Today, I woke up to a soft crying noise of my little one. It’s not 9 am, its 4 am. It felt like I just slept just five minutes ago. And obviously, I couldn’t sleep after that.
Welcome to Motherhood. It is constant, it is demanding, and it is exhausting! It is a perpetual zombie-like feeling of being sleep deprived, irritated and tired.
Having said that, there is an inexplicable joy in holding your baby and watching him watch you with those big curious eyes and a small smile playing at his lips. It was a very exciting time for our family. After a few months, as he grows older, I started contemplating returning to work.
I still remember that even a month before I was scheduled to return to the office, I was constantly anxious. I started stressing over the many way’s things could go wrong while I am at the office. I just couldn’t bring myself to be separated from him. So, one day I called my manager and told her that it is difficult for me to leave and come to the office. I will never forget her response. She said, “Don’t worry, we are here to support you.” I suddenly felt this surge of relief. Her reassuring words gave me all the encouragement I needed. I felt that I wasn’t alone and there is this amazing organization behind me, that is willing to back me up as a new mother and give me all the support that I need to manage my life. They gave me a work from home option, and I felt highly obliged to them.
Yet, for many career-driven women, myself included, while we know that going back to work after maternity leave is going to be tough, many of us find ourselves overwhelmed, unprepared, and often at a crossroads. That’s why it was unsurprising to read in a New York Times article, what researchers in a study found: “women underestimate the costs of motherhood. The mismatch is biggest for those with college degrees, who invest in an education and expect to maintain a career.” Women who plan to return to work after maternity leave, brace themselves for bumps along the road. What they fail to consider is the premium our culture places on perfection at home and at work.
This roller-coaster journey continues. I work from home and manage my new born baby simultaneously and trust me, it’s not an easy job. On one hand, you are cradling and feeding your baby and on the other hand, you are attending official calls. You must constantly excuse yourself to deal with a crying baby. Self-care takes a back seat because you are always juggling your baby’s needs and your deadlines leading to working till late at night. You might even have to rush to the hospital 4 am and log in at 8 am. A lot of people will tell you to ‘prioritize’ your work but trust me, it is easier said than done. Always remember that not being able to prioritize doesn’t make you incompetent!
Sometimes, your scorecard may not be up to the mark and your quality of work may be questioned, and that can be stressful but don’t worry, you just need some time, and everything will fall into place. The fact that we can earn and manage a newborn simultaneously is a testament to our strength and resilience. Support of your family and the organization you work for can do wonders, in my case I am lucky to have been backed by both.
Female employees who become working mothers are no less committed to their jobs. They just want to be professional, get their work done, and spend a couple of waking hours a day with their babies. Every organization needs to understand this.
Working mothers are the best assets to any company. They are the best multi-taskers, they are tenacious, they deal stress like a boss, you can put them through a wringer, and they will come out a winner and they persevere. In other words, they are the real queens.
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