Beth Myers - HERLIFE Magazine

herlife | working womenYour WorkLife Beforeand AfterHaving aBabyby ann e. butenasBefore having a baby, getting to work by eight in the morningwas rarely a challenge, except maybe for those occasionalweeknight festivities that found you crawling intobed a bit later than usual. The alarm went off. You showered,dressed, perhaps ate a bite of breakfast, and if youwere really ambitious, found time to squeeze in a pre-dawn workout.Then you have a baby. Suddenly, getting to work by eight in themorning seems like a feat of Olympian proportions as you realize that,to make that deadline, you will probably have to awaken at four inthe morning to make sure you have time to feed the baby, change adiaper, feed the baby, change a diaper, shower, get dressed, feed thebaby, shower again after the baby spits up on you, and so on and soforth. How do four hours go by so quickly?While it may not get easier, and new demands will replace olderones as your child gets older, this is the perfect time for you to realignyour priorities in life, change your focus, and discover that you havemore time management and project management talents in your littlefinger alone than you ever dreamed possible. With a baby on your hipand a briefcase in your hand, you can balance work life and homelife, if you are willing to go with the flow and make some adjustmentsalong the way.The first item of business is to come to terms with the fact thatbeing the perfect parent and the perfect employee simultaneouslyis nearly impossible. You either want to make your career your toppriority or your family your top priority. The choice is yours. You mayfind yourself at a crossroads, reviewing the questions: Are you willingto trade a more affluent lifestyle for increased family time? Can yourfamily budget afford to lose your income?However, just because you may choose one over the otherdoesn’t mean that particular priority has to always be your firstchoice. Maybe you want to focus on family now, and as your childgets older, you can shift your focus back to your career.Before your child is even born, consider what your wants andneeds are. Can you afford to work part-time? Is there a way for youto work from home? If you do return to work, what type of child carearrangement will you prefer? Inquire of your employer if you have theoption of job sharing or working the equivalent number of hours in afour-day week instead of a five-day week. Find out in advance whatyour employer’s policies are with respect to flexibility in your schedulewhen you do return to work.98 HERLIFEMAGAZINE.COM