The Time to Lead Doesn’t Come Immediately
By the time your child is three or four, they’ll start becoming self-conscious enough that you can have them complete small tasks for you; and many young children are so happy to be included, that they’ll do a decent job within their natural limitations.
But newborns aren’t that way. Up until about the six-month mark, your newborn is your boss—just look at this common baby schedule for an idea. What this means is, as a professional mother in a Work From Home (WFH) environment, you’ve got to confirm your work schedule to match the babies.
This could mean you can only blog at night. It may mean you have to take the night shift for customer service. It may mean putting a cabinet full of baby supplies next to the crib in the home office occupying your den.
Essentially, you’re going to have to nourish and nurture your newborn at their infant discretion—at least, if you want your baby to develop as healthily and naturally as possible. The thing is, no matter how well you prepare, there’s always some little niggling thing you forgot, or couldn’t anticipate, that will derail you if you let it.
Know That You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
Anticipate not only what you know is coming, but things you don’t know. Find other professional WFH moms, and ask them what they did to help ease the transition from pregnancy to parenthood. Ask friends and family as well, and surround yourself with resources on which you can rely for when things happen that are beyond you.
For example, if you’re not sure how to handle a clogged milk duct, follow the link for some background. The technical term for inflamed breast tissue is mastitis, and this can result in a clogged duct that is painful, and leads to physical symptoms similar to the flu. Have resources to help you get past such ailments as expediently as possible.
It’s a great idea to alert those with whom or for whom you work professionally prior to the child’s birth. Even traditional careers have some flexibility here; especially if you’re a single working mom. There are resources and grants for which you can apply, and these can provide money requisite to expand the time you spend with your newborn.
Contending With Circumstances That Are Not Ideal
Keep in mind, the corporate world has it wrong as regards moms most the time. The experts say breastfeeding is best up to two years. Good luck finding maternity leave that lasts two years. Even a maternity leave policy that’s several months in length is not enough for what your child truly needs. So definitely, if you’re a WFH mom, you need to prep.
Provided you keep in mind that the baby’s schedule requires you to follow the infant’s cravings or discomfort in advance, and you give yourself medical resources for unexpected emergencies, you should have an easier time.
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