Striking a Balance between Work and Newborn Care

Being a new mom is chaotic enough, and managing work in addition becomes a challenge. If you decide to work from home after having a baby, you need to plan ahead so that you can ably do the two things. For balancing work and baby’s care, you need preparedness. However, you must prioritise baby’s care and decide what must be done and what can wait accordingly.

Here is how you'll be able to give all the time to your newborn’s needs and be able to get your work done.

Know when to get up

It will be great if you can get up before your baby does. This will free up time later so you can get work done.

Make a schedule

Make a schedule for the baby, as much as possible. They are on their own routine, but get them into the habit of taking naps at certain time. This will allow you to better plan your work tasks and get them done without interruptions. Besides taking advantage of naps, it will give you time to do household chores and relax.

Create a safe area for baby near work area

It is always better to create a safe area for baby near your work area. Even if you are busy at work, you don’t need to worry about the baby. This will also relieve you from worrying about an absent or no baby sitter at all.

Be ready

You should always be ready with a milk bottle so that you can simply pick your baby up, feed him and then get back to work. Moreover, have diapers and wipes handy, too.

Hire a babysitter

If you can't get your work done while your baby is sleeping, hire a babysitter to care for the baby during the hours you have to work. This will help you finish your task  more efficiently because you don’t have to comfort your baby or change their diaper. If you find the presence of a sitter and  baby in the house disturbing, send them on a walk around the block while you work. Alternatively, you can consider enrolling your baby to a part-time child care centre so that there are no interruptions when you have to work.

Switch job

If, despite your efforts, you are not able to balance baby’s care and work, you should consider switching your job. There are several work-from-home jobs available, make sure caring for baby remains your priority. A job that doesn't require making calls or doesn’t have strict deadlines will suit new mothers. Switch to a job where you can work as per your convenience.

When you have a newborn to look after, it is advised to not take on too much responsibility or you risk getting overwhelmed. If you are not able to get into a schedule that works for you and your baby, consider not working for some time.

Read more articles on Newborn Care.