Conception, pregnancy, labor and delivery, motherhood, and now...employed motherhood. What other stage in life brings with it more changes than the perinatal period? None. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that early motherhood is transformation itself. As you navigate your new body and the unfamiliar landscape of your new hormones, alongside your ever-changing baby, new familial dynamics, societal expectations, and professional pressures, there will be unique challenges every step of the way. Among them, the transition back to work – following whatever parental leave you may have had – is no walk in the park. Quite the opposite. It is a highly emotional, stressful, and demanding experience for mothers who live in a world where we are expected to return to our pre-pregnancy bodies within six weeks, pump an abundance of breast milk, and hide a cesarean scar which is not yet fully healed – all while wearing a smile! Years later, I vividly remember my transition back to work after my second pregnancy. It is true when they say a memory is stamped on the hippocampus with darker ink when adrenaline is involved. My emotions ran the gamut: On my first day back, I was thrilled yet overwhelmed seeing coworkers, mortified when I spilled my precious breastmilk in my supervisor's office, and alarmed that I had to re-learn several clinical protocols I once knew like the back of my hand. Disoriented and discouraged (to say the least), I had to acknowledge that what I was doing was not run-of-the-mill, business as usual. Adjusting my expectations was the first step toward figuring out how to move forward. Returning to work is hard. I'll keep repeating that truth throughout the book. It feels like going to battle – but it doesn't have to be a losing one. If you equip yourself with support and protective gear, it is possible to get yourself back in the workforce and be a healthy, holistic mother to your child. This book is my effort to help arm you, but I know my readers: busy moms trying to hold on to any semblance of sanity. I know what you're up against, and the last thing I want to do is add to your already full plate. I offer you a lot of do's; they are not intended to heap more food on that plate but to suggest ways to bolster your wellness from every possible angle. Bringing all that together, if you nourish yourself fully, your actions will be more intentional, your productivity will increase, and your life will settle into a new equilibrium. Yes, there will be an upfront investment, and there may not be steady, linear progress – but keep at it, and it will pay off. I also want to honor the unique circumstances of each mother. My years of experience as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist have shown me there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to employed motherhood. Each employed mother has different needs. I wrote this book by drawing on the best, most diverse resources available to me: the precious few academic papers on the subject of working motherhood, time-tested wellness principles, interviews with working moms, and my own professional and personal experience. Some of the tools I offer might be more resonant to you at certain moments. Some might not ring true to your situation. Please consider this your invitation to take what works for you, skip what doesn't, or transform the message to align more succinctly with your world. Trust your intuition.
