left in June to begin my maternity leave 4 weeks before my due date but my DD decided to come 3 1/2 weeks early! I wasn't actually planning on returning to this job because I don't exactly love it, but it seems to be the right thing to do. I need a job and she needs a secretary, so here I am! We're going to check out the daycare on Monday, but 4 of my nieces and nephews went there and one is still in the pre-school there, so we're pretty sure we'll be taking Krystian there also.

[zennifer]

Hey Heather! That's great that your daycare is right next door.
-Jenn

[zennifer]

Any more working moms out there?

[kristi]

Hi all-

I just started back to work this past Wednesday. It was pretty rough but I am doing better now. Owen, my first, is about 5 1/2 months and is able to split time between his grandmothers until June, which made it a lot easier to go back knowing he was with family. I'm pretty fortunate. After June, we're on our own... I am a teacher, and when school is over I am going to start tutoring part time SAT prep for Kaplan. If the money issues work out, hopefully I won't have to go back full-time in September, which is my hope. But the 3 months unpaid maternity leave I took were REALLY hard on us... it will all depend on finances. But the way I am calculating it, my paycheck would only net us $100 a week after daycare costs... which is INSANE for a full time job! So hopefully we can work something else out.

I was concerned about the nursing and the pumping at work. I only get two breaks between when I get there at 7:30 and when I leave at 3:00. One is my lunch which is only 30 minutes at noon, so I munch on a sandwich behind a privacy screen in the middle of the nurses' office among all the kids faking stomach aches... The other break is my prep, which is the last period of the day. I haven't been pumping then b/c I am leaving in 40 minutes, and want to be able to nurse when I get home. My reserves are really dropping, I am sort of concerned about being able to keep nursing as much/as long as I want.

Otherwise, all is well!
Kristi

[zennifer]

Kristi,
One thing that I did that helped a little was I pumped right after I nursed Seda in the morning before work. That way you get two pumping sessions in. Also you could try pumping after your first feeding of him once your home, you may have some extra milk from not having nursed him or pumped since lunch. I do commend you for pumping:congrats:. I did it until Seda was a year and it can be tough.
-Jenn

[kristi]

You didn't have the problem of not having enough for the next feeding b/c you had pumped right after? The AM pumping will be tough time-wise, but I managed to fit it in on Wednesday... will try to make that a regular habit. I think mainly my problem is that this whole week I haven't had a thing to drink ALL DAY. I keep forgetting to bring a cup/mug/bottle into work, and can only catch a quick sip at a water fountain every once in a while. I think that is the major reason for depletion right now... must remember a mug next week!!!

Thanks for the input and the support! A great thing is that the one nurse at school is a supporter of BFing, which I am finding to be rare in the medical profession around here. She pumped at work and nursed until each of her 3 were a year and a half; it's nice to be sharing a room and conversation who has similar experience!

[Lorigill]

I'm a working mom! Sydney is 9 months old, and I returned to work as a newspaper editor 2 months ago. That was particularly hard because in Canada we can have up to a year off for maternity/parental leave. I returned because of our financial situation after a big move (I got pregnant the night before the move, according to my calculations!). I had also just started a new job, so I felt I owed it to the company to go back early. Boy do I regret that!

I'm actually looking for a full-time sitter right now. My sister was babysitting in her home (she has a daycare) but that didn't work out, and we mutually decided that it is best to find somewhere else for Sydney. My DH just started a new job that has more hours and is a 40-minute drive away, so we'll need a sitter for even more hours now. He was at home one day a week up until this week. I work full-time, but manage to take Tuesday mornings off to take Sydney to a local baby group.

I'm still breastfeeding in the morning, at noon, at supper time and bedtime. I leave work and go to the sitter to feed Sydney, but now that she's 9 months, I'll be stopping that once she's settled at the new sitter, and just do morning and night.

Not happy about being a working parent. I always thought I'd need to work, but since Sydney arrived, all I want to do is be at home with her, watching her little mind develop.

[kristi]

If there is anyone else who pumped/is pumping out there... is it making you REALLY sore?? I hadn't had one incidence of soreness/chapping since I started in October, but this pumping is really painful, making it hard to go as long as I need to to get as much as I want. Will try the Lanisoh and other creams that I never needed to use before... other advice?

[zennifer]

Kristi,
I used Lansinoh cream each and every time I pumped it was great! I hope you can find something that works well for you.

[kristi]

I have been using the Lansinoh and it really has made a difference... no discomfort anymore. Thanks!

[jenniferbates29]

Even tho I haven't left work yet, I intend to go back to work. I am a Correctional Officer in the State of Arizona. Since Hubby and I just bought a house and I got a more family appropriate car, I must go back to work. I think it will work out well as My Hubby works 6am til 2pm and has sat/sun off.Then I work from 120pm til 920pm with fri/sat off, so we'll only need a sitter mon-thurs for at the most 2 hours. I would prefer not to let a day care raise our baby. Maybe after he/she gets older and needs to socialize more I will feel differently. I would hate to have the baby sick all of the time and passing colds back to other kiddos!!!!

[bunkie68]

Any more of us out there? :)

[hugglebear]

I am here! My name is Melinda. I am a scan archivist (and anything else needed of me LOL) at a college. I am mother to 4 year old Elizabeth and Joshua who is almost 7 months. I recently had to wean Joshua do to health issues on my part that requires me to take medication that is not baby safe. it is harder on me emotional than it is to Joshua.. He is adjusting fine. But I know I am doing what is best for him.

Elizabeth is in daycare and has been since she was 6 weeks old. Mom has been watchign Joshua but he will begin in July at Elizabeth's daycare! *gulp* as I think of the cost but what can you do when you have to work!