Should I go back to work or stay home after childbirth? We all have asked this question to ourselves at least once after having a baby! Priorities of a mother change with time because her life changes at each step her child takes. Many women do not even think of staying at home because it is clear to them that they have to go back to the office after the paid maternity leaves that their company provides. But life is unpredictable; pregnancy for some women becomes such a task that they have to go for unpaid long sabbaticals or in worst cases they even have to leave their jobs! Some badass women continue to work till the last month of pregnancy and then use the saved maternity leaves with the intention of spending more time with their little ones.

In India, most of the companies provide paid maternity leave of 6 months, but many small firms do not provide any paid leaves. Even if you get the leave, it gets over just when you finally manage to set a routine!

Are 6 months enough as maternity leave? Why many companies are still not ready to provide paternity leave? Should you get any relaxation in working hours or productivity? A lot of questions will come up and the answers will be subjective to such questions. But what should you do? Should you go back to work or stay home until your child is able to take care of himself/herself? Again, the answer is not Yes/No. Only you can take this crucial decision. To make your decision-making smother, I have listed 5 points. Consider these points before making a choice and allow yourself some time to settle down in the new routine.

1. Finances

Except for a few privileged women, we all work to earn some income to support our families and improve our lifestyles. You must check and recheck your financial stability. Consider all your expenses; fixed, variable, and emergency. If the total is X, it will become 2X once the baby arrives. Most of the couples fail to calculate post-baby expenses because they consider only visible expenses such as medicines, cereals, diapers, clothes etc. But once the baby arrives, your entire lifestyle changes, you don’t want to compromise on anything. There will be extra cleaning at home (more salary to maid), parents will be more cautious about the food (organic and healthy food will shoot the graph of expenses; trust me, I’ve been there!), you will want to visit the most hygienic places, buy best of the toys, the most comfortable cradles and walkers. Even your Health Insurance premium increases. Also, if you are planning to send your child to a daycare, just know that they are so expensive.

If you are able to manage your finances with one income and save enough for emergencies and future, you are one of the few privileged women I mentioned earlier. If you are not amongst the privileged but ready to cut a few expenses and restrict your lifestyle, you too can tick this point!

If you want to continue earning (considering other points are not favourable), you can think of compromising on your salary and go for the options that will cut your salary a little but will give you more time for your family.

2. Family Support

You cannot ignore this point! For some of us, this is the only decision making factor. I have seen my friends giving up on their careers because there’s nobody else to look after their babies. Also, one of my friends could continue working in a night shift because she had family support.

If you have the full support of your family and they are ready to take care of your child and most importantly if you have full trust that they will be able to do it, the choice is easy for you.

Do not disappoint if you do not have family back up. You will still be able to work if you can find a good nanny or a good daycare. Make sure your house or the daycare is baby-friendly, has live camera access, it is hygienic and the nanny or teachers actually love being with kids. Of course, you have to be extra careful in this case. You or your spouse might want to check on the baby on live camera, call the nanny or daycare periodically to ensure your baby had enough food and sleep.

What is even more important is your husband’s active participation in the whole process.

Do not hesitate to ask for help because it takes a village to raise a child!

3. Your wish

Do you want to continue working because all your friends are working? Do you want to stay home because that is what a good mom will do?

Whatever is your choice, first reconfirm that it is actually what you want to do. Many times we make decisions based on cultural expectations or by just blindly following what others are doing. In some cases, there is family pressure to stay home or (in rare cases) to work.

I have seen a lot of new moms who left their jobs to become homemakers and then regretted.

Do not let others’ actions or perspectives influence you. Make your own decision because nobody else is going to play your role.

4. Health

Okay, everything is in your favour and you really can’t wait to go back to work. Wait! Did you check on your health?

Ask your gynaecologist if you are physically ready to go back to work. Some of us have a lot of complexities in and after delivering a baby that it takes longer to recover. You may join work in excitement but if you are not fit, you might have to back out; and that doesn’t look professional.

And, do not forget to check on your mental health.  Click on the link below to read my blog on how to tackle anxiety and depression.

https://theconfusedmommy.com/6-proven-ways-to-tackle-pregnancy-anxiety-and-post-partum-depression/

5. Nature of work

This one does not apply to all but you should consider the nature of work if you are planning to make a career change. You should consider the travel time to work, if it will be physically exhausting, if it will leave you mentally stressed, if it is paying you well, if it will give you the flexibility to work etc.

If you do not have family support or if your husband is unable to help you in household chores, you may want to consider more flexible options like part-time work, work from home, freelancing etc.

But this is not a limit if you are highly ambitious. Some brave and highly talented women refused to consider this point and have proven themselves stronger than before. The greatest example is ‘Mary Kom’, an Indian Olympic Boxer who dared to dream big and proved the world that motherhood makes a woman more powerful and stronger than before.

So these are the points to consider before making a decision on whether or not to work after childbirth. Make your decision carefully. Do not hurry. Do not change your decision because you are unable to manage things or because you just changed your mind. Whatever decision you make, give yourself some time to set the routine. It takes time to set the routine after having a baby. Respect that time and respect your baby’s needs and be patient.

Hope this helps!