Back in the Saddle Again

Hello Ladies! I hope you all are having a fabulous start to the new year. Something about the change of year reminded me about coming back to work post kiddo, and how jarring it was to try to fit myself back into grownup land, even though I had been looking forward to it. I'll share a reminders list I developed for myself which I still find useful, even to this day. Maybe some of our pumping moms are heading back to the workplace soon and will find it useful. Ladies, send me your additions to the list!

1.) Don't forget to put your shirt back on after pumping.
I just know I'm going to do this one day - lose track of which things I do in what order and open my office door when I'm all boobs-a-go-go. Luckily there's another mom in the office across from mine - hopefully if it happens she'll catch it rather than, say, one of my interns. I'm pretty sure that would be harassment.
2.) Similarly, don't feel the girls to see if they are full when you are walking down the hallway.
I've done this. I don't *think* anyone saw before I realized what I was doing, but I was embarrassed anyway. It can't be that much better than some guy adjusting his genitals while in the lobby.
3.) Don't babytalk the clients.
"Awwww... Did missus smithy get her quarterly performance report? Yes she did! Yes she did! That's a GOOD client!" Yeah, not a good idea.
4.) Don't inflict your newfound enthusiasm for breastfeeding/cloth diapers/perineal massage on the non-parents in the office.
Perhaps you work in a birth clinic - then you would be the exception. But the rest of us are going, at the very least, to be disappointed by the lack of enthusiasm shown by the target of our latest gush on how great these new breast pads are. We don't mean to be That Parent, but we've all done it. Try to find another mom to point it at. At the very least, she probably owes the universe some pay-it-forward from when she was there.
5.) Try to wipe off the layer of baby spooge before you walk in the door.
This is a toughie - which of us has been free of spitup, snot, pee, and mashed bananas for 20 consecutive minutes since giving birth? But along the lines of number three, you don't want to explain "no, it wasn't a bird..." in a big meeting if you can help it. Maybe now is the time to start keeping a spare blouse in the office.
6.) Be gentle with yourself!
This is a big adventure and you will figure it out. And it will be worth it!