Going Back to Work After Maternity Leave
I’m officially back to work and the new dynamic of being a working mom is so exciting and beautiful. I never expected it to be such a blessing, but I thought it would be fun to share my transition back to work with you. Keep reading to find out what I’ve learned so far to create work-life balance as a new mom.
The Transition
Becoming a Working Mom
I used to work almost every day except for some Saturdays and Sundays. Each week I had a lot of photoshoots and my Saturday shoots were primarily weddings.
I was on maternity leave for about 2.5 months to spend time with Beau, but now I am back in the groove of shooting. I decided to only shoot twice a week and it’s been so amazing because my first priority is Beau and being a mother. God has gifted me with the role of being a mom, so this season I made sure that taking care of Beau was my first priority.
2. What I’ve Learned So Far
The Blessing of Motherhood
I used to believe that my career was one of the most important things because of how I much I love it and how passionate I am about it. I had a moment where I felt sad that I might not be working as much or how I could do work life balance.
Now that I am a mother, I have a “new job” of taking care of Beau. The biggest takeaway that I got from this “new job” is that I realized how much of a blessing it is to be a mother. I never thought I would feel so fulfilled. However, it makes sense because God designed us as women to have children. If we have the blessing to be able to have children, it is one of the most rewarding jobs ever.
As a mom, I always want it to be my first priority to see Beau laugh, grow, and learn. It is crazy because God has dramatically changed my heart in this area. I used to find work so valuable but now I find my job in taking care of Beau as so valuable.
3. My New Schedule
How I create Work-life balance
Beau is my first priority, but I really enjoy doing some shoots on the side. Now that I am more settled in my routine, I’ve been scheduling my shoots on Mondays and Fridays early in the morning around 7:30am -8:30am. This is because it is really hot this time of year in Florida.
This routine is great because I can feed him before I leave or I can feed him right when I come home when he is still sleeping. This way I don’t miss any time with him because he is usually sleeping most of that time anyway. When I get home, I can spend the rest of my day with him.
Right now in the stage he is in, he sleeps a lot so I’m able to edit while he is still sleeping. I know that will change soon, but I don’t want to overwhelm myself with shoots, I want it to be a part of my life. I’m so thankful that I am still working, but Beau is definitely my main priority now so I shoot in between. It’s been such a beautiful work-life balance.
4. Enjoying Motherhood
taking care of the home and more
The structure of our family has been so awesome. I am able to grocery shop more, cook more, and take care of the home. I also get to raise Beau to know the Lord and talk to him about different things and teach him about different things. I am so excited to homeschool him and take on everything in that role. Motherhood is such a blessing.
I just want to encourage anybody that is desiring to be a mom to pray for it, and seek it out because the world will tell you that children are a burden. However, this idea is far from the truth. I believe that it makes work even more fulfilling because when I go to work, I am excited to come home to him and to be there for Joey. My workload has definitely slowed down, but it is so needed. It is so enjoyable and it allows me to avoid becoming burn out from work.
I hope my story encouraged and inspired you. If you are a new mom or if it is your desire to be a mom, I’d love to connect with you and hear your story. Feel free to reach out on social media or leave a comment down below.
Be sure to follow me on Instagram and TikTok to follow along with me on this new journey of motherhood and for mom tips.