Resuming work post-delivery is something that every woman thinks about, and quite a lot of women also do. However, it is often accompanied by a hovering guilt that tugs at women’s hearts from time to time. A large part of this guilt is engendered by judgments that the society indirectly or directly ends up burdening women with, while a lot of it comes from the pain that women feel when they have to leave their babies behind. While some women do not have the luxury to be stay at home moms, others prefer to resume work so as not to let go of their careers, or simply so that they have an additional purpose in life. Whatever the reason might be, blaming women for resuming work after having a baby is anachronous but still prevalent due to which mom guilt becomes extremely common.
Here are five ways to deal with mom guilt so that you can work guilt free and come to terms with both, motherhood and work, simultaneously.
Support system
Finding a support system for yourself can help you immensely. Your family, friends, co-workers and most importantly, other working moms can help you with this effectively. Having a support system would mean having someone to talk you through your guilt phases and helping you out constructively with juggling the two things.
Stop being too hard on yourself
After you have a baby, your responsibility as a mother definitely takes forefront, but it does not mean that you don’t owe anything to yourself. Going back to work is simply a part of resuming normal life which should be viewed normally. Try and go easy on yourself for you aren’t doing anything wrong to yourself or your child.
Overcome your insecurities
Going to work would mean more time at work and lesser time for your baby. Not giving enough time to your child would mean less connection and this insecurity haunts every woman equally. Try and get over this notion, for the quality of time matters as much as quantity and you can always manage that.
You know you need this
If you are resuming work, then you are doing it for yourself and your baby because both of you need it. Do not feel guilty for doing something that would make you feel good, and always remember that you baby’s wellbeing is inextricably linked to yours.
Reach out for help
Reaching out for help if you feel extremely caught up between your emotions towards your child and the guilt of going to work. If you feel too out of control and are losing out on sleep, you should definitely seek help and not feel ashamed of it.