https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 13 May 2026 17:09:29 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-1000370 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 14:50:33 +0000 Bluebonnet 1000370@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1) Yes. We had a strong coverage plan in place, I transitioned everything before I went on leave. I was working 10+ hour on a big project leading up to my leave and I was exhausted and ready for a break. </p> <p>2) Yes. I was too exhausted from nursing around the clock and not sleeping for long stretches to think about work. I kept in touch with a close coworker, and talked to my boss a couple of times.</p> <p>3) No. Too exhausted to think about it.</p> <p>4) Yes. LO was my new priority, and trying to figure out my schedule - pumping/nursing, drop off/pick up, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-1000259 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 14:34:24 +0000 Alivoo01 1000259@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs D: Totally feel ya! Performance reviews are due in November for me and that determines pay raises! Eek! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-1000223 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 14:27:55 +0000 Mrs D 1000223@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Jacks: I totally feel you on "planning out" my stay at home days so I feel as engaged as possible. I have been researching the local mommy and me classes and am going to start looking at meet ups in the area. I have some other SAHM friends who I am going to connect with as well - and some fun "fall activities" planned out that I want to take LO to. After the first 4 weeks my hope is to be able to start really scheduling stuff out so I feel engaged as I can. I also plan to try to keep my one morning routine as best I can (coffee and my email box) for 15-30 mins just to help me feel in the loop on work happenings. I truly think I'll feel invigorated by the idea of going back to work after 12 weeks - this is my hope anyways.</p> <p>@Alivoo01: This is encouraging since our jobs our so similar. I have work email sync'd to my phone too - I basically have mentally said that my bosses (I basically have 3) will receive 1 day turn around on responses...everyone else will wait until I have the time to address them from my computer. I want to prove myself to my boss too as I am due a promotion when I return - I dont want to jeopardize that!</p> <p>@MsLipGloss: I definitely agree there is something to be said there. Right now, DH and I both have jobs that we cant really disconnect from because its difficult to truly "leave work" - however I am hoping maternity leave will give me the time and space to be totally present in my personal life when we are being a family of 3. (i.e. on the weekends and at night) I think taking the 15-30 min coffee break in the morning will be what will allow me to do that. If I can get my 15 mins to clear any issues requiring attention at work I think it will allow me to be 100% there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-1000158 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 14:17:55 +0000 looch 1000158@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Where I worked, you were not permitted to be involved during your maternity leave. They disconnect your email account and if you have a blackberry, you must turn it in. When you turn in the bb, it disconnects the app on your personal devices.</p> <p>I had no problem leaving for maternity leave, heck, I even took a 2 year break. I jumped right back in, it's like I never left. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-1000102 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 14:09:55 +0000 MsLipGloss 1000102@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs D: @MrsH: I would also like to add that my maternity leave was the first time in a really long time that I was 100% present in my personal life. I was super proud of myself for allowing myself to just be a new mom and fully enjoy the time I had with LO. Your reactions to motherhood may surprise you . . . they certainly did me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-1000077 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 14:06:59 +0000 MrsH 1000077@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO isn't here yet but I'm definitely worried about this. :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-999986 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:53:02 +0000 Alivoo01 999986@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've been checking email daily (it's synced to my phone), and respond ASAP. I've done a tiny bit of work, but my boss keeps reminding me I shouldn't be since I'm on leave. I just want to prove to him I can work AND take care of my son during my leave so that he'll be more willing to let me work from home a day or two when I do go back to work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-999963 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:49:53 +0000 rachiecakes 999963@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1) Did you ever feel "ready" to leave things at work for 3 months (or however long your leave was)?<br /> I was placed on bedrest after being hospitalized at 37 weeks. Fortunately being the super-planner that I am, I had already made a booklet of my contacts, my contract templates, my passwords, and where I could be reached. </p> <p>2) Did you completely disconnect while on leave? Not quite. While on bedrest I continued to work on ads that I had started and other small projects. After DS was born, I was waaay too busy with him and figuring out how to be a mom on 3/4 hours sleep to even deal with work. </p> <p>3) Did you worry constantly about what condition you'd be going back to work in? YES. I was a zombie. Honestly, bigger challenge of my life was figuring out breastfeeding/pumping and work - on 4/5 hours of sleep at 7 weeks postpartum, when I returned. Some days were better than ever. I was happy to enjoy the cup of coffee, conversations with my coworkers and have projects that can be completed in the time I was there. Other days I felt like I couldn't pump and work at the same time and was failing at everything. </p> <p>4) Do you feel you were different when you went back? Yes. I used to stay long hours, work through lunch breaks and do work projects at home in the evenings. I don't do that anymore. There really aren't enough hours in the day to do it all. