Hey there! If you’ve noticed that it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, that is because I am currently on maternity leave. Our daughter is now 8 weeks old, and I have been taking that time to get to know her and enjoy being home with her and my son. Okay, if I’m honest, I’ve also been kept plenty busy and a little overwhelmed trying to juggle the two kiddos! I wrote this post as I was preparing for our little girl’s arrival. I wrote it with two intentions – to have goals down on paper for myself and to share with other moms who need some help setting goals for their own maternity leave. With my first son, I did not do anything like this. Those first blurry 11 weeks flew by and left me feeling like I had wasted them on the couch. Keep reading for the goals that I set for maternity leave.
*please note – this blog contains affiliate links. See sidebar for details.
Why would you set goals for your maternity leave?
As I mentioned above, my first maternity leave flew by in a blur. It can be so easy to get overwhelmed and spend your maternity leave binge watching The Walking Dead for 10 hours per day while snuggling the new tiny human who is depending on you for their every need. Yes, spending time with baby should be priority number one. The problem comes when you get ready to go back to work. You may quickly realize that you are not physically, mentally, or emotionally healthy. It is best to try to set yourself up with good habits that will benefit your family and help make your transition back into a structured routine easier.
Here are the goals that I had in mind for my second maternity leave:
Establish Nursing Habits
With my first son, I focused on breastfeeding, but not nursing specifically. Since I knew that I would be going back to work, I ended up exclusively pumping, and only ended up being able to continue for a few months. (You can read more about my first breastfeeding journey here.) This time around, I know how important it is to establish a nursing relationship with your baby from the beginning. I’m planning to take advantage of my hospital’s lactation consultants, a local mom group, and the other resources that I now know are available to me. I started with this book
Get out of the House
This was my biggest mistake with baby number one! The idea of getting myself and my son ready and out of the house seemed so daunting as a new mom. Now, I know how easily portable newborns really are. I would have really benefited from getting out more. Even just running a quick errand to get a change of scenery can make a huge difference. My ideal goal is to leave the house once per day.
Start to be Active
Postpartum fitness is a hot topic…and a hard one to handle. After having a baby, a mother’s body needs time to heal and recover. At the same time, sitting on the couch and not moving all day is not good for a recovering body. Since this is my second baby, I won’t have as much of a choice this time around. I know my demanding toddler will require that I get up, play, and be somewhat active. Either way, more movement, stretching, and slowly building back into an exercise routine will do nothing but help my body to recover after birth.
Prepare to Head Back to Work
Another very difficult topic for most new moms – heading back to work. In a country that doesn’t support enough maternity leave, it is always hard to be “ready” for maternity leave to end. At 11 weeks postpartum with my first son, I was not at all mentally prepared to become a working mother. I dreaded the idea, and had a very rough start when I did go back to my full-time job. Two years later, I know that working feels more normal with time, and I know that there are ways to be more prepared than I was. This time around, I plan to take some of my own advice and mentally prepare from an earlier time.
Spend Time Outside
I am hoping that having a spring baby will help with this one. Being cooped up inside all day is enough to make anyone stir crazy. We will all benefit from some fresh air and sunshine. Just getting out into the backyard for a few minutes can help lift your spirits when you spend most of you time stuck inside doing very little.
Enjoy Time with my Family
This is probably the most obvious goal for all moms on maternity leave. It’s a time to spend focusing on your baby and your new family dynamic. At the same time, it can be easy to be overcome with sleep deprivation and neglected housework. I’m planning to let those things go as much as I can (easier said than done for me!), and focus on enjoying my family.
So how am I doing in my goals so far?
Overall, I’m pretty happy with how we’ve spent the first couple of months of my leave. Having to having a toddler and a baby to take care of is a whole other ball game, and takes a lot of energy. Nursing has been going really well so far… but it’s also extremely time-consuming. My daughter is getting into a more consistent nursing pattern which is great, but she still eats about every two hours.
We do manage to get out of the house most days which is a huge win! I’ve been going to a local mom support group, and that has been really great. It’s a nice, no-pressure way to socialize. Hanging out with those same moms outside of group has been most of our socialization.
I have not gotten back to the gym to work out yet – although I have taken my son to the childcare to get him some time to play. I’m trying to just keep moving with my kiddos since I haven’t started to focus on exercise yet. Doing a minute long plank or 20 squats here and there is enough effort to keep me feeling okay about not getting in regular exercise.
Support is key
As I mentioned, finding a local support group in between having my son and having my daughter has made a huge difference for all of us. It allows me a place to get advice, socialize, and meet new moms. We have a Facebook group where everyone will interact and create events for meet-ups at the zoo, mall, park, etc. I never would have thought that I would be a “Mommy and me” type of mom, but I cannot recommend it highly enough. Ask around and see if there’s a group that you can attend. You may find one at a local hospital, birthing center, or through La Leche League. Even if you don’t enjoy it, going once is worth a shot!
Hopefully, this can help you think about setting some maternity leave goals of your own. Remember to keep your goals attainable, enjoyable, and simple. Cut yourself some slack while you try to adjust to the new normal for your family. Congratulations on the new little one, and best of luck when you head back to work!
