the working shift

I'm back at work. I was anticipating a rough transition, something akin to how it went when I returned after having Miles, only worse. Honestly, I don't think I could have asked for things to go much better than they have so far. It's been much easier this time around. I chalk it up to being a more experienced mom, worrying less and knowing that Lydia will be just fine in the care of others. I've also been able to negotiate a somewhat reduced work schedule (a very small and temporary reduction in hours) that allows me to be at home one day a week (working for part of the day) and shortens my time at the office from five days to four. I'm fortunate enough to have a great boss that really tries to make sure her staff have what they need for work/life balance. Not to mention the super supportive environment for pumping/nursing (there are several rooms designated for use by nursing mothers in our building). I just can't imagine what it would be like working for a company that didn't have this type of set up, or even more challenging, having a job where you couldn't take regular breaks to sneak away and pump.

Not only am I doing fine, I think Lydia is handling the transition fairly well, too. There seem to be some points of adjustment for her, like learning to nap with more noise in the background, and obviously, not being able to nurse on demand, but instead taking 3-4 bottles during the day. So far, she's been doing great and is taking all of these changes in stride. I make sure that we have a lot of  what I call "touch time" once we get home...basically just making sure she's held or cuddled by one of us for most of the evening. Now that we've (finally!) found a baby carrier that works for both of us, it's easy to wear her around the house in the evenings while tending to all of the other tasks that need to be done.