Returning to work after maternity leave is not an easy task. Writer Emma Winterschladen explores how she and the women around her relied on different support networks to enable them to return to work.
As the saying goes: it takes a village.
Before my first daughter was born, I had no idea what a pivotal role Dad would play, and the extent to which his help would facilitate a return to my work in that first year. We have at times gone up to stay with Dad for week-long stints, which has allowed me to take on freelance projects that the inflexibility of paid-for childcare would never have allowed for.
Today, with three children, Naomi no longer lives as close to her mother and grandmother, but their practical and emotional support is still invaluable. “Whenever Mum comes up to stay and look after the children, my grandmother will fill the car with our favourite foods – salt fish fritters and fried chicken,” Naomi shares.
“Once I went back to work, after eight months, the situation became stressful for us all,” says Jess. “We ended up feeling guilty and uncomfortable that we were relying so heavily upon my mum, who was not coping well with the realities of looking after a young toddler.” Ultimately, Jess and Charlotte decided paid-for childcare was the only sustainable option – despite the financial implications.
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