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-999959 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:49:12 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 999959@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs D: I love your questions and feel like we are very similar in this regard. I got things pretty queued up before I left, but I had to go out on bed rest. I used that time to write a paper I had been working on, so it felt very productive.</p> <p>I was very fortunate in that I was wrapping up my post-doc and starting a new job when I returned so I didn't feel like I came back to a mess (and I didn't take a mat leave with M... So problem solved there!)</p> <p>In order to not go stir crazy, I approached may leave like a job. I had projects lined up and scheduled mom meetups like they were business meetings! ;)</p> <p>I was surprised that it was hard to go back at 4 months. In part that might have been because it was a new job and I had to train, in part because I enjoyed my leave so much... But after about a week, I was already hitting my stride again and really ready to dig in.</p> <p>I think you'll find it both enjoyable and a new challenge and hopefully you'll be ready to return when it is time :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-999867 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:36:25 +0000 blackbird 999867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1) Did you ever feel "ready" to leave things at work for 3 months (or however long your leave was)?<br /> Yes! People really cut back on giving me work a few months before my due date. So i was BORED before i went on leave. </p> <p>2) Did you completely disconnect while on leave?<br /> Yes. I work government contracts and it is illegal for us to work and not be paid for it. So...NOBODY was allowed to contact me or talk to me about work! It was crazy. I literally fell off the face of the earth one day. And my boss was very encouraging about, "do not work. You are not allowed to. Enjoy your leave". </p> <p>3) Did you worry constantly about what condition you'd be going back to work in?<br /> Yes. I was hoping I wasn't coming back to a total mess. And I kind of did. it was stressful for my coworkers to pick up the slack and I already feel bad about asking them to do it again (and a third time!) in the future. But, they'll manage.</p> <p>4) Do you feel you were different when you went back?<br /> Nah. When I have work, I do it. When I don't, i find things to entertain myself :P </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-999854 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:34:51 +0000 Mrs D 999854@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: your answer to #2 is exactly how I feel!</p> <p>And I have already talked to my boss, like I mentioned above, that I cant disconnect. He and I have already discussed that for December I will take each Friday off and I think depending on how much I work while I am at home he will not count those against me. He's very flexible about time off since we are always working more than 40 hours a week - he never tracks my PTO - so I know he'll be flexible when I go back too. He even already said that we can talk about my working from home for a day or two a week in December (we're trying to avoid putting LO in daycare until Jan).</p> <p>My busy time is in Jan - when LO will be starting Daycare. I have 2 nasty weeks when I usually work 70ish hours. My plan (which my boss has tentatively agreed to) is to drop LO off at Daycare at 7am...work until 3pm, leave to pick up LO and stay home with her until 5pm, then come back to work after DH gets home for a few hours. I live close to work so its easy for me... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-999833 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:30:26 +0000 Mrs D 999833@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks for your feedback ladies! I feel good about my workplan and my boss is SUPER flexible and understanding of personal commitments - so I dont worry at all about feeling pressure from him. I know my pressure will come from within. </p> <p>I promised DH I would shut it off for the first 4 weeks at a minimum - but I did tell my boss to text or email if he needs something and I will get back to him when is convenient. For me, my projects cant just stop because of filings and deadlines that have to be met - so while they continue to go on I want to be able to help if possible from afar.</p> <p>@pelikila: I agree with you totally and think I too will just not make a great stay at home mom. My bosses boss has already predicted that I will be trying to work again by 6 weeks PP, which I obviously wont do but I think I'll have that itch! Hopefully I can find a happy medium...even just spending 30 mins every couple days answering emails would put me at ease I think that I still am somewhat in control of things even though I am not there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-999823 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:26:39 +0000 yoursilverlining 999823@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1) Did you ever feel "ready" to leave things at work for 3 months (or however long your leave was)?<br /> Sort of - I could finish most of the major projects before my maternity leave started, which helped. When I got super huge and swollen and uncomfortable I didn't really want to go to work every day, but my mind still needed the intellectual stimulation of work.</p> <p>2) Did you completely disconnect while on leave?<br /> NO (I never completely disconnect while on vacation, either). I checked my email every few days so that I didn't have 1000000000 emails when I went back to work. It was also easier to check email and answer a question that would take me 30 seconds to answer, but someone else 3 days to track down the right department, right employee, etc.</p> <p>3) Did you worry constantly about what condition you'd be going back to work in?<br /> No, not really. I worried some about the logistics of how mornings would work with daycare, but not about my personal work.</p> <p>4) Do you feel you were different when you went back?