A mother's return to work after the birth of a baby can be difficult for both parents. It takes time to adjust to being a nurturer and become comfortable with a baby. Too often, just as this is happening, it is time to go back to work. Parents find themselves having to balance their personal needs with a baby's needs, their need to nurture and be with their baby with a need to work. Some people re-evaluate their decision to return to work at this, other re-evaluate their options.

There are several steps that you can take ahead of time to help you prepare for your return to work. Some of the suggestions that follow may help you to decide whether and when to return to work, others may help to make the return a smooth one for you and your child.

The first of these can be done before the baby is born.

1. While you are still at work, check your personnel policy to find out what your options are. Find out about length of maternity leave, extended maternity leave, benefits, paternity leave, family leave after you return to work and use of sick leave. Explore with your employer various possibilities such as returning to work gradually, part-time work, job sharing, or flexible work hours. Both parents must know what their employee options are. You may not decide what you will do until after the birth, but a clear understanding of what your work options are will help you to decide later.
2. Consider your child care alternatives ahead of time. Research each type of care and its advantages and disadvantages. Find out what resources are available through your provincial child care branch, local child care information sources, parent resource centers, other parents with infants and books. Most types of care require some preliminary work in terms of contacting agencies, investigating waiting lists, checking subsidy eligibility and availability. Visit some of the people or places you are considering before the baby is born. Think about what might work for your family. Try to decide on some of the very basics-type of care, cost, distance, smoking, or non-smoking environment.
3. Find out what babies need and what is good care for an infant. Think about what is important to you-a one-on-one relationship? A caregiver who will mother you as well as your child? A very clean hygienic environment? It is unwise to set up care in advance without knowing what your baby's special needs may be. The important thing is to do the preliminary work and keep your choices open.

The following may help when you have decided to return to work.

1. Give yourself plenty of time to find care. Choose what feels right for you and your baby. What works for another family may not be right for yours.
2. Leave your baby with others occasionally and increase the amount of time as your return to work approaches. It is important for you to be able to trust someone else with your child.
3. If possible, choose care that allows you to start your baby gradually so that both of you can become accustomed to the new situation.
4. If you are breast-feeding, accustom the baby to taking a bottle from someone else well ahead of time.
5. Make sure that both parents are involved in caring for the child and in making child care arrangements. Plan to share family responsibilities such as shopping, cooking, housework, dropping the baby off and picking him/her up.
6. Plan to be involved in your child' s care by communicating regularly with your child's caregiver-call, set up a joint log, meet regularly.
7. Arrange for back up care in case of an emergency situation i.e. your child or caregiver becomes ill. Try to have more than one backup arrangement. Introduce your child to these arrangements.
8. Plan ahead and simplify your life for the first few months e.g. stock your freezer, set up routines.
9. Have realistic expectations. It will take all of your time to adjust to being a working family.

Your choice of childcare is important for you and your baby.
The right choice can enrich both of your lives!

Additional Resources:

• The Canadian Parent's Sourcebook: What you need to know about baby goods and services. Chapter 12, Eleanore Roseman and Colleen Darragh, Doubleday Canada Ltd., Toronto ON, 1986.
• A Parents Guide to Daycare, Kathy Gallagher-Ross, International Self Council Ltd. Vancouver 1989.
• A Guide to Home Daycare for Parents and Caregivers Working and Caring. T.B. Brazelton M.D. Addison-Welsey Publications, 1985.
• Child Care That Works. Anne Muscari and Wendy Wardell Morrone, Doubleday, New York, 1989.

This Resource Sheet was developed primarily for parents as a joint project of the Canadian Child Day Care Federation (120 Holland Suite 401, Ottawa, ON K1Y 0X6 (613) 729-5289) and the Canadian Association of Toy Libraries and Parent Resource Centres (120 Holland, Suite 401, Ottawa, ON K1Y 0X6 (613) 729-5289 (613)729-3309). This Resource Sheet may be photocopied and/or material may be inserted in other publications if credit is given and copies of same are forwarded to above mentioned organizations.