As a pediatrician, I've come to dread one particular moment in any 2-month-old baby's checkup.

You see, at the end of every checkup, I like to tell parents what to expect in the time between then and the next visit--milestones, things they might be worried about, that sort of thing. The end of the 2-month checkup is particularly fun because that's when I get to tell parents that their baby is soon going to be the happiest little bundle on the planet--laughing, smiling, giggling, babbling--the fun baby that everybody imagines.

But that's the moment that it happens: Over half of moms, initially smiling as I painted the picture of what's to come, suddenly feel a pang of guilt, pain, worry, regret. It's visible on their faces. "Great. Right when I have to go back to work."

Returning to work after baby is a process that is characterized by an onslaught of emotions, logistics, and change. Worse still, it happens right after we've just started to settle from another process filled with emotion, logistics, and change--that whole 'having a baby' thing. And yet, even after decades of working families, we somehow still haven't figured out how to make maternity leave and return work.

Lori Mihalich-Levin has figured it out. An accomplished lawyer (and a top-notch mom, to boot!), Lori has been a champion for women since she was in college. After twice experiencing the challenges of returning to work herself, she founded Mindful Return--an online resource, e-course, and community--with the mission of helping moms plan for, take, and return from maternity leave as calmly and successfully as possible.

Whether the topic is riding the emotional wave of returning to work, figuring out how to schedule time for yourself, or planning the daily logistics of getting everybody out of the house in the morning, Lori is the expert that every working parent needs to hear.

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• How to tackle the many forms of guilt involved in going back to work after having a baby
• How to ask for flexibility in your schedule, even after having taken a few weeks off--and still have the confidence to ask for a raise
• Pumping at work--how to make it happen and protect the time you need
• Ways to handle the new challenges to your relationship with your significant other that are brought on by combining a new baby and a return to work
• How to turn your parenting challenges into assets at work
• How to delegate to get everybody out of the house on time!
• Lori's mental trick for staying sane when your head is spinning
• How "micro-self-care" can ensure you're also able to find time for taking care of yourself
• Lori's 7 recommendations for what to do before even taking maternity leave
• What the maternity leave expert would tell her pre-maternity-leave self
• And much, much more!

"You can plan your leave and go back to work in a way that makes you feel empowered--instead of 'my career's going to end.'" -- Lori Mihalich-Levin

Even if you're a dad on leave, or even if you're a stay-at-home parent, I promise that you're going to find so much valuable information in this episode that you can use today!

Be sure to SHARE this page & this episode with anyone who needs to find the right balance between work, family, and self!

Tag me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or LinkedIn, and let me know what you think about my conversation with Lori.

Important Resources

• Mindful Return - Lori's incredible online resource for moms planning and returning from leave
• Mindful Return Online e-Course - Read the reviews & see how SO many women have benefited from this course!
• Lori Mihalich-Levin email: [email protected]
• Book: Work, Pump, Repeat: The New Mom's Survival Guide to Breastfeeding and Going Back to Work - by Jessica Shortall
• Book: Overwhelmed: How to Work, Love, and Play When No One Has the Time - by Bridgid Schultz
• Resources for parents with Postpartum Depression & Anxiety
  • Postpartum Support International - Get information, connect with professionals
  • March of Dimes Postpartum Depression Resource - Learn the signs, treatment, and more

Music

• Akashic Records – Motivation
• Aarre & Kedam - Joyride