It’s 5:30 am, and you’re already up!
Rolling aside and seeing your baby and husband still deep in sleep, you are happy, but exhausted
Quickly but in deep silence, you roll out of bed, wrap up in a jacket, and ride your bike to a nearby wet market.
Everything is so fresh in the morning.
You get pork, vegetables, and breakfast. My usual breakfast is cơm nắm with ruốc (pork jerky), or xôi ngô (corn sticky rice)
In a hurry, you go back home to start the porridge and prepare lunch for both you and your husband.
9:00 am just comes in like that…
You don’t have time to brush your hair; you only put on something appropriate, wash your face properly, and go straight to work after the babysitter arrives.
It’s now 9:30, time to work.
You start working, and by the time you realize that you haven’t had breakfast, it’s already 11:30 am, lunchtime already.
Your morning was that fast… You still have a meeting in the afternoon with your line manager, but nothing is prepared. So you work straight from 11:59 am to 2:00 pm on documents, having only 15 minutes for lunch.
Everything turns out fine; you’ve been doing this job for 5 years. There is just too much data for you to handle, even though it isn’t too difficult anymore. Still, you feel tired.
You had a deal with your boss. Your boss allowed you to cut your working hours short, so you only have to be available literally from 9:30 to 4:00, and then you have time with your baby.
Reality translates into:
- I am working at the office from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm.
- Then I am working at home from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
It’s half past 4…
You finally get home to be with your baby, but your mind is still thinking about the database that you’re singularly working on.
Since you’re not available during normal hours like others, your boss chases you by progres and OKRs. And these things take lots more time and efforts.
You’re feeding your child, but still thinking about the database. Is it really worth it?
Health insurance
Since you left your last job before pregnancy too early, you had no health insurance from social service. Luckily, your dad bought insurance for you through his company, so you were still covered.
When you got back to work, you realized that people are so afraid that you were going to quit unexpectedly to take care of your kid. So, they were being careful and silently extended your probation period.
You know that you have to try harder. You only get insurance this July, even though you were officially hired in January…
You know that it is not fair. But finding a job is so tough, and the workplace turns out to be ok since your boss is noticing your strength day by day… So yeah, you kept your mouth shut and don’t try to hurry HR to work out your insurance early.. All you want to do is keep your job and have a normal daily routine.
Are you feeling alright?
I am just a mom like you. Returning to work after maternity leave is tough; you have to leave your son every day to go to work. Some of us have the choice of staying at home, but I didn’t choose to do that. Simply put, a normal routine is the foundation of a healthy family. Later on, my son will have his own routine, and I just wouldn’t want to mess that up!
So let me share a few tricks which I had to use in order to get back to work safely, both emotionally and physically…
Survival Tips for New Mums Going Back to Work
No such thing as a flexible schedule
If your workplace trades office hours for nighttime catch-up work under the guise of flexibility, you are essentially working two shifts. Set hard cut-offs with yourself. When you log off at 4:00 PM to be with your baby, physically close the laptop and turn off work notifications so your mind can actually switch gears.
Prepare as much as you can before bed
When mornings are a chaotic blur involving market runs, porridge prep, and a 9:00 AM handoff to the babysitter, every minute counts. Lay out your clothes, pack your bag, and prep whatever breakfast you can the night before so you aren’t running out the door with unbrushed hair.
Get at least 5 hours of sleep per day
It sounds minimal, but when you’re juggling early mornings, late-night database work, and baby care, missing this baseline will burn you out fast.
Sleep isn’t a luxury anymore, it’s for survival. Give yourself permission to leave the chores undone or ask your partner to take a shift so you can protect those essential hours for your own well-being.
Have 1 morning off weekly (at least)
It doesn’t have to be a full day off, just a quiet, unhurried morning. Block off a few hours to breathe, lie down next to your baby without checking work messages, and step away from the daily rush.
Giving yourself that tiny window to slow down will help you reset for the rest of the week.
Write your profile, now
Open up your own chances by rewriting your profile, now! You don’t have to get a job out of it straight away, but at least it’s a way for your mind to awaken and get ready for the upcoming tough market (if you’re planning to leave this job) .
Spend at least 1 hour at work per week, try to squeeze in time just to think about you, what you want to do, and your dreams before having your baby.
In reality, business is tough on new moms because we often have to cut working hours short. Out of respect for the boss or company, you have to get ready for whatever is coming up.
Be prepared for your next pregnancy
You’ve learned your lesson. You will not be reckless next time being pregnant. Let’s go through a checklist of what must be done for your upcoming pregnancy (If you’re planning to have one soon!)
Visit doctor and track your health frequently
Don’t wait until you get pregnant to start caring for your body. Monitor your daily energy levels, keep up with routine check-ups, and build up your strength now so your physical foundation is solid before the second round of morning sickness and exhaustion hits.
Create a money plan
As you learned the hard way with insurance delays, timing is everything. Check your company’s maternity policies and government insurance way ahead of time. It’s also smart to save some extra money for those first few months back at work so you have less money stress later on.
Build a support system at home
Two kids mean double the logistics. Start testing routines with your husband and especially your babysitter early. Map out who handles morning market runs, daycare drop-offs, and late-night shifts so the daily workflow doesn’t fall entirely on your shoulders.
Save your current work process to a personal drive
Before you are about to leave again, streamline your daily tasks and organize your databases or projects clearly. Creating simple hand-off guides makes it much easier to transition out, to prevent work from piling up or chasing you while you’re taking care of a newborn.
If the worst happens and you end up needing a new job post-maternity leave, you will have everything ready to rebuild your resume. Back it all up before you leave!
Keep your profile active
Having a second child shouldn’t mean pausing your professional identity. Keep updating your accomplishments, maintain your professional network, and know your worth in the market.
In the end
The corporate world can be tough on new moms, but you don’t have to lose yourself in the process. Protect your time, stay prepared for the future, and take care of yourself first—you’re doing better than you think.