<br /> Nope; I'm good about dividing up "work me" and "personal me", and I like working so it was easy to focus on work and not be sitting all day wishing I was home with baby. I think I was a little less sharp when I went back because I was exhausted, but I don't think my work product suffered. After I went back, I didn't work as many hours per week as I did pre-baby (salaried, but I used to work 50+ a week)</p> <p>ETA: I worked from home on a few projects at the end of my leave (got extra vacation days in exchange), which was a wonderful way to ease back into full time work. I would highly recommend that route if you can swing it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-999820 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:24:51 +0000 2PeasinaPod 999820@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1) Did you ever feel "ready" to leave things at work for 3 months (or however long your leave was)? I went on Maternity leave during our busiest season, and I had a million and a half things to take care of. I had a very good maternity plan in place with the folks I was leaving things to, and went into labor on a Tuesday night after work...started my maternity leave on Wednesday when he was born.</p> <p>2) Did you completely disconnect while on leave? I totally disconnected while I was out on leave. I didn't even think about work for the first 4 weeks. LO was extremely colicky, we had BFing issues and I was exhausted.</p> <p>3) Did you worry constantly about what condition you'd be going back to work in? Towards the end, I was a little worried to find what I was going to come back to. But again, I had a really solid maternity plan going in, and I took care of a ton of stuff prior to leaving.</p> <p>4) Do you feel you were different when you went back? I do feel as if I'm different. Things don't bother me as much. I'm not a workaholic by any means anymore. I still do take my work very seriously, but I negotiated a good schedule for myself where I can work from home 2 days/week while my FIL and dad watch LO. It's definitely an adjustment, but it improves every day! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-999814 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:23:25 +0000 MsLipGloss 999814@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1) No, especially because I was induced early due to complications. (I sent a slew of emails out from my phone as my Pitocin IV was started).</p> <p> 2) As much as possible, yes (I did answer a few emails and take a few conference calls). I had a traumatic delivery and was just so freakin exhausted that I just didn't have the mental bandwidth to worry about the details.</p> <p> 3) No. There was so much else to worry about during the first 12 weeks! I worried about it, but didn't really focus on it until about 7-10 days before I went back to work.</p> <p> 4) Yes. It's just not as important to me as it was before . . . and that shocked the hell out of me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-999807 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:21:38 +0000 pelikila 999807@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1) Did you ever feel "ready" to leave things at work for 3 months (or however long your leave was)? Nope. And it didn't help that I was expecting to go late and ended up going early so I wasn't prepared yet. Perhaps God's way of forcing my hand?!?!<br /> 2) Did you completely disconnect while on leave? Nope. Not only was I not able to for myself but there were several requests made of me while I was on leave. Nothing that necessitated going to the office but some responses and phone calls were required. Also, I went to the office twice during my 8 week leave. I am not a good stay at home personality.<br /> 3) Did you worry constantly about what condition you'd be going back to work in? Yes but it was going to be what it was going to be. Most my clients knew when I'd be back so they didn't push my jobs too hard while I was away.<br /> 4) Do you feel you were different when you went back? Not really. My days were longer for all of the time I had to take for pumping but it was okay. I still worked just as hard and was just as dedicated as before. Some days were worse than others but it would be that way with or without LO. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-999795 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:19:35 +0000 cascademom 999795@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>1) I felt ready to leave when I just got so big. I started maternity leave on a Tuesday, the day my son was born because I went into labor on Monday night after work<br /> 2) I completely disconnected until I was close to going back. Wish I would have put my email inbox on my phone sooner to keep track in case that did come up, that had to be addressed<br /> 3) I wasn't worried about condition after maternity leave. I had a great call with my boss before I went back. He's always been super supportive, so things were easy.<br /> 4) Definitely felt different because there was pumping, new duties at work and at home to deal with. Took a couple of months of adjusting to find what works with morning and night schedules between DH, LO, and I. Lots of trial and error. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/maternity-leave-workaholic-how-was-it-for-you#post-999778 Thu, 08 Aug 2013 13:15:43 +0000 Mrs D 999778@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So...here I am 37 weeks - totally ready at home to have a baby...totally freaking out about my work commitments!</p> <p>For those of you (especially anyone who may consider themselves a workaholic or control freak :happy: ) I have a few questions:</p> <p>1) Did you ever feel "ready" to leave things at work for 3 months (or however long your leave was)?<br /> 2) Did you completely disconnect while on leave?<br /> 3) Did you worry constantly about what condition you'd be going back to work in?<br /> 4) Do you feel you were different when you went back?</p> <p>Not to sound errogant...but I feel like I am a crucial part of my department and I am terrified of how things will go while I am gone. I have already told my boss I want to be cc'd on email while on leave just in case I can help out. I have also told him that I want to be consulted on certain projects when they have questions - I'd rather spend 5 mins helping than hours fixing when I go back. I'm just terrified about how this is all going to go!</p> <p>I know I will love being home with LO but I do think ultimately I will be so happy to be back at work in December. Just looking for others experiences! </p>