Finding work/life balance as a new mom
Our little one arrived at the end of August and while there is so much good to say about maternity leaves, I’ve always known that taking time off wasn’t part of my path. I was never meant to be a stay-at-home mom.
But knowing this and being able to implement it was a task.
There is so much pressure on women to be primary caregivers, from a societal perspective, but also from our own bodies. For many of us, we are the baby’s food source. Our heartbeats are also the place they feel most safe and at home.
So what does a typical day look like now that I am a mom? How am I pulling this off?
our schedule with a
4-week old newborn
Typically, my partner takes night duty to let me get uninterrupted sleep. I sleep 11pm - 6am and wake to feed and cuddle our little one. We follow the eat-play-sleep routine and let our baby guide us to feed on demand. During the morning I pump to be able to give my partner a few bottles to feed throughout the afternoon while I go to work. I leave the house around 2pm and while I'd normally head to a cafe, with cold and flu season picking up I’ve started to set up a workspace in my car so that I don’t take any germs home. Having the space to think clearly is really important to my creative health, especially as a Generator in Human Design, so just being in the car is a luxury I feel so grateful for. I head home around 6:30pm to take evening duty and let my partner rest. After feeding, bathing and playing, baby and I hang out in the bed while I chip away at a few more tasks. To finish the night I have a long shower as a way of staying on top of my own self-care.
What this season of life has taught me is that:
I don’t need the perfect set up to get work done; I can be as productive in a car in a parking lot as I would in a cozy workspace if I decide that I can
'Not having enough time’ is a mindset. What used to take me a full day to accomplish is something I now do in a few hours, because that’s all I have
My current work situation isn’t glamorous but I wanted to share it to be human + real. While some new moms are happy to take leave, being able to maintain my creative and professional identity is really important to me.
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Hi! I'm Robin —
The diarist behind The Diary of an Empath and creator of Empaths in Business, teaching empaths how to turn their work into a business that works, with strategy, healing and support.
