Background: Both my husband and I are WOH parents. we both have jobs we enjoy though my DH makes more than I do, my salary is still necessary for our current spending. My LO is almost 3 and her daycare/preschool is about 10 min from my office. We love her school and how reasonable the rate is but i'm solely responsible for drop offs and pick ups. It takes me 1 hour from when i leave my front door to when i get to my desk and vice versa going home. I leave at 7am and get home at 6pm hubs leaves before 6am and is home by 5pm. I work in a factory setting where I interact with the product and the operators on a daily basis. I leave at 7am and get home at 6pm. I'm currently pregnant with #2 and due around the first of the year, I'm hoping to take 12 weeks again. I havent yet told anyone in my office.

When i return to work I would like to work less than 40 hours at least temporarily. I struggled A LOT the first year back with my LO and I'm anticipating similar (Horrible sleep, stress from pumping, anxiety). Logistically, I can't decide how to approach this. I do not have the option to work at home. I'm also paid hourly not salary and we get our health benefits through my husbands work.

Option 1: work 5 days but shorter hours. maybe 6 instead of 8. Pros: I will miss rush hour traffic, I will be in office everyday to field questions, Less stress. Cons: still have to pay full 5 day daycare payments for 2 kids and my pay will be only 3/4's of what we're currently working with.

Option 2: Work 4 full days and 1 day off. Pros: daycare payments would be less since they would drop to a 4 day week. Only have to do the rat race 4 days. could possible split it up so I work MT off W work TF. Cons: not available for dealing with issues everyday, its still a very long 4 days.