A Day in The Life of a Newly Working Mom

• Arrive at work a few minutes late due to chaos getting out of the house.

• Make presence known at work – “I’m here. I’m working. I promise…”

• Visit the bathroom to touch up streaking mascara from crying all the way to work.

• Call to check on baby.

• Check watch; Time to pump already.

• Do a questionable amount of work.

• Start thinking about missing the baby.

• Try not to cry.

• Time to pump again…

• Lunch hour! (Contemplate leaving and never coming back…)

• Attempt some more work, but decide to make a “quick call” to see how baby is doing.

• Breathe into a paper bag (baby was screaming and crying in the background during the phone call)

• Oops, “let down”… time to pump again.

• Have trouble staying awake to do work.

• Begin to worry that you’re going to get fired.

• Try to focus.

• Try to focus.

• Wonder if baby has stopped crying. Best to call just to check…

• Brainstorm financial alternatives to working away from baby.

• Get depressed when there’s no obvious solution.

• Go home.

• Repeat.

• Repeat.

• Repeat.

• Repeat.

• Repeat.

• Repeat.